What is a Business Operating System (BOS)?

A Business Operating System (BOS) is a comprehensive guidebook that outlines the operational framework of a company. It defines the responsibilities, processes, and accountability mechanisms within the organization. The BOS serves as a playbook for the leadership team, ensuring that everyone works in unison towards the same objectives.

• Processes: These are manual and social checklists that detail how a business completes a task.
• Systems: These are the technical aspects of how a company completes a task.
• Roles: These are precise job descriptions for positions within your company.

Why is a BOS important for a company?

A BOS is crucial for a company as it helps in creating a competitive advantage and keeps the business growing. It can make a company more effective by clearly defining expectations and processes. It also ensures that everyone in the organization is accountable for their actions and responsibilities.

• Competitive Advantage: A well-defined BOS can give a company an edge over its competitors by streamlining its operations and improving efficiency.
• Business Growth: A BOS can facilitate business growth by providing a clear roadmap for the company's operations and strategies.
• Accountability: By defining roles and responsibilities, a BOS ensures that everyone in the organization is accountable for their actions.

When does a business need a BOS?

A business might need a BOS when it's taking too long to grow, the workload is overwhelming, the company seems out of control, or the owner feels trapped. A BOS can provide structure and guidance, helping to overcome these challenges and drive growth.

• Slow Growth: If a business is not growing as expected, implementing a BOS can provide the necessary structure and strategy to accelerate growth.
• Overwhelming Workload: A BOS can help manage workload by defining roles and responsibilities, thereby improving efficiency.
• Lack of Control: If a business seems out of control, a BOS can provide the necessary framework to regain control and streamline operations.

How is a BOS developed?

Some companies develop their own BOS, or cobble together parts of various systems. A BOS can be a holistic approach that starts at the top, ensuring that the team is on board with it. It should be visible, consistently repeatable, well documented, measurable, improvable, and enforced.

• Visibility: A BOS should be visible so that everyone in the organization can understand how the process works.
• Consistency: A BOS should be consistently repeatable to ensure that the same standards are maintained across the organization.
• Documentation: A BOS should be well documented to provide a reference point for the company's operations and strategies.

What are the characteristics of a good BOS?

A good BOS should be visible, consistently repeatable, well documented, measurable, improvable, and enforced. These characteristics ensure that the BOS is effective in guiding the company's operations and strategies.

• Visibility: A good BOS is visible to all members of the organization, ensuring that everyone understands the processes and strategies.
• Consistency: A good BOS is consistently repeatable, ensuring that the same standards and processes are maintained across the organization.
• Improvable: A good BOS is improvable, allowing for continuous improvement and adaptation to changing business environments.