Optimizing your workflow can spark a period of growth and help you outperform your competitors. That’s because 94% of small to medium businesses (SMEs) still perform repetitive, time-consuming tasks even though 68% of employees say they have too much work to handle.
By optimizing the overall workflow of your business, you give employees a chance to bring their best selves to work. Staff who automate repetitive tasks can spend more time on creative challenges and may be less likely to become burnt out.
Tech-driven workflow optimization can reduce the risk of human error, too. When folks have less on their plate, they’re far more likely to give each task the attention that it truly deserves.
Optimizing Your Resources
Maximizing your use of resources can pad your profits, increase your operational efficiency, and help workers feel supported. However, many workplaces mismanage their resources and fail to make the most of existing tech.
Use your workflow to optimize your resources by leveraging digital tools that work in unison. Almost every modern digital tool — from graphic design programs to accounting apps — can be accessed from a phone or laptop. So, before buying a new photography program or analytic tool, find out whether it can be used in tandem with pre-existing software. This strengthens your digital network and can streamline your employee’s workflow.
Consider using a workflow program like Asana, Google Calendar, or Trello to organize your resources. These programs can help everyone at your firm get on the same page and will unify your resource allocation strategy. They can also handle some of the heavy lifting by automating elements of your day-to-day tasks.
Automation Made Easy
Automation is making waves in the business management industry — and for good reason. Automating some of your business operations can save you time and mental effort. Automation can reduce risk and increase profits, too. If you’re new to the world of artificial intelligence, start with simple tasks like:
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Automating data organization and email outreach can save you dozens of hours every week. Automated CRMs can even help overworked employees generate more revenue by taking care of lead generation and personalization efforts.
- Cloud Computing: Saving important workflow data to the cloud minimizes the risk of your company losing important documents. It also means that authorized users can access important data from wherever they prefer to work.
- Supply Chain Management: Bottlenecks can completely derail your operational efficiency. Clean up your workflow management by automating your supply chains with tech like barcode scanners and warehouse execution systems.
- Enterprise Risk Management (ERM): Your employees can’t afford to spend their days fretting about future risks. Investing in an ERM can help folks focus on the tasks in front of them by taking care of forecasting and offering insights into potential future threats.
You don’t have to automate your entire workflow to see the benefit of artificial intelligence. Even simple steps, like automating your CRM can significantly improve your team’s productivity.
If you’re unsure of where to start, look for bottlenecks in your current workflow. These bottlenecks derail your employee’s productivity, undermine your profitability, and can lead to frustration in the workplace. Automating some of the processes shows that you care about your staff’s productivity and want to instill an ethos of efficiency at work.
Streamlining Your Workflow
Streamlining your business workflow can feel like a tall order — particularly if your staff is accustomed to an inefficient workflow. Get your workflow optimization process off to a good start by surveying staff. Surveying staff can increase buy-in when you decide to roll out a new workflow and ensures that employees feel heard by the management team.
You can start streamlining your workflow by setting priorities based on your employee survey. This can help staff understand their responsibilities and may help them discover more efficient ways of working.
Lean on your professional network when streamlining your operations. You may find that old connections would be happy to share workflow insights — particularly if you aren’t considered competitors. This can help you learn about emergent workflow technology and will give you a case study to follow when revamping your current operations.
Workflow optimization requires constant revision. You can’t afford to overlook new smart tech solutions like digital wayfinding or collaborative tools when revamping your workflow. Instead, work with staff and adopt an ethos of maximum efficiency at all times. This will encourage people to come forward with interesting ideas and will ensure that you remain at the cutting edge of tech-driven workflow management.
Conclusion
Successfully utilizing the latest breakthroughs in workflow management can maximize your productivity and profitability. A well-orchestrated workflow can help you get more out of your resources, too. Just be sure to invite employees to collaborate during the process, as staff buy-in is essential when rolling out new technology that will affect their workflow.
