What every CEO should know about Process Improvement
By Sri Balaji
July 27, 2025
Hello Amazing Leaders!
Today, we’re going to talk about something super important for every CEO, founder, and business owner: Process Improvement. Think of it like tuning your car’s engine. When it runs smoothly, you save fuel, go faster, and have a much better ride. The same applies to your business!
What is Process Improvement?
In simple words, it’s about making your work smarter, not harder. It means looking at how you do things every day and finding ways to make them faster, easier, and better. This helps you save money, make customers happier, and grow your business.
Why Should Every CEO Care About It?
As a CEO, you want your business to be successful and profitable. Process improvement is a secret ingredient for that! Here’s why:
- Save Money: When processes are smooth, you waste less time and resources. This means more money stays in your pocket.
- Happy Customers: Faster service and better quality products make your customers smile and come back for more.
- Grow Your Business: An efficient business can handle more work and new customers easily, helping you expand.
- Less Stress: When things work well, there’s less confusion and fewer mistakes, making everyone’s life easier.
Real-Life Examples from Tamil Nadu:
1. Fixing a Bottleneck: The ‘Velu Textiles’ Story (Tirupur)
Imagine a small textile factory called Velu Textiles in Tirupur. They made beautiful shirts, but stitching them took a long time. They found that one old stitching machine was always breaking down, causing a big delay. This was their “bottleneck” – a spot where work gets stuck.
What they did: Mr. Velu, the owner, invested in a new, faster machine and also trained his team to maintain it better.
The result: Shirts were stitched much quicker, orders were completed on time, and they could take on more work, making more profit!
2. Making Operations Smooth: ‘Saravana Vilas’ Restaurant (Chennai)
Think about a busy restaurant like Saravana Vilas in Chennai. During lunch rush, waiters often mixed up orders, and food took too long to reach tables. Customers got annoyed.
What they did: The management introduced a new system. Waiters started using small hand-held devices to directly send orders to the kitchen. The kitchen also put up screens showing new orders.
The result: Orders became accurate, food came out faster, and customers were super happy. The restaurant served more people in less time!
3. Using Simple Technology: ‘Fast Track Logistics’ (Madurai)
A small delivery company, Fast Track Logistics in Madurai, used to struggle with knowing where their delivery boys were. Customers would call constantly asking, “Where is my parcel?”
What they did: The CEO, Mr. Kumar, introduced a simple mobile app. Delivery boys would just tap a button when they picked up and delivered a parcel. This updated the status automatically.
The result: Customers could check their parcel’s status themselves, calls to the office reduced by half, and deliveries became more reliable.
4. Getting Everyone Involved: ‘Tech Solutions’ (Coimbatore)
At an IT service company called Tech Solutions in Coimbatore, customer complaints were taking too long to solve. The CEO, Ms. Priya, realized her team members on the ground knew the problems best.
What she did: Ms. Priya held regular meetings where every employee, from the junior support staff to the senior engineers, could suggest ways to fix problems faster. They came up with ideas like creating a “common answers” guide for frequent questions.
The result: Customer issues were resolved quicker, and the team felt more valued and happy at work.
Simple Steps for CEOs to Start Process Improvement:
- Look Closely: Watch how your team does things from start to finish. Where do delays happen? What seems complicated?
- Find the Slow Spots: Pinpoint the bottlenecks or the parts of the process that cause frustration or waste.
- Make Small Changes: You don’t need big, expensive changes. Try small, smart adjustments first.
- Check if it Worked: After making a change, see if things got better. Are customers happier? Are you saving money?
- Keep Improving: Process improvement is not a one-time thing. It’s a journey of always looking for better ways to do things.
Remember, even small improvements can lead to huge success. By focusing on making your internal workings smooth and efficient, you set your business on the path to incredible growth and lasting success.
Go ahead, start tuning your business engine today!
