Mohammed Vachiat, Head of Sales, and Innovation: Konica Minolta South Africa, says that while trends are interesting, real business growth comes from consistently doing the basics well.
‘The frenetic pace with which 2023 has started for the vast majority of companies shows that there is a real desire and urgency amongst business owners to continue building on the momentum that was achieved during 2022. For the vast majority of businesses in South Africa, one of the pillars on which this rebuilding is taking place is digitisation, and many recognise the importance and value of collaborating with digital partners that share their vision for the future, as well as their commitment to making that vision a reality,’ said Vachiat.
‘While the majority of organisations are investing massively into trying to predict what the future holds for us, the key to sustainable success is to focus on the basics of business. That’s not to say that having your finger on the pulse of future trends is not important. It most definitely is, and we are very much future-focused. However, in our experience as a business, trends are becoming increasingly fleeting and short lived, so a more effective approach is focusing on what you know to be true – which is that getting the basics right in business is the key to success, irrespective of what the future holds. So, as 2023 steams ahead, it’s a worthwhile exercise to spend a little time considering what these basics are that most businesses, including our, need to be getting right this year.’
Enhancing your productivity
The essence of productivity is working smarter rather than harder. The challenging economic environment, coupled with steadily increasing competition on multiple fronts, will make it more important than ever to maximise productivity smartly. And that means not only identifying new markets and opportunities, but also leveraging innovation – particularly in the digital sphere – to optimise growth. Striving for higher levels of productivity is a trend that will never go out of fashion.
Improving operational efficiencies
These are closely connected – efficiency is the foundation of productivity. Optimising and streamlining workflows needs to be a top priority. As a business, there is no benefit to be had from spending any time on tasks that don’t directly feed into your desired outputs. Collaborate with clients to minimise distractions that are not essential to achieving their business goals.
Thinking and acting sustainably
As the world becomes increasingly aware of the imperative to protect and save our planet, environmental sustainability must rise to a position of prominence in any business strategy. While contributing to environmental projects via CSI initiatives is important, one of the most valuable contributions any company can make to the future world is sustainability and caring for the environment. The rise of advanced digital technology has made this a possibility for any business, of any size, to evolve and be a sustainable business partner with its clients by providing equipment with the lowest possible energy requirements and an array of features to help them to reduce energy costs and achieve lower environmental impact.
Agility
Agility is essentially the ability of a business to react quickly and effectively when change happens. In a post-Covid-19 world, businesses need to be more agile than they have ever been. There is simply no way any company can stay in business by continuing to do the same things, or do things the same, as it has until now.
For the majority of businesses, achieving excellence in these, and other, business basics should be the number one trend they strive to follow. And the value of a reliable business partner with the necessary insights, and the proven ability to leverage them, should never be underestimated.
KONICA MINOLTA SOUTH AFRICA
+27 11 661 9000
https://www.konicaminoltasa.com/en-za
