The industry uses the terms efficiency and effectiveness, but it is easy to lose focus on what we are trying to accomplish. While they sound similar, effectiveness means something entirely different than efficiency. An effective organisation produces at a high level as operational effectiveness is concerned with the strategies and solutions that an organisation puts in place to achieve sustainable growth for its business. It also refers to the ability of an organisation to deliver products or services that are superior to those of its competitors and meet or exceed its customers’ expectations.

Effectiveness denotes the concept of how effectively an organisation achieves the outcomes it intends to produce and as such, it’s about what work is done. Operational efficiency, on the other hand, is generally defined by the output produced per unit of input which means that an efficient organisation produces quickly and intelligently. It is a practice that generally guarantees better use of resources that belong to the organisation. It also means that the work flows error-free, thus preventing delays and cost increases caused by delays and rework, or preventing below-specification products and services reaching the customer.

Operational efficiency entails the capability of an organisation to deliver products or services to its customers in the most efficient manner possible, while still ensuring the high quality of its products, service and support, and as such, it is about how work is done. In summary, by combining effectiveness and efficiency, a company produces better products faster and with fewer resources.

So, companies want to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness but how do they begin to do this? The majority of companies will have a Vision, Mission and Business Strategy. If these things are unclear or need to be approached again due to the changing world then NWT would recommend the use of Group Partners who are focussed on helping clients make strategies that work as they understand that Business leaders need tools to solve the challenges they have right now. If the strategy is already in place or once the strategy is in place, NWT will help you on your journey to the new world ensuring an emergent approach that seeks to locate the solutions properly in the context of the operation.