Business Link
Berkshire and Wiltshire

Developing a busy operations team to support further company growth, without needing to increase headcount.

Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire provides advice and support to start-ups and established businesses. With around 100 employees and £8 million turnover, they service all market and industry sectors in the Berkshire and Wiltshire area. Business Link Wiltshire and Swindon had recently acquired Business Link Berkshire and the two businesses needed to integrate efficiently.

Opportunity

• To develop a more coordinated operations team with members from two different businesses, working to different processes across multiple sites.
• To raise the profile and the perception of the value of the operations team within the company.
• To develop the project management capabilities of the team to be better able to provide skills and resource for projects companywide.

Action taken by True North

Working with the operations director, True North:

• carried out a detailed analysis of the current situation, its impact on the business and the intended outcomes of a development programme.
• designed a programme of workshops to develop a better understanding of preferred working styles, team dynamics, team performance and project management techniques.
• implemented the programmes over multiple sessions, allowing time for the application of new ideas, the review of that application at each subsequent session and gaining commitment to specific changes by individual team members and the team as a whole.

Results

The team has become more efficient in the way it operates and has been able to support the growth of the company without increasing head count. Morale in the team is now buoyant, with members challenging each other in a positive and constructive manner.

There are more formalised procedures running across the business and underpinning business activities rather than gathering dust on the shelf.

The team are implementing a new client relationship management solution. With its high up-front investment, historically it would not have been their first choice. However, through proper evaluation, using skills and techniques learnt on the programme, they were able to recognise the cost effectiveness over the lifetime of the tool.