Load Shedding. What to do?
Pakistan today, is facing an unprecedented power shortage problem. Schedule Power blackouts, locally know as “Load Shedding”, are a common misery amongst the public as well as businesses. As a business owner / management team member this is a frustrating situation to be in, as it haves a direct effect upon your business productive is beyond your control to change the circumstances. So what should you do to keep your business afloat?
- Recognize that this is a Long Term problem. Despite, what you may read or hear in the media from various public officials, Load Shedding is here to stay!
- Recognize that the loss in productivity in your business does not necessary mean that your costs have decreased. You’re still paying employees to sit ideal during load shedding time, your still receiving electricity bills etc.
- Recognize that you need to make up the shortfall in productive by improving the efficiencies of your people and processes. Find ways for your employees to do more with less, take apart your current business processes, reengineer them to be faster and simpler.
- Recognize that Technology can help you improve the efficiencies that you target to improve.
From the technology viewpoint, ERP / Accounting Business System packaged software’s are generally and genuinely able to offer you a path to improvements in business critical functions like operations, supply chain management and finance. These software solutions are designed to integrate ALL of your business processes allowing you to design and implement organizational wide, “Ways of Doing Things”. Let’s take an example:
Purchase Order Controls
Many companies today are still “casual” in their controls around employee purchases. Their purchase approval process remains a manual, paper-driven process. With a lack of control and automation, employees may make purchases first and submit the expense for reimbursement after the fact. Managers may spend time following up with employees and asking them to write up a request, even though the items are already being used. This type of outdated purchase approval process can create budget overruns leading to unexpected expenditures.
In using an ERP packaged solution, for example Dynamics GP. You could use the web-based Requisition management solution to help increase control and visibility over the entire purchasing process. With Requisition Management, your employees can enter purchase requests online for manager approval. Requisitions are then automatically transferred to new or existing purchase orders in Purchase Order Processing. Management has visibility into employee purchase requests before the purchase is made, so they can easily validate that the purchase requests are within budget before approving. This process helps reduce repetitive data entry and eliminates costly mistakes.
This is just one brief example of how using an ERP may help drive up efficiencies to make up for the losses in productivity that you face. My last piece of advice: It’s easy to get frustrated with any critical business issue you may face , so be diligent about recognizing the problem and know that there are many sources of help available to you to.
