Automation is Key to Operational Freedom

If we asked you what the difference is between productivity and innovation, would you be able to give us a clear answer? The answer is that one facilitates the other, aided by technology to improve operations and free up employees to focus on other, more lucrative tasks. Let’s take a look at how improving productivity can improve innovation, thereby increasing your organization’s ability to do great things.

The COVID-19 pandemic can be seen as the single greatest influence over the past several years for how work gets done. Employees expect to have more say over where and how they work, and they expect their employers to understand. How has the pandemic changed our perception of “normal?”

Actions Yield Results

Productivity is the metric by which workers, departments, businesses, and industries are measured. If people are seen as productive, they are seen as successful. If multiple individuals within your organization are seen as productive, that makes the business more productive than it would otherwise be. Technology plays a key role in improving business productivity and performance across the board.

First, you’ll need to make sure that you have the right technology solutions for the job. Management tools like a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution can go a long way toward improving productivity. A CRM can automate many of the tasks you might normally assign to sales and marketing staff, and it can be used for things such as time tracking, customer interaction, collaboration and much more.

Imagine how much more productive your team could be if they didn’t have to worry about management or maintenance of these relationships, instead opting for revenue-generating activities. A CRM can automate so many tasks that would normally slow down the workday, but there are many other tools that can also help to create a more efficient workflow, like productivity suites and cloud platforms that give your employees access to everything they need to collaborate and be productive.

The cloud provides many businesses with more opportunities to increase operational flexibility. Cloud solutions allow users to access resources anytime, anywhere, at a fraction of the costs associated with traditional hosting, management, and maintenance of solutions. Simply put, if you are looking to improve productivity and efficiency, the cloud makes for a great way to accomplish this.

Technology Provides Opportunity for Operational Freedom

Despite the incredible new opportunities presented by technology, many organizations are finding it difficult to innovate. Small businesses in particular need to take advantage of opportunities to get more out of their staff through the implementation of new technology solutions. Automated tools can help businesses be more productive, but they can also help your staff be more efficient with their time, too.

How much time and effort do your staff invest into following the guidelines and procedures you put in place for the good of your organization? It can be exhausting for them, especially if it’s not something that is easy for them to follow. You can streamline these processes so that they can communicate more easily and manage their schedules more efficiently. To this end, we have put together three automated solutions you might consider implementing:

• AI chatbots: To provide greater value for your clients, you should invest in offering better support. While it might seem like it digs into your bottom line, consider the benefits of implementing an AI chatbot. Not only do your clients get the support they need, but your employees are also freed up from the responsibilities associated with it. It’s a win-win scenario.
• Internet of Things: To cut costs on your utility bills, consider what the Internet of Things has to offer. You can control your HVAC systems, lighting, and so much more. The IoT can also be used to track inventory and assets for your business. This time can then get reinvested into your employees’ workdays.
• Data insights: If you can’t use your data to find solutions to your organization's challenges, then you’re missing out on opportunities to improve your company’s operations. There are analytics and business intelligence platforms your organization can implement to solve problems you might not have been able to solve in the past. Simply put, you can make better, smarter decisions to problems that you would normally have difficulty solving.

Horne & Benik understands the pain points of small businesses trying to implement new and innovative technology solutions. If your company is trying to improve operations for the better through the use of such tools, we can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 499-4400.