Client Case Study  - Pavement Preservation Company Summary  I worked with a client who provide pavement preservation products and pavement project management services to Caltrans. The owner of the company prided herself on delivering excellence to her clients. She had 1 employee who was an Administrative Assistant. A big part of how they helped their clients was figuring out how much product would be needed for a job. These mathematical calculations were complex. It was the Administrative Assistant's job to make the calculations and ensure their correctness. This company prided itself on the relationships it had with its clients and had an excellent reputation in the pavement preservation industry. But too many mistakes were happening in those calculations and those mistakes had the potential to compromise the excellent reputation the company had for customer service. The Solution As we explored the issue, we found out that there wasn't anything in writing to help the employee get it right every time. Instead, it was on her to remember all the complex detail that went into those calculations and come up the the accurate amount of product and accurate pricing each time. I worked directly with the Administrative Assistant to build the missing systems that would give her a step-by-step guide for calculating the amount and cost of product accurately each time. As we built those systems, we were both amazed at how many steps were involved and how unreasonable it was to expect the employee to remember them all without something in writing for reference. Once we built the systems, the employee had the tools she needed to get consistent and accurate results each time. What a relief for both the business owner and the employee. By putting the step-by-step in writing, we gave the employee a way to be successful, and we gave the owner peace of mind. Once the owner didn't have to worry about the accuracy of the product orders, she was able to turn her attention to the more strategic aspects of growing her business. This is where the attention of the business owner should be. We then turned our attention to building a growth strategy, building a user friendly website that had a product calculator with clear instructions so  clients could figure out what they needed on their own. We also put management tools in place which created more oversight of what was working and not working in the Administrative Assistant's job performance so support could be offered in a proactive, timely way before it could impact the company's reputation for excellent customer service. With systems in place, management tools to monitor the job performance of the employee, a strong user friendly website and a growth strategy in place, the company's revenues grew from