Distributors should position their company's operations as a "strategic innovation opportunity," says Karan Girotra, co-author of The Risk-Driven Business Model, in Operations as a ‘Lever for Innovation’.
Business model innovation is something every company can and should work on, says Girotra. "Not every company is in an industry where there are massive technological changes or improvements, but every company is in an industry where you have a business model, a distribution system, some operational systems," he says.
Girotra suggests looking into "what decisions are made in the organization, when those decisions are made, who makes those decisions and why those decisions are made" – and then making the necessary changes to reduce or better manage risk.
It is important to develop a system for questioning practices in place to ensure innovation is being actively pursued, Girotra says. "Sometimes it doesn’t play out unless you empower people with a system and tools to make change happen."
Girotra suggests "educating yourself as a business owner and educating your employees and empowering them with systematic, programmatic tools to embrace change."
Read more about using operations as a tool for change in Operations as a ‘Lever for Innovation’.
