| In the early days of Chat Tech, any problem I could solve turned someone into a client. From duplicating CDs to installing home automation systems, I took on everything. Recently, I revisited those days when I discovered Daniel Kahneman’s research on noise, which shows how randomness and decision-making variability can quietly undermine small businesses. Today, Chat Tech focuses solely on IT management for creative teams, but I still encounter challenges in other areas where data-driven decisions should replace human judgment. This week, I’m excited to share what I’ve learned to help you identify and reduce noise in your business.
What is Noise?
Noise is the random variability or inconsistency in decision-making. It’s when different people—or even the same person at different times—make different choices in identical situations. Among many others, factors like mood, lack of systems, or knowledge gaps can contribute to creating noise. For small businesses, especially in creative industries, this inconsistency can be costly. For instance, when two employees handle the same client request differently, the client experience suffers, and over time, these small variations can quietly affect productivity, client retention, and profitability.
How to Identify Noise
Identifying noise in your business starts by catching inconsistencies in decision-making or processes and leading them their source. Look for variations where the same task, under similar conditions, leads to different outcomes depending on who is involved or when it’s done. Tracking shifts in client feedback, project timelines, or internal reviews can also highlight noise. Looking at these patterns will help you spot areas where decisions lack structure or consistency.
Replace Intuition with Data-Driven Decisions
In Chat Tech’s early days, like many small businesses, I relied on my intuition to make quick decisions. As the business grew, I realized that being proactive instead of reactive was essential not just for growth but for peace of mind. Making decisions by evaluating has transformed how we approached IT management for creative teams. Today, instead of guessing, we review variety of data points and client feedback and make more consistent choices. For instance, we identified ideal automatic reboot times by analyzing 30 days of client computer inactivity data to minimize impact of system updates. What information do you have access to that can help you make better decisions or improve existing ones?
Reduce Noise Through Processes
As a team, we’ve had a laser focus on standardizing processes for the past couple of years. Creating clear, repeatable processes is one of the best ways to combat noise. For example, we built a comprehensive flowchart for onboarding new clients, factoring in everything from various pain points and priorities we face. Standardizing tasks, especially those impacting client experience, gives you an opportunity to design it to your liking while eliminating inconsistencies. If you haven’t already, start by documenting your most critical workflows. Whether it’s how you handle client requests or how you evaluate new vendors for your business, a defined process helps ensure that everyone on your team follows the same approach, reducing noise and improving consistency.
Automate Where Possible
The final and perhaps most magical step in reducing noise is through automation, which can often feel like a scary topic. While putting technology in charge of an important step may seem risky, the truth is that technology is a lot better at handling repetitive tasks than humans. Automation reduces errors and frees up your team for higher-level work. You don’t have to think big to start; even small automations can lead to significant wins. For example, a few months back, we switched payment processors to one that offers a client portal and setup an automation to redirect new clients to enter their payment information after signing our proposal. Now, this step in our flowchart is proudly labeled as ‘Automated.’ With a well-documented process, you can work toward automating each step gradually. Automation removes much of the human variability that causes noise and ensures that mundane tasks don’t fall through the cracks.
Remember, identifying areas where decision-making is inconsistent or driven by gut feelings instead of data is the big first step. Whether through standardizing processes, automating tasks, or simply assessing where inconsistencies exist, you’ll be surprised by how much noise you uncover when you actively look for it. Where could your business benefit from more consistency? I’d love to hear your thoughts and am always happy to assist in leveraging technology to help reduce noise in your business.
– Burak Sarac, Team Lead
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