Boosting Company Productivity

No matter what niche your company is in or what it does, being able to improve the productivity of your employees and streamline your workflow can improve your bottom line. The ability to do more with less resources is a fact of life in today's competitive business environment, and that dynamic is not likely to change anytime soon. 

Technology

Adding computer technology to your small business is an excellent way to boost the productivity of your company and help each worker get more done in less time. When evaluating your business and your need for computer technology, examine the manual processes your firm uses and think about how those time-consuming manual processes can be automated with the right computer technology.

Use Communication Tools

Workers in today's modern environment are fairly comfortable and adept at using all types of communication tools, from faster paced tools such as text messaging and social networks (Twitter, Google+, etc.) to older style formats like email. By providing employees with the proper tools your organization can improve productivity by enhancing how workers communicate. For example, an in-house IM application can help employees to communicate with one another without the need to visit on another's desk thereby reducing wasted time.

Mobile

Due to the interactive nature of mobile technology, sharing information through this medium allows businesses to get immediate feedback on products and services from customers. This speed and accessibility have led to faster research and development for companies, an important part of staying ahead of the competition. It has also led to product upgrades moving at a faster rate. 

In addition, the use of mobile technology Mobile technology can improve the services you offer your customers.  For example, when meeting with customers you can access your firm's customer relationship management system - over the internet - allowing you to update customer details while away from the office. Alternatively, you can enable customers to pay for services or goods without having to write a check or swipe a credit or use cash. More powerful solutions can link you directly into the office network while working off-site to access such resources as your database or accounting systems. For example, you could:

• set up a new customer's account

• check prices and stock availability

• place an order online

Mobile technology leads to great flexibility in working - for example, enabling home working, or working while travelling. The growth of cloud computing has also impacted positively on the use of mobile devices, supporting more flexible working practices by providing services over the internet.