Business Operations & Process Efficiency for MSMEs
Map how work really flows in your business, cut waste, control stock and suppliers, get paid faster and run a small team with simple measures that keep improving.
What you'll learn
- Map any process in your business on one page using a simple flowchart and a SIPOC sheet
- Spot the eight types of waste in daily work and put a cedi value on what they cost you
- Write short standard operating procedures that staff can follow without you standing over them
- Set reorder levels, run FIFO and regular stock counts, and close the common gaps that let stock disappear
- Choose, compare and manage suppliers, and check quality at the points where problems are cheapest to fix
- Tighten the order-to-cash process and use mobile money, spreadsheets, POS and WhatsApp Business without new risks
- Plan staff rosters and track five to eight operations KPIs on a simple weekly board
- Run small improvement cycles with PDCA and build a kaizen habit in your team
Who this course is for
- Owners of shops, salons, restaurants, chop bars, workshops and small factories who feel the business depends too much on them
- Managers and supervisors in small and medium businesses who run day-to-day operations
- Agribusiness owners and processors who handle stock, suppliers and perishable goods
- Service business owners (cleaning, printing, repairs, logistics, events) who want more consistent delivery
- Business advisers and trainers who support MSMEs and want a practical operations toolkit
Course content
8 sections · 42 lessons · 6h 41mStart here: welcome to Business Operations & Process Efficiency 3 lessons · 16 min
Module 1: Seeing your business as processes 6 lessons · 54 min
Module 2: Finding waste and writing procedures staff follow 6 lessons · 52 min
Module 3: Stock control that stops the leaks 6 lessons · 57 min
Module 4: Suppliers, purchasing and quality 6 lessons · 54 min
Module 5: From customer order to cash, with simple technology 6 lessons · 55 min
Module 6: Staff, weekly numbers and continuous improvement 6 lessons · 50 min
Final module: your 90-day operations plan and final assessment 3 lessons · 1h 3m
Before you start
- You run, manage or work in a micro, small or medium business, or you are about to start one
- Basic reading and arithmetic; a calculator or phone is enough
- A notebook, or a phone or laptop with a spreadsheet app, for the practical exercises
About this course
Most small businesses in Ghana do not fail for lack of customers. They leak. Stock walks out of the back door, the supplier delivers short and nobody checks, the MoMo payment turns out to be a fake SMS, the chef cooks for forty and sells to twenty-five, and the owner spends the whole day putting out fires instead of growing the business.
This course is for owners and managers of shops, salons, chop bars and restaurants, workshops, small factories, service firms and agribusinesses who want the business to run properly, even on days they are not there. You will learn to see your business as a set of processes, draw them on one sheet of paper, spot the waste hiding in them and write simple procedures your staff will actually follow.
From there we get practical about the things that eat your money: stock and reorder levels, stock counts and theft, buying from suppliers, quality checks, the path from customer order to cash in your account, and the sensible use of mobile money, spreadsheets, POS systems and WhatsApp Business. The last module covers staff rosters, a short list of numbers worth tracking every week, and the habit of small, steady improvement using PDCA and kaizen.
Every idea comes with a worked example in cedis and a tool you can copy: a SIPOC sheet, a waste walk checklist, an SOP template, a reorder level formula, a stock count sheet, a supplier scorecard, a weekly KPI board. There is no heavy theory and no expensive software. You finish with a 90-day operations plan written for your own business.
Your instructor
SkillsPillar Faculty
Practitioners and trainers in strategy, public service, enterprise and workplace compliance
SkillsPillar courses are written by practitioners who have trained graduates, managers, public servants and business owners across Ghana. Every course is built around real situations, practical tools and activities that test judgement, not memory.
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Frequently asked
How do I pay for a course?
Pay securely with MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AT Money, Visa or Mastercard through Hubtel. You get access straight after payment.
How long do I have access?
For life. Once you enrol, the course stays in your account and you can learn at your own pace, including any updates we make.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Finish every lesson in a course and a certificate is issued automatically. Each one has a QR code and a public link employers can use to check it.
Can I learn on my phone?
Yes. Everything works on a phone, tablet or computer, and your progress follows you between devices.
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