Establishing the framework for a successful business

Any successfully managed business has established and maintains a framework for business improvement and/or growth. Business management and quality frameworks commonly include a number of business functions or disciplines which are involved in a whole-of-business, continuous improvement cycle of planning, management, review and improvement. Whilst overlapping in practice, the following are generally included as business framework disciplines to ensure appropriate focus by the business on each area:

• strategic management and leadership
• innovation and creativity
• financial and commercial management
• trade and export development
• people, skills and training
• operational processes
• customer focus and marketing
• information systems
• environmental management
• WHS management
• external information, partnerships, networks and
  assistance.

Reviewing and continuously improving your business

Many businesses use their quality management systems to ensure their business continuously improves, whilst others access industry sector based continuous improvement tools, or generic tools such as the Balanced Scorecard. In order to get your review process started, listed below are some sample review questions that challenge your business to reflect on its strategy and operations in each of the business disciplines listed above. A full review of each area should entail the measurement of results and improvement plans.

Any successfully managed business has established and maintains a framework for business improvement and/or growth. Business management and quality frameworks commonly include a number of business functions or disciplines which are involved in a whole-of-business, continuous improvement cycle of planning, management, review and improvement. Whilst overlapping in practice, the following are generally included as business framework disciplines to ensure appropriate focus by the business on each area:

• strategic management and leadership
• innovation and creativity
• financial and commercial management
• trade and export development
• people, skills and training
• operational processes
• customer focus and marketing
• information systems
• environmental management
• WHS management
• external information, partnerships, networks and 
  assistance.

The fact sheets in this section of the...