Before You Automate, Nail the Basics: Lessons in Operations Fundamentals
Let’s get one thing straight: Buying the shiniest, most expensive automation tools for your operations team without mastering the fundamentals is like an NFL coach drafting a $40 million quarterback who’s never actually been taught how to throw a spiral. You don’t need a flashy AI tool to fix a broken playbook. You need to learn the damn game first.
There’s a reason championship-winning sports teams drill the basics every single day. They know you can’t skip to the highlight reel before you’ve put in the reps. And the same goes for operations. Yet, here I am, watching companies burn through budgets on fancy software and automation systems only to wonder why they're still losing ground in the fourth quarter.
So, let’s huddle up. Today, we’re going to break down the fundamentals every operations team needs to master before even thinking about automating processes, scaling with new tech, or burning through cash on expensive systems. If you want to win in operations, you need to get the basics down cold. No excuses.
1. Attendance: Show Up to Play, Every Single Day
In sports, it’s simple: you don’t show up to practice, you don’t play. The same principle applies in operations. You can have all the best systems and tools in the world, but if your team doesn’t show up ready to execute, you’re going nowhere.
Attendance isn’t just about clocking in—it’s about showing up with a sense of urgency, ready to do the work. A consistent presence breeds familiarity, trust, and efficiency. Are you tracking attendance and productivity, or are you just hoping your team shows up and magically gets the job done?
Pro tip: Automating attendance tracking with fancy tools is a waste of money if you can’t get people to show up in the first place. Start by setting clear expectations, then hold people accountable.
2. UPH (Units Per Hour): The Equivalent of Hustle Stats
Great sports teams track hustle stats—things like rebounds, steals, and tackles. In operations, your hustle stat is UPH: units per hour. If you don’t know how productive your team is, then what exactly are you trying to optimize with that fancy automation system?
Before you automate processes, make sure you understand what “good” looks like. Track your UPH, set realistic goals, and focus on improving them. If your team is putting up weak numbers on the basics, throwing money at automation isn’t going to fix it. Automate a broken process, and all you get is a faster way to screw things up.
3. SOPs: The Playbook Everyone Must Follow
Every sports team has a playbook, and it’s drilled into players until they can execute it in their sleep. That’s what Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are for your business. Clear, actionable SOPs ensure that everyone knows what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.
Without well-documented SOPs, it doesn’t matter if you have the most sophisticated ERP system on the planet. Your team is still going to drop the ball if they don’t know the play. SOPs bring order to chaos, and without them, automation is just a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.
Pro tip: Review your SOPs regularly. Just like playbooks get updated as the game evolves, your SOPs need to stay relevant and current.
4. Process Discipline: Doing It Right, Every Single Time
Bill Belichick didn’t win six Super Bowls by letting his players wing it. It’s all about discipline—doing the right thing every single time, even when no one’s watching. In operations, process discipline is everything. It’s not sexy, but it’s what separates high-performing teams from the wannabes.
If your team is inconsistent, it doesn’t matter what kind of automation you slap on top of their processes. Garbage in, garbage out. Consistent processes are the foundation of operational success. Nail this before you even think about scaling.
5. Roles, Chain of Command, and Clarity: No Confusion on the Field
On a football field, everyone has a job, and everyone knows their role. No one is confused about who’s supposed to block, who’s supposed to pass, and who’s supposed to catch the ball. This clarity is non-negotiable in operations.
Establish clear roles and a chain of command. When people don’t know who’s calling the shots or who’s responsible for what, that’s when things start to break down. Automation doesn’t fix confusion—it amplifies it. Get everyone aligned and clear on their responsibilities first.
6. KPIs: The Scoreboard that Drives Performance
Imagine a basketball game where no one is keeping score. Would the players hustle? Would they compete? Would they even care? Not a chance. The scoreboard drives behavior, and that’s exactly what KPIs do in your organization.
Before you automate anything, make sure your KPIs are clear, measurable, and tied directly to your business goals. If your team doesn’t understand the KPIs they’re supposed to hit, throwing money at automation tools is just throwing money away.
Pro tip: Automate your reporting after you’ve established a culture of accountability around KPIs. Not before.
7. Buy-In to the System: Team Culture Over Tools
Finally, let’s talk about buy-in. No sports team ever won a championship without believing in the system. It doesn’t matter how great your game plan is if your team doesn’t buy into it. In operations, this means getting your team to believe in the processes, the goals, and the culture you’re building.
If your people don’t trust the playbook, no amount of automation is going to change that. Focus on fostering a culture of ownership, accountability, and pride in what you do. Build a team that’s hungry for wins, and then look at automating processes that drive your team’s success to the next level.
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The Bottom Line: Don’t Automate a Broken Game Plan
Here’s the takeaway: If your fundamentals are weak, automation is just going to speed up your losses. Before you invest in the latest AI-powered software, make sure your team is nailing the basics.
Get your attendance, UPH, SOPs, process discipline, roles, and KPIs in order. Build a culture that buys into the system. Only then should you look at automating processes to scale your success. Otherwise, you’re just paying top dollar for a fancier way to drop the ball.
Want to know more about getting your operations playbook in shape before you automate? Let’s talk. Reach out to Peak Ops Advisors, where we believe in winning the fundamentals game first.
-Tony
