Are business set up to fail in the compliance world?
Many years ago while serving as an inspector, I encountered a situation that has stuck with me and still pulls at my heartstrings. It wasn’t the inspection itself that resonated, but the no-win situation the owner and employees were facing. Their drive was clear and their knowledge was extensive, but the fatigue and stress were equally apparent. The operation had grown and diversified significantly in recent years, however the implications of those changes to their business processes were not evaluated. What seemed like minor waves of change had compounded to a tsunami that, without a course correction, was rapidly in-route to destroy the business.
The mentality of the business was a familiar one - put your head down and keep plugging away. However, there were too many responsibilities on individuals particularly the Quality Assurance Manager who was running day-to-day operations, maintaining all record logs, developing new protocols for enhanced certifications, managing numerous and complex compliance programs, as well as acting as the primary staff trainer. The operation had changed over the years which caused challenges including numerous compliance issues, equipment delays, a stressful work environment, and severe burnout.
How does this story end? The Quality Assurance Manager eventually resigned and the operation continued to hire, train, and lose technical positions which then steamrolled to the loss of more generalized staff as responsibilities shifted, causing severe anxiety to the business owners as they fought to save their business of 25 years. Sadly, they did eventually close their doors. Although I observed as an inspector, this experience played a pivotal role in my career. I realized I wanted to support businesses in overcoming these challenges and in planning ahead to mitigate a tsunami of issues. All Points West has been on both sides of the compliance table and can help you identify whether your processes are efficient, assess business opportunities and implementation considerations, as well as how to leverage resources that can help you avoid staff burnout, compliance issues, and keep the tsumani of growth from destroying what you have built.
- Ashley Jeppson
