Improving workplace efficiency might seem like an ongoing task that you never actually complete, but there is a good reason for that.
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If it feels like you are constantly striving to make things more efficient, you are either doing it wrong, or you are improving your processes to meet changes and feedback on previous improvements. And while one of these options is a good thing, the last thing you want to do is make too many changes too soon, resulting in things backfiring.
So, what can you do within your company to help you improve workplace efficiency and support the workforce at the same time?
Ask For Feedback
Basically, if your employees are carrying out the bulk of the work for you, then you need to be asking for their input. Find out what is and isn't working and ask for their suggestions on what they think will make things run more smoothly and improve their working day.
From here, you can work with them to make reasonable changes and make them a reality to see what difference they make. It likely means you need to tweak your feedback to work for the company, but don't dismiss employee feedback.
Use Appropriate Equipment
It should be evident that things won't run as efficiently if you aren't giving your employees the tools to get the job done.
Whether it is ordering more stillages to store inventory or improve accessibility, or you need to update your software to give users a more cohesive and streamlined internal process, get on board with using the right equipment for your company.
Taking such step would make things run easier and eliminate time spent trying to “make things work” or come up with workarounds or fixes.
Provide Training for Workplace Efficiency
If your company is inefficient, one of the first things you need to look at is how skilled your workforce is and whether they have the knowledge and training for the job they are employed for. If the answer is no, you need to fill in the gaps to help them get to where they need to be and address any failings in your training.
Work with your employees to find where they need help and support and keep up-to-date training records so you can carry out refresher courses or implement new ways of working as per industry guidelines to account for recent changes in technology or advice.
Outsource
Now, you may be thinking, why would I need to outsource if I have employees? And while there is a reason you have employees on board, bogging them down with tedious, time-consuming tasks will take their focus away from using their skills and talents or other areas of the business.
Look at what jobs are eating into their working day; that doesn't need to be explicitly carried out by them. Then, find outsourcing companies to work with who can take over this task, thus freeing up time and increasing efficiency.
If you don't want to outsource, then look at implementing software or AI programs that can do it to eliminate the process or reduce the time it takes to complete it. Improving workplace efficiency in business needs to be executed carefully and methodically for it to have the best chance of success.
Identifying the areas you are struggling with first can give you a starting point to bring other changes in based on the results and improvements you see.
This article was written by Blair Quane who is an experienced business mentor and blog writer. For any questions or updates on this article, Blair can be reached at [email protected]
