The business world realized, a while ago, that the integration of sectors is primordial for the management of a business. If the teams have a good communication, work with well-structured processes and follow logical sequences for activities, the integration of sectors flow in a more harmonic and efficient way.
It is not possible to think about isolated teams anymore, that only meet at the end of the year’s parties. And that doesn’t depend on the size of the organization, once the operational systematization is a defining factor for success in the business world.
An integrated business management goes far beyond the administrative controls, makes the operation more productive and agile, improves the attraction and retention of talents, contributes for the reduction of costs, increases business competitiveness and much more.
We will reflect upon this issue along this article. Keep reading it to understand why the integration of sectors is important and also what indicators and indexes can be adopted to grant a more precise measuring of the results that it offers!
The integration of sectors as an essential part of the business culture
The business managing is composed of a junction of processes that are used in the best way possible for administrative reasons. It includes the roles played by various sectors (areas, departments) that form the company, in order to achieve different goals.
Previously, when the businesses were administrated in an intuitive way, it was common to see each sector working isolated from the others, worrying exclusively about its own responsibilities.
Nowadays, this “vertical” view on the business hierarchy is giving more and more space to systemic processes and thoughts. Lots of scholars claim that the alterations in the business culture for the past 20 years are credited to this change. In other words, efficiency is no longer pursued and measured vertically, giving rise to a more holistic and integrated operation.
Companies that already have a business culture focused on the integration of sectors – or the ones that are following this path – started to become aware of more productive and synergistic relations among the various groups existent.
This new culture is based on dialog among the areas, collaboration and practice to incorporate joint goals and objectives (processes, action plans, and strategies that would mingle the sectors).
Having an objective in common is the first step to establish the integration of sectors. If each area is different from the others, it is then fundamental to find converging points so they can all move towards the same direction.
One of the elements that provide a basis for this interaction culture is the information technology (IT). Through integrated systems, companies are able to create logical sequences for activities, rendering a much more productive and concise aspect of their processes; apart from controlling the operational costs with more practicality and success.
Indicators and indexes that help to measure the integration of sectors’ results
The development indicators and indexes (goals, metrics, statistics, etc.) are also fundamental to the business culture of integration to be settled. It is with them that we can possibly establish common objectives among the teams and visualize the results timely.
Following this idea, you can check what are the most common indicators and indexes that the companies use to dimension their integration efforts and also follow up with the results.
Efficiency at the internal communication
After having established rules and provided communication channels among the sectors, it is important to define indicators to make sure the teams have been dialoguing.
For instance, it is possible to verify the indexes for the use of the corporative email and the files’ exchanging rates among the departments (and how people collaborate inside these files).
By establishing common projects, the efficiency of communication and collaboration of the internal community also improves. The leaders can set up joint indicators of development, stimulating professionals to interact more in the search for common objectives.
Engagement among the groups
In the beginning, this involvement seems to be a very abstract idea, being even hard to grasp. Nowadays, however, because of technology and some innovative management methods, it is possible to have the proper proportions on how much interaction the teams have specific objectives.
As an example, we can possibly use apps in which professionals might register their actions on specific projects, dialogue and propose solutions for conjunct problems and challenges.
Creating means for people to give their feedbacks can also be very useful. From the feedback, it is feasible to evaluate what has been working and what needs improvement in order to lead people to a greater interaction.
Adherence to the integration of sectors’ culture
Through the observation of leaders, but also through having well-structured processes and technology, it is possible to verify the extent to which the professionals hold fast to the integration culture in their day to day work.
It is indispensable to measure the interaction because it is this measuring that is going to determine how much the integration of sectors will turn into an organizational value. As we know, only the rooted values remain alive and keep fructifying in the business cycle of life.
Enhancements on the organizational sphere
Establishing joint responsibilities and results can’t simply be an order. It is significant to work on that idea so that people can get used to collaborating.
That is where the organizational sphere may be taken into consideration (good relationships, healthy competitions, etc.). This can be achieved through the leader’s transparency, actions of integration and motivation, rewards for team’s performance, among others.
Potentiating the conjunct productivity
Having well-defined roles, both individually and in intersections’ activities, it is feasible to measure the joint productivity of the sectors.
That, of course, is only possible when the leadership creates indicators for the objectives that must be pursued and achieved in each action plan or specific project.
Comparing the teams’ development before the integration and the development that is achieved after that also helps with the measuring.
Still, concerning this matter, it is clearly important to implant aims at the gradual increase of productivity. The examining of that must come followed by the conscience that being united can make everybody more efficient.
Reduction of operational costs
Another important index that has to be measured when thinking about a strategy for the integration of sectors is the reduction of costs.
Generally speaking, it is possible to raise the amount of spending that the teams have by working isolated and to forecast savings with the increasing of collaboration and joint work. For example, it is conceivable to settle goals coming from the control of shared cost centers.
How about that? Is the integration of sectors already a reality in your company? What did you think about the reflection brought up in this article?
