Creating a System (16)
How do you build a system, so
you can identify the "leaks" in your game?
More so, is there a series of defined steps you take when approaching a campaign or an angle?
I think most new guys, myself included, struggle with defining a pattern that we work by.
I am a huge fan of systems, I usually learn something from A to Z, then organize it into breakable 'modules' and then I give every module to a worker to do.
The steps of the systems are built on experience, experience derived from testing various things and finding the one that has the best, positive impact on the overall process.
Start working, document what you do, improve & optimize your workflow, create a personal culture of process improvement, ask yourself 'how can I do this better?'
here's a webinar by someone who used to post here on workflow
First step is to figure out yourself what's the best way to achieve your goal.
Once you know how to do it yourself, try breaking it down in steps, as if you were to outsource that to someone that isn't familiar with AM.
Document the whole process by writing it down / creating a video. Rinse and repeat for different processes.
I've done a lot of posting on my blog about building systems.
In short think about it like programing. There's events and decisions have to be made based on those event.
Some events in our business:
new affiliate signup
inactive affiliate starts running traffic
merchant says an affiliates traffic is fraud
All these are events that trigger systems. Anything that happens in our company has an associated process. We start with basic processes and best guesses. Then take time to review them quarterly or bi-annually to make sure they're still the best processes. Because often the business has shifted.
Ngo did a great post on his basic events for building a campaign
http://www.oooff.com/php-affiliate-s...able-campaign/
Here's one I did on building an affiliate media buying company, a lot of the things mentioned in here are events.
http://www.oooff.com/php-affiliate-s...matter-3-of-3/
Optimizing your own productivity through systemization and process.
http://www.oooff.com/php-affiliate-s...system-1-of-3/
This is what I spend the bulk of my time doing now. With a staff of 30-40 it's all about their productivity and creating ways so they don't break the system. As well spending time on new frontiers and building new systems for the business to move into.
Hope this helps 
Thanks Smaxor, these resources are great. The main thing holding me back is finding a good system and sticking to it.
Is there a way to avoid the feeling of "I'm missing the boat"?
For example, the feeling that you're getting into something too late or at the wrong time, so you jump around without truly committing to one idea.
The most important thing is stop paying attention to the noise. If you have something working, focus on that and build systems around that. I've been in this business 10-11 years now and there's always another shiny bobble, the good guys just learn to listen and lock away for when what they're working on is completed and maxed out.
There was a speaker at traffic and conversion. He said he gets 1 good idea ever few days (you will too as you get more advanced) he writes them down on a piece of paper and then stays the course. Once the course on current things are finished then he pulls out his notepad, looks at his choices, decides which is the least path of resistance that will make him the quickest dollar and he does that. This is his strategy. Depending on your outcome and your goals which one you pick on your list might be different. But the premise is the same.
Some basic hints.
- Document each step of a campaign. Here's a basic example http://www.charlesngo.com/campaignblueprint/, but in reality I actually have 30+ steps.
- Analyze each step and think, which one can I give someone else to do, and which one is it that only I can do? An example is if you were running adult dating. Banners die fast and it's a time-consuming process to find and create the banners. But what if you could train someone. That's exactly what I did 2 years ago. After a few weeks they could create better banners than me. The whole process was streamlined. Every 2 days he would create and upload banners, and cut out the losers. People are a lot smarter than you think if you give them opportunity, and autonomy.
That gave me more time to handle the bigger stuff such as strategy.
- Set an optimization schedule. I mentioned he would create and upload ads everyday. I love testing landers so I made an effort to test 1 element every single day. 1 test a day adds up over months, A LOT. Most guys don't even test landing pages at all. Other guys just test whenever they feel like it.
- 80 / 20 and focus on the steps. There may be 30 steps in a campaign, but I just focus my efforts on the top 5 that make the most difference.
The problem with most affiliates is they are REACTIVE. They sit around and react to campaigns. They'll throw up new ads when the current ones don't work anymore. I am proactive. I'll test new ads, before they're needed. I'm in a continuos state of improvement.
Anyone serious about this stuff should study Toyota's ways of doing business. A lot of my philosophies come from them.
Originally Posted by craigm
There is no need to reinvent the wheel.
Many very smart people have already spent many years and decades thinking long and hard about this.
What you are calling "creating a system" is an entire discipline called BPM/BPO/BPR: business process management/business process optimisation/business process re-engineering.
Instead of trying to start with a blank sheet of paper, reading up on the business process literature would probably be a much better way to start.
Key Points
A business process is a set of steps or tasks that you and your team use repeatedly to create a product or service, reach a specific goal, or provide value to a customer or supplier. When processes work well, they can significantly improve efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
However, processes that don't work can cause frustration, delays, and financial loss.
To improve a business process, follow these steps.
Keep in mind that you'll need to improve most processes at some point. New goals, new technology, and changes in the business environment can all cause established processes to become inefficient or outdated.
About Business Processes
Processes can be formal or informal. Formal processes – also known as procedures – are documented, and have well-established steps.
For example, you might have procedures for receiving and submitting invoices, or for establishing relationships with new clients. Formal processes are particularly important when there are safety-related, legal or financial reasons for following particular steps.
Informal processes are more likely to be ones that you have created yourself, and you may not have written them down. For example, you might have your own set of steps for noting meeting actions, carrying out market research, or communicating new leads.
The Importance of Efficient Processes
These different kinds of processes have one thing in common: they're all designed to streamline the way that you and your team work.
When everyone follows a well-tested set of steps, there are fewer errors and delays, there is less duplicated effort, and staff and customers feel more satisfied.
Processes that don't work can lead to numerous problems. For example:
- People may complain about poor product quality or bad service.
- Team members get frustrated.
- Work may be duplicated, or not done.
- Costs increase.
- Resources are wasted.
- Bottlenecks can develop, causing you to miss deadlines.
When you encounter some of the problems mentioned above, it may be time to review and update the relevant process. Follow these steps to do this:
Step 1: Map the Process
Once you've decided which process you want to improve, document each step using a Flowchart or a Swim Lane Diagram. These tools show the steps in the process visually. (Swim lane diagrams are slightly more complex than flowcharts, but they're great for processes that involve several people or groups.)
It's important to explore each phase in detail, as some processes may contain sub-steps that you're not aware of. Consult people who use the process regularly to ensure that you don't overlook anything important.
Step 2: Analyze the Process
Use your flow chart or swim lane diagram to investigate the problems within the process. Consider the following questions:
- Where do team members or customers get frustrated?
- Which of these steps creates a bottleneck ?
- Where do costs go up and/or quality go down?
- Which of these steps requires the most time, or causes the most delays?
First use Root Cause Analysis, Cause and Effect Analysis, or The 5 Whys to trace the problem to its origins. After all, if you only fix the symptoms, the problems will continue.
Speak to the people who are affected by the process. What do they think is wrong with it? And what suggestions do they have for improving it?
Then look at other teams in your organization. What tactics have they developed to deal with similar situations?
Step 3: Redesign the Process
You're now going to redesign the process to eliminate the problems you have identified.
It's best to work with the people who are directly involved in the process. Their ideas may reveal new approaches, and, also, they're more likely to buy into change if they've been involved at an early stage.
First, make sure that everyone understands what the process is meant to do. Then, explore how you can address the problems you identified in step 2 (Brainstorming can help here). Note down everyone's ideas for change, regardless of the costs involved.
Then, narrow your list of possible solutions by considering how your team's ideas would translate to a real-life context.
Start by conducting an Impact Analysis to understand the full effects of your team's ideas. Then, carry out a Risk Analysis and a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis to spot possible risks and points of failure within your redesigned process. Depending on your organization's focus, you may also want to consider Customer Experience Mapping at this stage.
These tests will help you to understand the full consequences of each proposed idea, and allow you to make the right decision for everyone.
Once you and your team agree on a process, create new diagrams to document each step.
Step 4: Acquire Resources
You now need to secure the resources you need to implement the new process. List everything that you'll need to do this.
This could include guidance from senior managers or from colleagues in other departments, such as IT or HR. Communicate with each of these groups, and make sure that they understand how this new process will benefit the organization as a whole. You may need to prepare a business case to demonstrate this.
Step 5: Implement and Communicate Change
It's likely that improving your business process will involve changing existing systems, teams, or processes. For example, you may need to acquire new software, hire a new team member, or organize training for colleagues.
Rolling out your new process could be a project in itself, so plan and manage this carefully. Allocate time for dealing with teething troubles, and consider running a pilot first, to check for potential problems.
Keep in mind that change is not always easy. People can be resistant to it, especially when it involves a process that they've been using for some time. You can use tools such as the Change Curve and Kotter's 8-Step Change Model to help overcome resistance to change.
Step 6: Review the Process
Few things work perfectly, right from the start. So, after you roll out the new process, closely monitor how things are going in the weeks and months that follow, to ensure that the process is performing to expectations. This monitoring will also allow you to fix problems as they occur.
Make it a priority to ask the people involved with the new process how it's working, and what – if any – frustrations they're experiencing.
Adopt continuous improvement strategies such as Kaizen. Small improvements made regularly will ensure that the process stays relevant and efficient.
From http://www.mindtools.com/pages/artic...-processes.htm
This is essentially what the video was about, I'm guessing @cmdeals didn't watch it. It was about 1hr and 30 mins. But he also heavily stressed having a process/checklist and using it religiously. But this was nice too, more business jargon.
This thread easily makes any monthly dues worth it. Thanks everyone!
Originally Posted by thebrent
Great thread, thanks all.Can any of the system pros recommend some books on building systems.
Originally Posted by krisicash
Originally Posted by davidal
There's one book there about Toyota.
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