The Entrepreneurial Operating System's (EOS) model has 6 key components. One of them is the Process Component.
Companies who use EOS document their 6-10 Core Business Processes – HR, Marketing, Sales, Operations (how you deliver your product or service), Finance, and Customer Support are chief among them. They document the steps in the processes in an entrepreneurial way – using the 20/80 rule. Then they insist that these core processes are followed by all employees – no exceptions.
Horizon Services, Inc. of Wilmington, DE (http://www.horizonservicesinc.com/) is great example of a company which exemplifies this best practice.
I was blown away two weeks ago when I was dealing with a malfunction in my home furnace. I decided to reach beyond the firm I had used in the past who always completed the work but never wowed me.
Horizon impressed me at every turn. It started with the person who answered my initial phone call. After I told her that I needed a furnace problem diagnosed, she asked if I was a current customer. When I said no, she asked my permission to mention a few things about Horizon which I might find interesting – that Horizon is 23 years in business, that they have a “AAA” Better Business Rating, and so on.
Every interaction was a pleasure. Next up was the “comfort consultant” who diagnosed the problem, then the sales rep, and finally the installation team. By the way, I bought a new furnace. Each person who entered my home put on “hospital footies” each and every time so as not to track dirt in from outside. Each was polite. Each was knowledgeable. Each was on time. No exceptions.
This doesn’t happen by chance. All their key processes must be documented and followed as a part of being a Horizon employee and they have more than 300 employees.
Are you documenting the Core Business Processes in your business? You should be.
