Operational Efficiency Checklist:
Here is what I found to be the best way of organizing service based business operations.
Step 1: Define Your Desired Outcomes
Note: When going through the checklist, don’t worry about adding any of these into your business. This is purely about what you’re doing now and how you can make it more efficient.
☐ Clearly list all key outcomes in your business
Getting customers (Lead Gen.)
Qualifying Customers
Lead Nurture
Sales Process
Scheduling Customer
Logistics of materials
Service Delivery
Customer Service
Upselling
Reselling
Follow Up
☐ Measure the time it takes to complete each task
Step 2: Identify Required Actions & Time Commitment
☐ Outline every action needed to achieve each outcome
Sales process - Accept call and qualify the customer over the phone, get their email to send them a quote or give quote directly over the phone, schedule them (10min).
☐ Assign a time estimate for each action per customer
☐ Allocate responsibility for each action to the appropriate employee
☐ Identify tasks that can be streamlined, automated, or eliminated
Step 3: Assign Time & Responsibilities
☐ Schedule tasks directly into employees’ calendars
☐ Ensure employees focus on revenue-generating activities
☐ Optimize workload distribution so each team member is working efficiently
Step 4: Identify Inefficiencies & Fix Them
☐ Conduct a time study to track employee activities every 15 minutes
☐ Eliminate redundant or unnecessary tasks
☐ Identify and resolve workflow bottlenecks
☐ Ensure employees follow standard processes instead of inefficient workarounds
Bonus: Optimize & Scale
☐ Regularly assess and question all processes
☐ Remove tasks and activities that do not contribute to profitability
☐ Reallocate time and resources to high-impact areas
☐ Accelerate timelines by streamlining workflows
☐ Automate repetitive tasks using software, AI, or delegation
For Example…
Step 1: Customer Inquiry
Customer Calls
Action: Answer customer inquiry and qualify the lead over the phone
Time Estimate: 7 min
Request Information
Action: Ask for email address to send a detailed quote
Time Estimate: 3 min
Send Quote
Action: Prepare and send a customized quote based on the customer’s needs
Time Estimate: 10 min
Total Time for Inquiry Process: 20 min
Step 2: Service Appointment Scheduling
Schedule Appointment
Action: Call customer to confirm appointment or schedule a time for service
Time Estimate: 5 min
Prepare for Service (Materials, Tools)
Action: Check required materials, tools, and equipment based on service type, order materials from suppliers
Time Estimate: 25 min
Total Time for Scheduling Process: 30 min
Step 3: Drive to Job Site
Drive to Job Site
Action: Travel to the customer’s property to perform the service
Time Estimate: (Variable based on distance)
Example: 30 min drive time
Total Time for Drive to Job Site: 30 min (Example)
Step 4: Perform Service
Arrival and Job Prep
Action: Arrive at the customer’s property, inspect area, and prepare the workspace
Time Estimate: 10 min
Service Execution
Action: Complete the work
Time Estimate: 2 hours (depending on job size)
Clean-up
Action: Clean up the work area, removing debris, equipment, and waste
Time Estimate: 30 min
Total Time for Service: 2.5 hours
Note: Plug in the average job site time here
Step 5: Drive Back to Office/Next Job
Drive Back to Office
Action: Travel back from the job site
Time Estimate: (Variable based on distance)
Example: 30 min drive time
Total Time for Drive Back: 30 min (Example)
Step 6: Upselling (Optional)
Look for Upsell Opportunities
Action: While on-site, suggest additional services that could benefit the customer (e.g., garden design, seasonal clean-up)
Time Estimate: 15 min
Offer Discount or Package Deal
Action: If an upsell is successful, provide a special package deal or discount for additional services
Time Estimate: 5 min
Total Time for Upselling: 20 min (if upselling occurs)
Step 7: Follow-Up and Resell
Send Follow-Up Email
Action: Send a thank-you email with a request for feedback and offer additional services for future needs
Time Estimate: 5 min
Customer Retention & Resell
Action: Follow up periodically (via email or phone) to resell services (e.g., seasonal maintenance)
Time Estimate: 10 min
Total Time for Follow-Up: 15 min
Step 8: Customer Payment & Billing
Invoice Creation
Action: Generate and send an invoice for completed work
Time Estimate: 5 min
Collect Payment
Action: Follow up with customer to ensure payment is processed
Time Estimate: 5 min
Total Time for Payment Collection: 10 min
Summary of Total Time per Customer (Estimated)
Initial Inquiry: 20 min
Service Appointment Scheduling: 30 min
Drive to Job Site: 30 min
Service Delivery: 2.5 hours
Drive Back to Office/Next Job: 30 min
Upselling (Optional): 20 min
Follow-Up/Resell: 15 min
Payment Collection: 10 min
Total: 5 hours & 5min
Step 9: Review Operations & Efficiency
Time Study & Efficiency Check
Action: Analyze total time spent on each step for the office employees and for the on-site employees to identify potential inefficiencies.
(Ex. Could the service be performed faster? Is the sales process effective? etc.)
If you split office & on-site operations.
Office time total: 75min & On-site operations: 3.5 hours
Assuming an 8 hour work day, that would mean that the office employees can handle roughly 6.5 customers per day and the on-site employees can handle roughly 2 customers per day.
With time you will better understand how many customers you can handle but this entire process will help you understand if you’re leaving money on the table. Maybe you have too many employees or not enough employees.
Lets say you want to have 3 customers per day. You take 3 x 75min = 225min (3 hours 45min) which means one of your office employees will have 4 hours 15min free to do other things you delegate to them. For the onsite employees 3 x 3.5 hours = 11 hours 15min. This means that they can only handle 2 customers per day unless you hire more onsite employees.
Using this checklist you can really start to understand where every minute goes in your business.
