After fixing 50+ companies: Fix what's broken, automate what's repetitive, delete everything else. The dead-simple system that works.
Forget "Operational Excellence." Here's What Actually Makes Operations Work.
Every consultant has an "Operational Excellence Framework."
5 pillars. 7 principles. 12 steps. 47 sub-processes. A 200-slide deck. A $50K price tag.
Here's what they won't tell you: It's all the same stuff, repackaged. And most of it doesn't work.
After fixing operations at 50+ companies, I've boiled it down to three rules that actually matter:
- Fix what's broken
- Automate what's repetitive
- Delete everything else
That's it. That's the framework. Let me show you how it works.
Why "Operational Excellence" is Usually Operational Theater
I sat through a 3-day "Operational Excellence Summit" last month.
Day 1: Executives talking about "transformation journeys"
Day 2: Consultants selling "maturity models"
Day 3: Everyone agreeing to "align stakeholders"
Result: Nothing changed. Nothing got fixed. Everyone went back to their broken processes.
Meanwhile, the janitor mentioned their supply ordering system was broken - he'd been emailing his personal Gmail account to track orders because the official system never worked. Fixed it in 20 minutes. Saved $3K/month.
The "Just Fix Stuff" Framework
Rule 1: Fix What's Broken (The 10-Minute Rule)
If something's been annoying your team for over a month, fix it. Now. Not after a committee meeting. Now.
Real examples from last quarter:
Problem: Sales can't find pricing sheets (kept in someone's personal Dropbox folder from 2016)
Time to complain about it: 6 months
Time to fix it: 10 minutes
Solution: Pinned Google Doc with all pricing
Problem: Invoices taking 3 days to approve because the CFO was cc'd on everything and didn't read anything
Time to complain about it: 2 years
Time to fix it: 1 hour
Solution: If under $1,000, auto-approve
Problem: Nobody knows who handles what (one guy was doing three people's jobs and nobody knew)
Time to complain about it: Forever
Time to fix it: 30 minutes
Solution: One-page "Who Does What" doc
The test: Can you fix it in under an hour? Then stop talking about it and fix it.
Rule 2: Automate What's Repetitive (The Copy-Paste Test)
Watch your screen for one day. Every time you copy-paste something, that's automation opportunity.
The Copy-Paste Hall of Shame:
- Email signatures (just use Gmail settings)
- Meeting invites (use Calendly)
- Status updates (automate from your tools)
- Invoice details (connect your systems)
- Report data (live dashboards, not PowerPoints)
Real automation wins from one client:
Before: Manually copying data from 5 systems into weekly report
Time: 4 hours every Monday (by someone making $65/hour who hated Mondays)
Solution: Google Sheets + ImportRange + 30 minutes setup
Time now: 0 hours (it's automatic)
Annual savings: $10,400 in salary costs
For specific automation strategies, see our guides on AI workflow automation and small business automation.
Rule 3: Delete Everything Else (The Marie Kondo Method)
Does this process spark joy? No? Does it make money? Also no? Delete it.
Things I've helped companies delete:
- 73-field customer intake form that asked for the customer's fax number twice (now 5 fields)
- Weekly 2-hour status meeting where everyone just read from their screens (now async Slack update)
- 47-step approval process that included two people who'd left the company (now 3 steps)
- Monthly 50-page report nobody read (I checked the view count: 2 views, both from the person who made it) (deleted entirely)
- "Quality assurance" step that never caught anything (gone)
Deletion saves more money than optimization ever will.
The Real Operational Excellence Checklist
Forget maturity models. Answer these questions:
The Money Questions
- How fast do you get paid? (Should be <30 days)
- How long to fulfill orders? (Should be <24 hours)
- How much time on admin? (Should be <20%)
The Sanity Questions
- Can new employees be productive Day 1? (They should)
- Do you have recurring fire drills? (You shouldn't)
- Are people doing work computers should? (They shouldn't)
The Growth Questions
- Could you double without hiring? (You should be able to)
- Do processes break when someone's sick? (They shouldn't)
- Is excellence person-dependent? (It shouldn't be)
Score less than 7/9? Your operations need work. But not a framework. Just fixes.
The "Operational Excellence" Myths That Cost You Money
Myth 1: "We Need Buy-In From Everyone"
No, you don't. You need buy-in from the person who does the work. That's it.
Myth 2: "We Should Document Everything First"
Documentation without action is procrastination.
Myth 3: "Change Management Takes Time"
Change management is usually code for "we're scared to actually change anything."
Myth 4: "We Need The Perfect Solution"
Perfect is the enemy of done. And done beats perfect every time.
The Anti-Framework Framework
Looking for technology solutions? See our Digital Transformation guide - but remember, fix the process before adding tech.
Here's my entire operational excellence methodology:
Monday: The Purge
- List every recurring problem
- Delete 50% (yes, really)
- Fix the easiest 25%
- Schedule the hard 25%
This approach works better than traditional Lean Six Sigma methodologies because you see results in days, not months.
Tuesday: The Time Audit
- Everyone logs their day
- Highlight repetitive tasks
- Circle wasteful meetings
- Mark copy-paste moments
Wednesday: The Quick Fixes
- Fix 5 things that take <10 minutes each
- Cancel 3 recurring meetings
- Create 3 template emails
- Delete 3 approval steps
Thursday: The Automation
- Pick top 3 repetitive tasks
- Find the simplest automation
- Implement by end of day
- No complex tools allowed
Friday: The Celebration
- Calculate time saved
- Calculate money saved
- Share wins with team
- Go home early
Total investment: 1 week
Typical savings: 10-15 hours/week/person
ROI: Infinite
Want to calculate the exact ROI? Our operations consulting ROI calculator helps you track real dollars saved.
Real Companies, Real Results (No Frameworks Required)
SaaS Startup (15 people):
- Problem: Everything was "urgent" (CEO would literally mark emails "URGENT!!!" with three exclamation points)
- Solution: If everything's urgent, nothing is. Created 3 priority levels.
- Time to implement: 1 hour
- Result: 50% reduction in thrash, 30% faster delivery
E-commerce Company (75 people):
- Problem: Customer service drowning in "where's the sizing chart?" tickets
- Solution: FAQ page + auto-responder for common questions
- Time to implement: 1 day
- Result: 60% ticket reduction, $200K annual savings
Agency (30 people):
- Problem: Projects always over budget (account managers were saying "yes" to everything)
- Solution: Time tracking + weekly budget alerts
- Time to implement: 2 days
- Result: 90% of projects now profitable
No frameworks. No consultants. Just fixing obvious problems.
The "Excellence" That Actually Matters
Stop chasing operational excellence. Chase operational effectiveness.
Excellence: Everything documented, certified, and optimized
Effectiveness: Stuff works, people are happy, you make money
Guess which one matters to your customers?
Your "This Afternoon" Action Plan
Stop reading about operational excellence. Start doing operational improvement.
Right now, do this:
- Walk around your office (or Slack if remote)
- Ask: "What's the most annoying thing about your job?"
- Fix the first thing you can fix in under an hour
- Repeat tomorrow
In 30 days, you'll have fixed 30 problems. That's more than most "transformation initiatives" achieve in a year.
The Hard Truth
Operational excellence isn't about frameworks, maturity models, or certifications.
It's about:
- Fixing broken stuff
- Automating repetitive stuff
- Deleting pointless stuff
- Repeating forever
Companies that do these four things consistently outperform companies with 200-page operational excellence manuals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is operational excellence in simple terms?
Operational excellence isn't about certifications or frameworks. It's about fixing broken processes, automating repetitive tasks, and deleting pointless work. The goal is making your operations effective - where stuff works, people are happy, and you make money - not achieving some theoretical perfect state that exists only in consultant presentations.
How do I start improving operational excellence without a consultant?
Start by walking around your office or team and asking "What's the most annoying thing about your job?" Fix the first thing you can fix in under an hour. Repeat daily. In 30 days, you'll have fixed 30 problems - more than most transformation initiatives achieve in a year.
What's the difference between operational excellence and operational effectiveness?
Excellence means everything is documented, certified, and optimized according to some framework. Effectiveness means your processes actually work, your team can go home on time, and you're profitable. Guess which one your customers care about? Focus on effectiveness first.
How long does it take to achieve operational excellence?
Stop thinking about "achieving" operational excellence like it's a destination. Real operational improvement happens in small fixes: one week to see initial results, 30 days to fix 30 problems, 90 days to transform how your team works. It's a continuous process, not a project with an end date.
What are the most common operational problems small businesses face?
The top killers are: broken processes everyone complains about but nobody fixes, repetitive manual work that should be automated, pointless approval steps that slow everything down, and outdated procedures nobody follows. Most companies have 10-20 obvious problems that could be fixed in under an hour each.
Do I need expensive software to improve operations?
No. Most operational problems are process problems, not technology problems. Start with sticky notes, Google Docs, and fixing obvious inefficiencies. Once your processes work smoothly on paper, then consider adding technology to speed them up. Technology amplifies your process - whether it's good or broken.
Stop Planning. Start Fixing.
Your operations are broken. You know it. Your team knows it. Your customers definitely know it.
You don't need a framework to fix them. You need to start fixing them.
One problem. One solution. One day at a time.
Need to document these improvements? Our guide on creating SOPs people actually follow shows you how to capture what works without creating shelf-ware.
Want me to shadow your team for one morning and identify the 5 broken processes that are costing you the most? I'll hand you a prioritized list with exactly how to fix each one and what it'll save. Book a half-day diagnostic.
Ready to build operational excellence? Cedar Operations designs systems that work. Let's discuss your needs →
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