{"id":13632,"date":"2022-11-03T13:00:31","date_gmt":"2022-11-03T18:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/?p=13632"},"modified":"2023-05-24T09:44:01","modified_gmt":"2023-05-24T14:44:01","slug":"5-unique-ways-to-improve-business-productivity-with-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2022\/11\/5-unique-ways-to-improve-business-productivity-with-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"5 (unique) ways to improve business productivity with technology"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-725\" src=\"https:\/\/d4ey5ve3eb27c.cloudfront.net\/img\/icons\/education.png\" alt=\"trends\" width=\"76\" height=\"100\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">In this article, we\u2019ll explore actionable ways that your business can improve productivity. Since this is such a broad topic, I\u2019m focusing only on improving productivity through the use of technology.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In the spirit of productivity, I don\u2019t want to hide these tips behind a long intro. Rather, let\u2019s get straight to the point with a couple of notes before we dive in.<br \/>\n<a name=\"20180321\"><\/a><!--more--><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>This article is aimed at the business, not the individual<\/strong>. Sure, you might pull some ideas that you can implement in your daily work routine. But, the goal of this article is to help businesses become more productive.<\/li>\n<li><strong>This isn\u2019t another generic \u2018productivity tips\u2019 list that you find posted and reposted all over the internet<\/strong>. I\u2019m not going to share basic tips like \u201cuse a to-do list\u201d or \u201cget a second monitor.\u201d Those things are obvious. Rather, we\u2019re exploring actionable, unique ways to help your entire business move faster.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Sound good? Okay, let\u2019s dive right in. Here are 5 ways to improve your organization\u2019s productivity with technology:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Run an automation audit<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/d4ey5ve3eb27c.cloudfront.net\/img\/solutions\/workflow.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"375\" \/><br \/>\nManual, time-wasting tasks are everywhere. They\u2019ve become so engrained within daily routines, many employees don\u2019t even realize they\u2019re wasting time.<\/p>\n<p>How can you identify these time-wasting tasks? Run an automation audit.<\/p>\n<p>The first step: Understand your existing processes. Talk to your employees. Here are a couple of questions to use as a starting point:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cWhich of your tasks do you think could be automated?\u201d<\/strong> It\u2019s an obvious question, but maybe they have ideas and just haven\u2019t told anyone. You\u2019ll find that some employees have great ideas but have never been asked to share them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cWhat\u2019s something that you have to do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis?\u201d<\/strong> It\u2019s an important question to ask because many employees don\u2019t even realize one of their <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2021\/04\/automate-a-workflow-process-in-7-minutes\/\">tasks can be automated<\/a>. They\u2019re just so used to doing it and might not realize there\u2019s a better way.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Next, take these responses and make a list of your organization\u2019s processes. This can include both important and mundane processes. As explained below, anything that requires an employee\u2019s effort on a regular basis belongs on that list.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"blog-quote\"><p>\u201cLook to automate any menial task employees do more than once: Filling out spreadsheets, populating the CRM, sending outreach messages\u2014these are tasks which can easily be automated with the right tool,\u201d says Luke Bailey, Content Marketing Lead at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getmagical.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">Magical<\/span><\/a>. \u201cYou can free up so much time by using the right piece of software to automate these time-sucks and giving your employees more opportunity to focus on the tasks that really matter in their roles.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Now that you have a list, go through each one and answer three questions:<\/p>\n<p><strong>What starts the process? <\/strong><br \/>\nAny process that you want to automate needs a clear trigger.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the goal of this process?<\/strong><br \/>\nAny process that you want to automate needs a clear result.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How important is this?<\/strong><br \/>\nThis question helps you understand which one to attack first.<\/p>\n<p>Now, this is just the first step in automating your processes. If you\u2019d like to see all of the steps, we wrote a whole article on the topic which you can find here: <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/9-steps-to-streamline-any-business-workflow\/\">9 steps to streamline any business workflow<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Create software that works the way you work<\/h3>\n<p>Let me ask you a question: Does your software work exactly the way you need? Does it perfectly adapt to your business\u2026or do you adapt to your software?<\/p>\n<p>In my experience, the latter usually applies. Off-the-shelf software can be customized&#8230;but only to a point. It rarely provides a 100% perfect fit.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, I\u2019ve seen organizations using niche software that\u2019s designed for a very specific industry. It\u2019s practically designed for their business, yet it only does about 95% of what they need. The other 5% requires manual workarounds.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not a knock against business software. It\u2019s just really hard to provide off-the-shelf software that perfectly fits every customer\u2019s needs. Every business is different, even if they\u2019re in the same industry.<\/p>\n<p>What happens when software doesn\u2019t perfectly fit your needs? It usually requires some sort of manual workaround\u2026which wastes time. Depending on the issue, this can be anything from a minor inconvenience to a massive time drain.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s the answer? You need software that works the way you work. You need custom software. I realize that it\u2019s time and cost-prohibitive to build custom software from the ground up. This is one of the big reasons why <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/low-code-development-101-understanding-the-basics\/\">low-code development<\/a> is growing so quickly. Businesses are realizing that low-code tools provide a couple of big advantages on this front:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Low-code lets them create custom applications that perfectly fit their needs and workflow. They can design something from the ground up that works exactly the way they work.<\/li>\n<li>Low-code reduces development time dramatically. Depending on the tool, custom apps can be developed in days or weeks.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Essentially, low-code brings the best of both worlds. It delivers custom software that perfectly fits your needs AND is delivered quickly. From a productivity perspective, low-code provides massive potential.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/d4ey5ve3eb27c.cloudfront.net\/img\/bg\/products-bg-new.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>3. Training on software tools<\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s one of the most common yet baffling problems found in businesses across the globe: Employees don&#8217;t know how to properly use the software they&#8217;re supposed to use.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I just heard about a company that&#8217;s had a reporting tool for 10 years. Yet, most employees don&#8217;t know how to use it. Instead, they just bring their reporting requests to the one person who actually knows how to use it. Or worse, they continue to waste time compiling and analyzing data using inefficient manual processes. I know of other companies that have access to productivity software that could save them hours upon hours of time. Yet, no one bothers to learn it.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is, I hear these stories all the time. Employees don&#8217;t know how to use software. Or, they&#8217;re wasting hours of time because they use it so inefficiently.<\/p>\n<p>Why does this happen? Why do so many software tools go unused (or used inefficiently)? Maybe they were trained years ago, but forgot. Maybe they were never taught how to properly use the software and just tried to figure it out on their own. Or maybe they were hired after the software was implemented, and never received training.<\/p>\n<p>I run across this so often and it doesn&#8217;t make sense. After all, you&#8217;ve invested in software. You&#8217;ve invested in your employees. Why not invest in training so your employees learn how to become more efficient with the software?<\/p>\n<p>What if your company encouraged (or mandated) software training on whichever tools you or your employees use the most? My advice: Have your employees take a day or two for a training session on that software. Learn all the shortcuts. Understand how to use it more efficiently. While using a whole day might feel like a lot, the time savings will add up.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"blog-quote\"><p>\u201cSoftware training is one of the best ways to become more productive,\u201d explains Coralee Bechteler, Business and Tech Specialist at <a href=\"http:\/\/stepbystepbusiness.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">Step by Step Business<\/span><\/a>. \u201cLearn the pre-configured shortcuts for frequently used applications, and create your own shortcuts when possible.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>4. Performance dashboards<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/d4ey5ve3eb27c.cloudfront.net\/img\/industry\/manufacturing-shop-floor-analytics.png\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Another great way to improve business performance: Establish clear goals and place them front and center.<\/p>\n<p>What do I mean by that? Take your organization\u2019s performance goals outside of the confines of the PC. Turn them into real-time <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2020\/05\/the-3-most-important-aspects-of-a-business-dashboard-3\/\">performance dashboards<\/a> and display them on giant monitors throughout the business.<\/p>\n<p>This tactic helps keep your employees focused on what matters. If you\u2019re falling behind your goals, they\u2019ll know. If you\u2019re beating your goals, they\u2019ll know.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, I know of one manufacturing company that displays dashboards on their shop floor. The dashboards track progress towards daily shipping goals throughout the day and are always accessible to their employees. It removes any sort of question about current progress and keeps employees focused on meeting their daily goals.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"blog-quote\"><p>\u201cDisplay performance screens,\u201d says Matias Rodsevich, Founder and CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/prlab.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">PRLab<\/span><\/a>. \u201cBy showing performance in real-time you hold employees accountable. It is simple and effective. This is useful across departments where performance is linked with other teams, and can show staff how they fit into wider business goals. The display of real-time sales data can change an office environment and give it a boost when needed the most. It can motivate employees to do what needs to be done to reach that important end goal or target. The displays reduce the risk of managers \u2018micro-managing\u2019. Everyone knows where they stand at any given time and employees can make adjustments accordingly.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>5. Make sure you\u2019re all on the same page<\/h3>\n<p>Software is simpler and more accessible than ever before. These days, anyone with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sofi.com\/credit-card\/\">credit card<\/a> can purchase and start using software tools in minutes. As a result, more and more software purchases are driven by the business side rather than the IT department.<\/p>\n<p>This creates a couple of problems:<\/p>\n<p>First, some companies have licensed many different software tools, some of which have overlapping capabilities. Employees may get confused as to which software tools they\u2019re supposed to use for specific tasks. Also, some employees will be demotivated if you do not show appreciation and reward their efforts. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.successories.com\/employee-awards-recognition\/years-of-service-awards\/1\">Employee awards recognition<\/a> is essential for raising employees\u2019 motivation and improving business productivity. Good employee awards can start from any gift souvenir to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mixbook.com\/cards\">personalized photo card<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"blog-quote\"><p>\u201cMy top tip for business productivity no matter the industry or team size: Do a quick tool and systems audit and make sure you and your team have clarity and alignment on the systems you\u2019re using, what each system is for, and your commitments to each other and your chosen systems,\u201d says Kelly Harris Perin, Founder of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.littlebitescoaching.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">Little Bites Coaching<\/span><\/a>. \u201cIn my work with companies of all sizes, I find that the problem is rarely that teams don\u2019t have a tool or system to do something. It\u2019s much more common that they have too many systems, there\u2019s confusion around what to use when, or people aren\u2019t using the systems they have. Taking a few minutes in a team meeting to confirm, for example, that you use email for official work requests and slack for quick questions can save a lot of time and hassle and ensure you\u2019re maximizing the tools you have.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Secondly, employees (and even entire departments) often adopt and use their own tools because it\u2019s so easy. While these tools might meet their short-term needs, this practice creates productivity issues for the business.<\/p>\n<p>How so? Within a single business, different employees and departments might use different tools. As a result, they operate in silos. Sharing data and working together is far more difficult if you\u2019re not all using the same software.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"blog-quote\"><p>\u201cTo improve business productivity, you need to foster a culture that enables people to work independently without siloing,\u201d says Benjamin Graham, Content strategist, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">AnswerConnect<\/span><\/a>. \u201cSiloing &#8211; the restriction of information between people or departments &#8211; can kill productivity stone dead. But simultaneously, the pressure to communicate every minute can stop you from getting anything done.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Summary<\/h3>\n<p>These are just 5 ways to improve productivity with technology, but the list could certainly be longer. If you would like to add anything to this list, I\u2019d love to hear it. Feel free to share in the comments.<\/p>\n<div id=\"sendgrid_nlvx_widget-2\" class=\"widget widget_sendgrid_nlvx_widget\" style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;width: auto;text-align: center;background-color: #edeff4;border: 1px solid #d1d1d1\">\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"widget-title\" style=\"font-size: 18px;margin-top: 28px;font-weight: 400;margin-bottom:25px\">If you enjoyed this article, sign up for email updates<\/h3>\r\n<p>Sign up below, and we'll notify you of new blog articles via email. We value your privacy and will never share or sell your information. To learn more about how we handle data, please review our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/about\/privacy.html\">privacy policy<\/a>.\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this article, we\u2019ll explore actionable ways that your business can improve productivity. Since this is such a broad topic, I\u2019m focusing only on improving productivity through the use of technology. In the spirit of productivity, I don\u2019t want to hide these tips behind a long intro. Rather, let\u2019s get straight to the point with &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2022\/11\/5-unique-ways-to-improve-business-productivity-with-technology\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">5 (unique) ways to improve business productivity with technology<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","slim_seo":{"title":"5 (unique) ways to improve business productivity with technology - mrc&#039;s Cup of Joe Blog","description":"In this article, we\u2019ll explore actionable ways that your business can improve productivity. Since this is such a broad topic, I\u2019m focusing only on improving pro"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-productivity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13632"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14925,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13632\/revisions\/14925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}