The New Year is approaching, but don’t wait until January to think about goals for the coming year. Resolve to improve your company’s efficiency and productivity today by employing some of these innovative strategies and products.
Embrace Cloud-based Computing
If your company still relies on server-based corporate IT, with clunky hardware and software licenses for every computer, consider moving to the cloud. Not only will cloud computing make your IT maintenance more streamlined and efficient (because the software is on a hosted network and the hardware is virtual), but it will also promote business productivity and efficiency by creating a more user-friendly, accessible work environment.
Cloud-based computing enables employees to work with the same information virtually and in real time, using any computer with Internet access. Employees can increase efficiency by easily finding the information they need (no more searching through numerous files and folders or waiting for colleagues to provide documents) and accessing data and documents anytime, anywhere). Google Drive, Salesforce, Workday and Jive offer virtual document sharing and collaboration, real-time contact and sales information, up-to-date human resource and financial data, and enterprise-wide information sharing and networking capabilities. This ability to share information quickly, easily, and among all shareholders increases productivity by eliminating downtime or distraction.
Use Web-Conferencing Capabilities
Build on the collaborative environment by using web-conferencing and social communication apps like Skype or WebEx to host or participate in virtual meetings. Web-based meetings can increase efficiency by eliminating travel time and can promote productivity because they keep everyone on topic as they follow well-planned slides. Furthermore, establishing a tradition of virtual meetings will position your company to use future innovations such as Skype’s anticipated 3-D conferencing capabilities.
Make the Most of Mobile Tools
Promote efficiency by using mobile payment processing tools (portable credit card scanners) to simplify your corporate accounting and record keeping. Employees can use their mobile devices to securely (and inexpensively) take customer orders and process credit cards.
Achieve further efficiency by tracking inventory through mobile technology that reads UPC symbols or RFID tags. Companies like CodeREADr and Wasp Barcode Technologies offer on-the-go, barcode scanning inventory management software. These mobile scanning and tracking tools increase employee efficiency by making transactions and inventory tracking fast and easy. They also increase productivity by linking data directly to company accounting and inventory management software.
Improve Time Management
Rescue Time automatically tracks and measures daily employee productivity. Introduce employees to apps like StayFocusd or LeechBlock, which restrict user access to distracting, time-sucking websites by setting browsing time limits.
Alternatively, take a more personal route and help employees get organized. Implement best practices to help employees manage email — set filters, encourage them to check email only at certain times (rather than constantly checking), and remind them to create folders to file messages (rather than piling up in the inbox). These simple strategies can make work time more productive. Likewise, encourage employees to focus on productivity by setting daily goals and tracking their own productivity through websites like iDonethis, which sends daily emails to employees to help them document their daily accomplishments.
Holly Collier is a digital marketing consultant for small businesses.
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