When it comes to running a business organisation, it is important to ensure that the various spokes of the wheel are turning in a coordinated manner. That being said, in reality, business organisations are composed of a diverse group of people with diverse needs, and as a result, it leads to the formation of certain hierarchies that can be detrimental to the functioning of the business. One of the most common hierarchies that leads to the creation of some major conflict involves the sales team and the production team. Both the functions are extremely crucial for the growth of an organisation, but due to some environmental factors, it leads to an imbalance and, in turn, a space for conflict between the two divisions. So, here are some measures that you can adopt to prevent any such contention and form an organisation where every function finds equal footing.
1. Strengthen relationships –
The best way of ensuring that the sales vs production conflict does not get out of hand is by enabling mutual trust and understanding between the workers on both ends of this argument. When it boils down to it, any conflict being caused is a result of the disharmony and need for hierarchies that exist between the workers, so addressing that by promoting better relationships between the two sides, can help resolve this conflict.
2. Managing shop culture –
The shop culture at your company can speak volumes about the conflict that may be present between the sales and production sides. In most cases, the salesforce generally comes from a production background, which indicates their knowledge of the kind of work that goes in the production process, thus leaving little room for any kind of conflict. Therefore, implementing such a type of shop culture can maintain a clear balance between the two functional divisions.
3. Focus on the endpoint –
Truth be told, this kind of conflict benefits absolutely no one. Regardless of what role the two divisions play, any contention between the two only ends up harming the organisation. As a manager, it becomes impertinent to understand this point and realise that the only focus should be on the end objective, that is, the satisfaction of the customers. The sooner the whole firm understands this, the better it is for operational efficiency.
4. Design an efficient schedule –
Developing a kind of schedule resembling the workload speedometer can help workers on both ends coordinate their functions. Maintaining the schedule available to both the sales and the production staff helps them understand the time and complexity of the tasks involved and thereby helps the sales staff wrap their work accordingly.
5. Solve problems at a macro level –
In any organisation with a heterogeneous group of people, the sales vs production conflict might have a lot of room to foster. Understanding that the conflict may arise is the first step towards eradicating it. Once you have understood that there is space for contention, the next step should involve finding realistic solutions at a macro level. This means that you consider the whole organisation and solve the problem by looking at the broader picture.
Regardless of the sales vs production conflict, it all boils down to how the management chooses to deal with it. Implementing the above-mentioned methods can help diminish any fuel that might be causing disharmony between the two sides, and thereby equip the organisation not to lose sight of the end goal, which is churning out profits and taking care of the customers’ needs.