27 November, 2023

Business Operating Models and How to Run Them Effectively

A business operating system is an important element of an organization, directly affecting how well departments work. For a business to perform well, run smoothly and use people efficiently, building an operating process plays a very important role. So what business operating models are there? What process works best? Let MONA Media answer in this article.

Common business operating models today

HR department operating model

The important steps in the HR department's operating process are shown in this model:

HR department operating process diagram

These steps are the key activities in how an HR department operates. However, this model can change according to the size and strategy of the business,

Operating model for the administration and accounting department

This model shows the relationships between the teams and individuals in the administration and accounting department. To get better results, the administration and accounting operating model must be built to suit the scale of the business.

Administration and accounting department operating diagram

Sales department operating model

The sales department operating model is a summary of the processes and activities that take place in the sales department. It helps define each employee's roles and responsibilities and the relationships between teams.

Sales department operating diagram

The business operating model for the sales department is an important tool for reaching business goals. A clear and effective operating model can improve the performance of sales processes and strengthen coordination between departments.

Running a business is not only about building a complete model but also about keeping execution consistent. However, many businesses often procrastinate, especially when there is no deadline pressure or clear success. Take a look and learn practical lessons on running effectively and avoiding wasted resources in your business.

6 steps to run a business properly

Identify the important activities in the business

Businesses have different operating flows, and functional departments play an important role in the operating system and in business results. To have a proper operating process, a business needs to identify which activities are critical, which create value, and which decide its success or failure. Important activities commonly found in some businesses

  • Production stage
  • Product supply
  • Freight shipping
  • Marketing and sales
  • Customer care services
Identify the business operating activities

Build processes, policies, documents and forms

To run effectively, a business needs to build work processes, operating processes for each department, contract forms, employee policies and documents internal training.

When building a standard process, a business can base it on the model BPM Life Cycle to build the details:

  • Process design: Leadership needs to decide which phase to roll out first and which comes later, set the relationships between tasks, and define the end goal of the process, so the business can see clearly which process it will implement.
  • Process modeling: Based on the process design, the business should draw up its operating model, with illustrations that show the big picture of the company more clearly.
  • Process rollout: Run the business according to the process model.
  • Monitoring and evaluation: After a period of running the process, the business should evaluate how effective it is, based on performance and work results.
  • Adjustment and optimization: Analyze the gaps in the process and make suitable adjustments.

For operating policies, the business needs to prepare policies covering task assignment, workplace rules, staff promotion, and so on.

Investing in documents and forms for every operating activity also helps in two ways: staff will use them effectively, and they serve as proof that the business is running properly.

Today, businesses can build a set of materials for training new employees and key staff in different ways, such as lecture slides and documents. To save time when building these materials, though, a business should create internal training videos, which can be two to three times as effective as training with other kinds of material.

The specific benefits of using video in staff training compared with traditional methods:

  • Saves time: Record once, use for many people. HR does not need to repeat the training.
  • Consistent knowledge: Every employee learns the same content, with no discrepancies.
  • Easy to understand and remember: Lively presentation helps people absorb quickly and remember longer.
  • Learn on your own schedule: Staff learn at a suitable time without disrupting their work.
  • Easy to track and measure: Follow progress closely and see who has and has not completed the training.
  • Lower costs: No extra cost for classrooms, trainers or coordination.
  • Build a modern learning culture: Encourage self-study and sustainable development.

=> Training videos help a business standardize its processes and raise team performance without repeating the same work.

Review the steps and factors likely to cause errors

At this step, you check every element of the business management system to find errors that could affect operations. To find the root cause of errors, managers can use a fishbone diagram, which sorts the causes of a problem into 6 basic groups:

  • Crew
  • Materials
  • Equipment and machinery
  • Working methods
  • Standards and regulations
  • The environment

Staff training

Once the operating system is built, the next step is to run internal communication and staff training. The key is to make sure every employee understands their role and duties in the process, and to give them the tools and training they need to work productively.

However, many businesses focus only on attracting strong people from outside and forget that internal talent is what sustains long-term growth. Without investment in training, employees do not improve their skills, and the organization stagnates.

Many businesses neglect staff training

Theo VnExpresse.net

The answer is a well-structured, long-term training strategy, starting with a internal training software professional platform such as a software system MONA SkillHub. Such a platform helps a business organize training systematically, track progress, evaluate results, and personalize the learning path for each employee. 

MONA SkillHub internal training software

Using MONA SkillHub supports staff training with these features:

  • Anti-skip video: On the first viewing, users cannot skip ahead, so they take the content in properly.
  • Learning paths: If lessons are taken out of order, the next lesson stays locked.
  • Adjustable completion rate: A course counts as complete only after the learner reaches 80 to 100%.
  • Assign courses and set deadlines: Assign courses clearly, with specific due dates.
  • Tests and certificates: Automatic, periodic tests, with a certificate issued on completion.
  • Automatic reminders: Send a notification when a deadline is near or a course is unfinished.
  • Cheating prevention: Block unusual access, randomize test questions, and detect inactivity.

MONA developed these features around 4 core goals:

  • Build an internal learning community: SkillHub creates an open learning space where every employee can learn from one another, share knowledge on their own initiative, and improve together. Learning feels natural rather than forced, and helps spread a learning culture across the whole organization.
The MONA SkillHub 3.0 internal training system lets staff learn conveniently anytime, anywhere

MONA staff learning and training conveniently on SkillHub 3.0

  • Manage and evaluate with data: The system tracks learning progress, how well knowledge is applied, and each person's real results. Managers can then analyze team capability easily and make build a training program suitable decisions based on objective data.
A transparent system for evaluating training results

A transparent system for evaluating training results

  • Training tied closely to real work: Course content is designed around the requirements of each role and updated continually as work changes, so staff get the right skills at the right time.
A range of courses on MONA SkillHub

A range of courses on MONA SkillHub

  • Recognition that sustains motivation to learn: Clear certificates, leaderboards and rewards recognize learning effort fairly, encourage a habit of learning, and build commitment to the company.
MONA staff competing in learning and video-based training

MONA staff competing in learning and video-based training

At MONA, introducing the SkillHub 3.0 internal training system changed how staff approach learning, from passive to proactive, driven by personal growth and healthy competition. After their courses, many employees designed their own lessons and shared knowledge back, helping build a common knowledge base. 

Courses created by MONA staff

Courses created by MONA staff

For details on how MONA trains and develops a professional team through MONA SkillHub, see here:

See how MONA trains staff effectively

CONTACT US for detailed advice on MONA SkillHub software:

–> See more: Human resource training and development process

Implementation, monitoring and evaluation

The final step is putting the operating system into the business's day-to-day work. No operating system is perfect from the start. As the leaders, managers need to keep monitoring and evaluating how well the system works, and make improvements and adjustments that fit the company's growth strategy.

A professional operating system is judged by these criteria:

  • Specialized roles across the business.
  • Links and mutual support between departments in carrying out tasks.
  • No gaps or interruptions in the process.
  • Efficient use of resources to reach maximum productivity.

In short, a business operating model is the core element that connects strategy to execution. Even with a clear vision and a capable team, a business without a well-built operating system easily falls into disorder and misalignment and struggles to reach its expected results. We hope this article from MONA has given you a practical view of why building processes matters and helps your business turn plans into effective action.

-> Explore more useful articles:

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About the author

CEO & Founder · The MONA

The founder of The MONA built a service company of 60+ staff with 14,000+ projects delivered. Khánh Hùng shares his thinking on building self-running systems, automating a business, and the real lessons behind MONA's projects.

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