Is your company currently struggling to organize itself and establish an organized, productive workflow? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
A poor workflow could mean a lot of things:
- Disorganization of tasks and projects
- Employees working on unnecessary, arbitrary tasks
- Miscommunication between team members, managers, and customers
- Lack of productivity and efficiency between teams
Too many businesses struggle with their business operations in one of these many ways. Employees might spend too much time on projects, have a lack of clear communication among one another, or not have the right tools to accomplish their tasks. Whatever the case may be, it’s vital to your company’s success that you establish a workflow that works for the whole team and increases their productivity.
If your business is experiencing any of these issues, keep reading to find out how to improve its workflow.
1. Analyze the current workflow
It’s important to assess where the company as a whole is in its productivity and work ethic before diving into how to improve. Diagnosing problem areas is essential to create a strategy that moves your business forward and makes it easier for your team to get work done.
Knowing how work processes occur in each department of your business is crucial to improving its workflow. Taking a step back to see the full picture helps gauge existing problems and working with each group makes it clear what issues exist.
Talk to your employees and collect as much feedback from them as you can. Ask them what hinders them from being productive, what repetitive issues they face, and what suggestions they have for better results.
2. Use the right tools
Is it easy for the developers on your team to code for your website and client projects? Does your sales team have software they need to monitor and improve product sales? Do you use WordPress hosting so it’s easy to customize and update your website?
There are so many elements to consider when you run a business that it can feel overwhelming to get everything right. Fortunately, there are tools and software out there that exist to make your life easier and improve your company workflow.
The basic tools you need for business operations to run smoothly include:
- Website builder – If you have yet to create an optimized website, choose the best website builder for your company that’s easy to set up.
- Communication – Both remote and nonremote teams need a way to communicate with each other that’s quick and simple.
- Project management – Keeping track of projects in different departments is essential to make sure everyone is on track and is moving your business closer to success.
- Marketing automation – If there are routine tasks that a machine could complete, use automation to save your company time, money, and resources. Doing so could increase your team’s productivity by up to 1.4 percent annually.
- Bookkeeping – You must have an accounting system in place to keep track of pay stubs, finances, and other accounting matters.
- Customer support – Making sure your customers are happy is imperative to your brand’s success. Having the right tools to accommodate them, such as live chat software, is key.
- Website performance – How do you know how your website is performing with visitors unless you track it? Be sure to monitor your site’s analytics using a Google Analytics plugin. That way, you can measure your company’s success through data and KPIs.
3. Talk to your team
Perhaps the most crucial step in improving company workflow is having an open conversation with employees and collecting feedback. After all, they’re the ones knuckles deep in their individual operations, and it helps to gain perspective from people in all departments.
Ask your team what works for them and what doesn’t. What helps their productivity and hinders it? What could the company do to improve its operations? What’s standing in each employee’s way when it comes to efficiency?
Instead of an in-person meeting, you can also send a survey to your team. If they’re uncomfortable revealing their identity, give them the option to remain anonymous so you don’t miss out on crucial feedback. Leave a box for suggestions at the front desk where employees can submit their thoughts on how to create a better workflow.
Over to you
The first step to fixing a messy workflow is to acknowledge the problem exists in the first place. Analyzing the current issues the company is facing, providing the necessary tools, and having open communication with employees is essential for your business to succeed. How will you improve your company’s workflow?