You’re most likely reading this article because you are struggling to keep up with demand, otherwise you have too much downtime.
Maybe you cannot hire additional staff quickly enough to keep up with demand, or perhaps your team is continually stressed and burnt out from working so hard all the time. Whatever challenges your business faces, it is clear that being more efficient can be one of the solutions. There may be a way to streamline processes and eliminate redundancies. After all, every business needs to find a way to increase production without investing in expensive new machines or hiring more employees… right? Yes and no.
There are lots of small businesses out there that struggle with efficiency. In fact, a recent survey revealed that 90% of small businesses don’t achieve peak efficiency because they’re continually stuck in the same production routine. It’s not easy meeting the demands of running a business while also trying to ensure you have time for private activities outside of work as well.
Fortunately, there are various easy ways to increase workplace efficiency within your company today.
Review your current process
There may be some processes or procedures within your company that aren’t efficient. Take time to review the process and look for areas where there are redundancies. Are there many employees involved in one process? Are there opportunities to outsource some of your work or take advantage of virtual assistant? There are many ways to improve your current processes, but first, you need to identify them. And do not forget to involve your employees when reviewing the process. They are often the ones who know best when something is not efficient.
Hold meetings often
Meetings are notoriously time-consuming, but they’re critical to productivity — when done right. While you should all the time be attempting to find ways to streamline your meetings and make them more efficient, you also need to ensure they’re being held repeatedly. Try to get your team together at least once a week for a meeting, and gather employees in other departments as often as possible. Communication is among the most significant factors for business success, and frequent meetings can help keep you efficient. Plus, they can help relieve emphasize and keep everybody on course with their work.
Train employees more effectively
It’s easy to assume that all your employees understand the do’s and don’ts of the job, but that may not be the case. If you have a new employee, or if you have an employee you have worked with for a long time but who could still benefit from training, ensure you provide that training. Increasing your training efforts can have a large impact on efficiency. Employees who fully understand their role and understand how to handle difficult situations are more likely to produce quality work, complete tasks quickly and make fewer mistakes.
Automate what you can with software
Try to find a way to automate the process that makes sense to do. For example, if you receive the same type of communication from customers or vendors regularly, you should consider setting up automation to respond to those communications. Maybe you can use software to help with scheduling or to help you track your inventory. There are many ways to maximise the tools and software you have already got, and there are also many new software solutions on the market that can help lighten your workload or liberate your time in other ways.
Nowadays, you can even change how your phone works. You can install a cloud telephony system which will even let you put phone calls on hold via the cloud, meaning you place phone calls over the internet. This can save your business money and time, as it allows employees to work House if they want.
Add new equipment and technology
This is probably the most significant change you can make to your company’s efficiency. New equipment and technology can greatly impact how you produce goods or services, and can even help you reduce costs. However, before you make a significant investment in a new machine or technology, ensure you do the proper research so you do not end up wasting your money on a product that does not work as advertised. In many cases, the up-front costs related to new technology or equipment can be significant, but can often result in long-term cost savings that make the investment worthwhile.
Conclusion
The most significant part of increasing efficiency is openness to change. The longer you run your business the same way, the harder it is going to be to change, even if it’s for the better. If you find that your employees are stressed otherwise you are unable to produce goods or services in a timely manner, make efforts to change things. You do not need to make drastic changes all without delay. Start by identifying small ways you can improve, then implement them. Before long, your business will be running like a well-oiled machine.
