Most people would agree that any system is only as strong as the weakest element of it. We see that in chains – the weakest link of that chain will determine how strong the connection of the loop is. However, it’s not always easy to identify where that proverbial link is within your business unless you undergo stress testing.

For example, this is why cybersecurity experts and software developers will often take “penetrative testing” to probe what the weaknesses are in their product, and what recuperative measures they need to take to pre-empt that.

However, it’s not always easy to do this in a business. It’s not as if you’re going to send one thousand emails to your support staff to see which customer support representative gives the worst responses on average. 

That said, there are some methods you can take in order to look, with specific precision, at how certain elements of your business operates. If you narrow that down to certain measures and results, you can use that to get an overall picture of health of your organization. In this post, we’ll attempt to achieve that:

Manufacturing Standards

The manufacturing standards that determine the final quality of the products you produce is essential to get right. You can make improvements via methods like investing in your quality control and assurance, ensuring that items are tested before being sent out to buyers. You could also use essential machinery parts to structure that manufacturing line, making sure it’s up to essential standards while delivering on reliability, another virtue for your brand reputation to develop.

Website Utilities

Website utilities can and do make a profound difference in how your audience interacts with your brand, however, this also means that any dysfunctional portals, non-indexed pages, 404 dead links and limited features expected of a brand like yours can make your userbase suffer and have a hard time overcoming that fact. It’s good to review your website at least each month to ensure all pages are functioning correctly, that it’s compatible with many devices, that stress testing has removed the chance of cybersecurity issues, and that you develop new features in line with competitors, or innovate beyond them if you hope to invest in a full-scale redesign.

Staff Reviews

Staff reviews are important to consider, not just because they help you analyze performance to see who might be struggling most, but because you can then support that person instead of penalizing them. You’d be surprised just how effective a previously struggling staff member can become if they’re nourished with the right resources they need to thrive, instead of just cutting them out of the team. Moreover, you may inspire a lower staff turnover rate if people see that you make an effort with staff members, allowing your own management to avoid becoming the weakest link of the enterprise.

With this advice, you’re sure to identify the weakest links of your enterprise and hopefully strengthen them or prune them where appropriate, developing a clearer picture of the improvements you can make.