Tag Archive for: Operational Consistency

It is quite normal for any company to chase operational consistency in those places where it is easily measurable. Operating procedures are documented, workflows are mapped, and onboarding templates exist that require every new employee to follow all the necessary steps. All this is justified by the fact that operational consistency helps to reduce errors, facilitate training and make a business run smoother and faster. However, there is one blind spot that emerges over and over again in the companies that have managed to sort their internal processes out. And it emerges the moment it becomes necessary to interact with a client or customer.

Think about all the materials a customer or client sees before he/she signs anything. Proposal document, email message with a signature at the end, a letter on a formal letterhead, a folder given in a meeting all these are examples of brand communication and, therefore, a reinforcement or undermining of trust. And yet these are the things that usually appear at the very end of the list of things a company is interested in when trying to sort out the question of operational consistency. There is a reason for it: these materials do not seem to be processed in the same way as workflow diagrams.

Operational Excellence Means Not Only Good Workflow Management

One could say that operational consistency means minimizing the presence of variability wherever it may bring some risks. If a business is treating each customer’s inquiry in a bit different way, it becomes much harder to manage and scale. The same principles apply to the processes of brand communication as well. Just like in the case of the internal processes, inconsistency in terms of communication may become a serious problem. If one team member sends a beautifully formatted proposal and another sends a mess, it is the same type of inconsistency as the difference between picking procedures of two warehouse workers. The only thing is that the latter remains hidden, whereas the former becomes obvious.

And the moment it does, the first impression is formed – and that impression is not going to change anymore.

What Is Meant by Brand Communication?

Just to clarify the matter a little bit, it is necessary to explain what types of communication can be considered as customer-facing. Obviously, proposals become the first thing to consider because, generally speaking, a prospect is going to base his/her decision upon the proposal. Email signature is also one of those things that play a much bigger role than people believe because it appears at the end of every message sent by the team, and the person receiving this message never met this business face-to-face. Letterhead adds a formal touch to any document, whether it is a contract or a compliance letter. As for the presentation materials, they define the way the pitch or proposal looks in the room, separately from what is said by the speaker.

Whether your business operates in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, or any other market, one principle remains the same: every customer-facing interaction contributes to how your organisation is perceived. While communication methods may differ between industries and regions, consistency in professional presentation helps build credibility and trust wherever business is conducted. 

Operational consistency goes far beyond the internal processes. All the customer-facing materials such as proposals, letterheads, envelopes, and other types of business stationery become the tools of creating a consistent image of the company that is always ready for business.

Why It Is Being Overlooked

One of the reasons why brand communication may become a weak spot is that, in most cases, it falls out of control of whoever is responsible for operations in a business in a traditional sense. Usually, the marketing team takes care of the logo and brand guidelines, sales team is in charge of proposals, and administration takes care of letterheads and envelopes. There is no one responsible for the consistency in this case, and gradually it disappears due to numerous minor decisions.

This is the same kind of failure that occurs when it comes to operational processes due to the lack of someone responsible for the handovers between departments. In both cases, the solution is the same: it is necessary to delegate responsibility not only for a specific element of brand communication but for the whole system.

Considering Communication as One of the Elements of the System

The companies that succeed in managing their brand communication take the approach that is similar to the approach towards internal processes. There are central templates and not individual preferences of employees. Ordering letterheads and other materials also takes place via one consistent procedure. Onboarding includes the presentation of the proposal format and email signature policy just like the presentation of workflow checklists. All this does not need a considerable investment but it requires the decision that customer-facing materials deserve the same treatment as all the other things that are standardized in a business.

And there is one additional aspect of this approach that must be mentioned. The business that communicates with its clients in a consistent manner becomes more trustworthy – even before any other evidence is presented to the client. And this effect is especially pronounced in the early stages of the relationship when trust is still in the process of building.

Bringing It All Together

Operational consistency was never supposed to end with internal processes. Its purpose was to minimize the gap between the intentions of the company and the way they are fulfilled during every interaction with every client. All the materials a customer sees during this process, proposal documents, letters, stationery, small details that most teams simply do not pay attention to anymore because they are seen every day become the place where these intentions are either preserved or lost. And the companies that manage to maintain the same level of consistency in these materials as in internal processes become more trustworthy much faster.