🐔 The Chicken or the Egg Dilemma in Business Processes: cause or effect? 🥚

🐔 The Chicken or the Egg Dilemma in Business Processes: cause or effect? 🥚

The eternal question – which came first, the chicken or the egg? 🐔🥚 – often arises in the business world, especially when looking for the root causes of organisational problems. What is the cause of poor results and what is merely the consequence? Shaky production lines, missing management systems, insufficient information flow or lack of teamwork – these can be both causes and causes. The real question is how to break the vicious circle and optimise systems in a sustainable way.

In the business world, elements such as the skills of managers, the regularity of processes, the presence of KPIs (key performance indicators), or teamwork do not work in isolation. They interact and a weak link can put the whole system at risk. For an organisation to be effective, it is essential to understand the real causes of problems and to take a systemic approach to solving them.

Experience of the last 5 years – Buyers always want to address the “cause” 🥚

Based on my experience over the past five years, I can tell you that customers almost always try to find a solution to the “cause”, rather than to uncover the “causes”. The focus is often on visible problems: outdated production lines, inadequate equipment or lack of technological upgrading. While these are real challenges, the underlying systemic causes, such as weaknesses in management systems, are often overlooked.

This approach is like trying to treat the symptoms without addressing the cause of the disease. Setting up a new machine, for example, may increase production capacity, but if basic processes, management systems or worker training are lacking, the results will be only temporary.

Many times I have found that buyers have not seen the whole picture. For example, sometimes production increased after new machines were installed, but they were unable to take advantage of the increased capacity due to insufficient information flow or lack of teamwork. In other cases, the lack of KPIs meant that results could not be measured, and optimisation opportunities were missed.

Addressing the ’cause’ – focusing on the visible symptoms – will not solve the deeper problems. Only by tackling the causes and the causes together can we achieve sustainable results.

Why does a process not work? Causes and causes 🔍

Behind inefficient processes, there are often systemic problems. These can be both causes and consequences of other organisational problems. Here are some examples:

1. Missing processes and responsibilities 📝
   • Reason: There are no clear structures and responsibilities.
   • Cause: confusion and errors that lead to conflicts and delays.
2. Inefficient problem solving 🛠️
   • Reason: The body treats the symptoms, not the roots.
   • Causation: problems recur again and again, wasting time and resources.
3. Lack of KPIs and management systems 📊🏢
   • Reason: There is no adequate measurement system or management structure.
   • Cause: failure to track results and improve performance.
4. Missing information flows 📡
   • Reason: Information is not getting to the right people at the right time.
   • Cause: misunderstandings, errors and loss of time.
5. Lack of teamwork 🤝
   • Reason: There is no common goal or appropriate culture of cooperation.
   • Causes: conflicts, slow decision-making and innovation lagging behind.
6. Missing education and training 🎓
   • Cause: employees and managers are not getting the training they need.
   • Cause: lack of skills leads to poor process quality and reduced efficiency.

How do we break the vicious circle? 🔄

A systemic approach is needed to tackle causes and causes. The following steps can help:

1. Conducting a root cause analysis 🔎
   The first step is to identify the root causes of the problems. Methods such as the five whys or the fishbone diagram can be used to do this.
2. Standardising processes 📝
   Clearly defined processes and responsibilities are essential. This will help reduce errors and increase efficiency.
3. Developing KPIs, management systems, information flow and teamwork 📈🏢📡🤝
   • Introducing KPIs: measurable targets to track progress.
   • Management systems: transparent governance and decision-making.
   • Information flow: fast and clear communication that avoids misunderstandings.
   • Teamwork: working together and setting common goals.
4. Developing education and training programmes 🎓
   Training ensures that teams are prepared for current and future challenges.
5. Supporting leadership development 🤝
   Good leaders identify and manage problems, anticipating challenges. Developing leadership skills is essential for long-term success.

Conclusion ✨

Experience in recent years shows that addressing the causes alone is not enough. The real solution lies in tackling both causes and effect. A systems approach not only enables organisations to address current challenges, but also to continuously improve. 🚀

In business, recognising the chicken and the egg is the first step towards sustainable development. Don’t just treat the symptoms – build a system in which both the chicken and the egg thrive and work harmoniously with management systems. 🐔🥚

Attila Jezsó

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