Must Read: Using tech to boost workplace productivity

Workplace productivity is declining and has been for the last few years. During the first quarter of 2018, output per hour worked fell by 0.5%, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics. Productivity is the backbone of all businesses, without it; there would be no product to sell. Increasing productivity in your workplace is fundamental for a successful business, and technology may hold the answer.  

Empower employees with the right tech

Legacy infrastructure could not only be weakening your security, but could be significantly decreasing your employee’s productivity. Waiting prolonged periods of time to carry out simple tasks on computers, compatibility issues and lack of sufficient support are all common problems with out-dated IT. This is likely to be frustrating for workers who will soon ‘switch-off’ from the task at hand Increasing productivity with technology is possible when the right tools are utilised. Deploying newer and more reliable tech is the first step.

Digitise, digitise, digitise!

Digitising as many manual processes as possible is a huge time-saver. A customer relationship management (CRM) system provides a fantastic ‘one-stop-shop’ to house all client information, and is a great place to begin. The system manages interactions between businesses and existing or potential clients and helps to avoid a workplace from descending into chaos. A CRM system can automate many communications processes and assist your sales team in managing their work.

“A survey of 400 companies with 100,000 employees each cited an average loss per company of $62.4 million per year because of inadequate communication to and between employees”

Digital organiser

With days getting busier and an abundance of data thrown our way on a daily basis, it’s easy to see why you may forget about that all-important meeting, or be late for that conference call. Digital calendars are an extremely productive tool that are not utilised enough. Having set reminders for you and your colleagues will increase awareness of what’s going on in the week, avoid double booking and will encourage time keeping.

Communication software

Everyone knows communication is crucial to a successfully run business. Many companies do not seem keen on the idea in investing in staff communication software, yet a survey of 400 companies with 100,000 employees each cited an average loss per company of $62.4 million per year because of inadequate communication to and between employees. There are many advanced technological solutions to improve communication for businesses of all sizes, from team messengers to video conferencing apps. Slack has become a popular chat tool and offers a number of features for team collaboration including group channels and direct messages, file sharing, integrating third-party platforms, video/audio calls, and other workflow improvers. Slack can even be used for as long as you like at no charge.

Easy access

There can be nothing quite as frustrating when you desperately need to get hold of a file and you have no idea where you saved it, or your laptop has gone missing and the file was saved on your desktop. Having all your projects, properties and milestones in sync and easily accessible can considerably improve overall team performance. Companies today run 79% of their workloads in the cloud so they don’t have to worry with the above. Cloud storage could make your employee’s access worries a thing of the past.

Get the most out of your team

So much time is spent whittling through candidates for job vacancies, doing rounds of interviews and then integrating someone into your team. Don’t let all that hard work and effort go to waste by not giving your employees the tools and access they need to utilise their productivity to the full. <!– Get the right tech for your workforce from SCC –>