Though many factors influence an organization’s ability to pivot, disrupt, and lead, efficiency and technology stand out as must-have elements to reduce costs and improve operations and service.
When a business runs efficiently, people spend less time on unproductive tasks and more time fulfilling high-level assignments. This, in turn, leads employees to feel less stressed and more empowered because they’re not trying to keep up with exasperatingly long to-do lists. Efficiency typically equates to more money in the bank because sub-optimized processes lead to costly lag times.
Here’s the biggest hitch, though: Greater efficiency doesn’t appear overnight or without planning. If you’re forecasting for 2020 and wondering how to take your efficiency levels up a notch, try these strategies.
1. Streamline your technology toolbox.
Technology can both help and hinder operational processes, so carefully evaluate each piece of tech in your company. Your tech toolbox includes everything from the apps your team uses to communicate and collaborate, such as Slack or Dropbox, to the software employees use to perform discrete work tasks. As you evaluate your technology, consider your employees’ workday and your customer’s journey.
Upon reviewing your tech, you may discover you have too many applications performing redundant tasks. Removing one or more could minimize handoffs and reduce support costs.
2. Remove or reduce predictable workflow interruptions.
It’s tough to operate efficiently if you and your team are constantly distracted. Researchers have suggested that it takes 23 minutes and 15 seconds to recover from an unexpected interruption. When disturbances like unscheduled meetings and nagging email alerts run amok, they chew away at productivity.
Conclusion:
Before enjoying a well-deserved end-of-year holiday party or scheduling some late-December vacation days, take some time to plan out steps for a more efficient new year. That way, your team can hit the ground running Jan. 2, ready to handle whatever comes its way.
The hi.guru Advantage
Take your company to the next level. Keep your communication with your customers and employees strong, personal and most importantly instant. You can easily do this using the hi.guru conversational AI platform and ultimately enhance every communication experience by using responsive chatbots and other tools. It all starts by consolidating your existing communication channels into one and ensuring a better response time. Read more about our instant messaging platform and about creating a chatbot that’s just right for you.