We all know how frustrating it is when we have a heavy workload or an important deadline to meet and something stops us in our tracks.
Maybe the Internet is down, your computer has crashed, you need to speak to someone who isn’t in the office or the system you’re using makes everything take three times longer than it should. Whatever the issue is, there are a number of things which can be a huge drain on employee productivity.
The good news is that advances in technology should make these issues few and far between. Even when they do occur, they can be resolved much quicker than they would have been even just a few years ago.
If you think that you could be getting far more out of your staff and the systems you use, below are some great ways which highlight how technology can help improve employee productivity.
Remote access
Remote working is becoming increasingly popular. Not only does it allow staff to work from home, it also enables them to access work information while they’re on the train or have gone to meet a client. Tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs) let your employees work anytime and anywhere and still enjoy safe access to the business network.
Makes you more desirable to work with
With everything moving online, security is becoming a serious issue for companies. Naturally you want to make sure that all of your information plus any confidential customer details are kept secure. Having a secure and reliable network that isn’t vulnerable to hacking makes your company a lot more desirable and for many businesses, having robust and efficient processes is a prerequisite to working with them.
It’s easier for everyone to work together
Whether you allow employees to work remotely or you have customers based all over the world, often it simply isn’t possible to get everyone you need in the same room. As well as trying to get around the practicalities of this, meetings can also be incredibly costly and time consuming.
A great way to get around this however is with technology such as Skype or teleconferencing. This enables smooth collaboration between staff, partners, suppliers and customers, quickly and more cost effectively because you’re cutting out travel time.
Allows constant access
Mobile phones have enabled us to be contactable always, which is crucial in the business world. After all, missed calls or unanswered emails create delays, wasted opportunities and wasted revenue.
With a mobile phone, employees can respond to emails wherever they are and you don’t have to worry about them missing a call if they step away from their desk or are out of the office.
More targeted communications
The Internet has made it much easier for companies to communicate with existing and potential customers. Because the likes of emails and social networking are far less intrusive than a phone call, people don’t mind being contacted more regularly. It would be a bit excessive to phone a customer a couple of times a week for example but if someone has opted to receive emails from you, they’re normally more than happy to receive several communications a week.
Companies can also target their communications far more effectively because with social media advertising for example, they can choose their audience based on age, gender, location, job title and interests.