One of the most common searches among professionals is “how to be more productive.” As our roles become more complex and the workplace changes, professionals are looking for ways to simplify their workloads. Employers are wondering what they can do to increase productivity and profitability.
Since the Stone Age, humans have been leveraging tools to accomplish tasks better. Today, our most powerful and effective tool is technology. The tricky part is there are a vast number of software applications and technology solutions, and there isn’t a universal solution that works for every business. However, there are some common strategies that you can leverage and tailor to fit your workplace dynamics and composition.
Technology and Productivity
When employees cannot meet productivity targets, they often aren’t adequately supported with the resources to do so. In fact, according to Ivanti, as many as 85% of workers don’t have the right resources and technology to take care of their tasks efficiently.
Investing in technology solutions can drastically improve a business’s productivity and output quality. However, you need to make sure that the solutions you implement align with your team’s needs and properly train your team to utilize them.
The decision of what solutions to invest in should be well-researched and discussed with an IT professional. We can help you create an investment and implementation plan to ensure you see a return on investment. But if you’re eager to get started, here are some common areas where you can leverage technology to improve your productivity:
1. Optimize Everyday Tasks
Everyone does small, mundane things every day that take a few seconds or a few minutes. Over time, the amount of time spent on these tasks can add up. Technology can simplify these tasks and improve workplace productivity and employee satisfaction. You can also minimize your employees taking unnecessary extra steps or getting stressed just to get these things done.
For example, if your team needs to schedule group meetings, you can utilize shared calendars or a scheduling assistant tool to quickly assess availability. This reduces multiple back and forth messages and significantly reduces the time you have to spend coordinating schedules.
2. Eliminate Manual File Sharing & Its Risks
How many times have you had to wait several minutes (or even hours) waiting for a colleague to send you a file that you needed? Or, how many times have you been interrupted by a colleague to get a file that they desperately needed?
Creating, editing, and sharing files is one of the most common tasks employees do every day. However, file storage and sharing tools are often overlooked and not maintained. Secure cloud storage and file-sharing technology make it easier and safer for employees to track the history of changes made to a document, collaborate simultaneously, and find all the information they need to complete their tasks. To learn more about how file storage can improve collaboration and productivity, check out our blog on SharePoint here.
3. Utilize Individual and Group Chats
Messaging and chat technology can improve communication efficiency and employee productivity. Chats are easier to compose and typically elicit a faster response. Instead of typing out formal emails and awaiting responses or having details get lost in the shuffle, chats allow teams to stay connected and quickly get clarification.
Miscommunication has a hefty price tag ― literally. Debra Hamilton revealed that companies with 100 employees lose about $420,000 per year due to inefficient communication among employees.
4. Drive Professional Development
Your employees are smart. Giving them the time to learn and expand their skill set can empower them to evolve their workflows and become more productive and effective. Additionally, as the business develops and new tips are implemented, it is important to hold staff training to ensure your team can leverage their full potential.
5. Schedule Regular Productivity Audits
Most businesses are not committing to regular audits of their internal processes and tool utilization. Empowering yourself with the insight of the effectiveness of your operations and the tools it utilizes will allow for educated decisions in all areas, from HR to budget forecasting.
Having a pulse on how things are going helps you quickly identify issues that reduce productivity or create a roadblock for your team.
Productivity Should Be A Priority
Productivity at work is a concept that affects almost all key business metrics such as operational costs, revenue, employee retention and attrition, and even customer and client satisfaction. It also impacts more intangible, yet equally important, things, including company culture, work environment, employee experience, and brand identity.
If you are ready to start reaching your productivity goals, book a call with us below.
