5 Strategies for Identifying Inefficiencies in Your Business

Posted on September 9, 2020 (September 19, 2024)

Executives, managers, and business owners alike all endeavor to cultivate workplaces that are streamlined, efficient, and productive. They’d like engaged, content workers and satisfied customers, happy to do repeat business with the company month after month. And yet, every organization has some areas of inefficiency. Identifying business inefficiency can be a complex and grueling undertaking. Getting there can be a convoluted journey involving paper tracking and hurt feelings among employees. Dire problems arise when several areas of minimal inefficiency conspire to create larger areas of poor performance, or when there are isolated areas in which deep inefficiency exists. Unfortunately, these latter dark spots can take down entire departments. Business inefficiency can lead to: stressed, frustrated staff compliance issues lost or misplaced documentation missed deadlines Although the economic losses may be imperceptible to most in the organization, they eventually lead to decreased growth and greater costs. The Pareto Principle tells us that 80% of any company’s negative outcomes are due to 20% of its inefficiencies. Experts maintain that inefficient processes cost companies up to 30% of their annual revenue. It stands to reason that once these inefficiencies are identified and remedied, both revenues and productivity will improve. The “Red Flags” of Inefficiency No organization, no matter how tight its management, escapes the inefficiency goblin. What should managers look for in identifying inefficiency? Although some inefficiencies are difficult to identify, common themes come to light with examination. These areas demand a manager’s or executive’s most intense focus. Manual processes often give rise to wasted time, since some people work more quickly or slowly than others. Unfortunately, work is regularly duplicated and corrupted during manual processes. Lost or difficult-to-find data wastes significant employee time. If employees routinely complain about a lack of organization in the workplace or are forced to wade through piles of paperwork or raw digital data to accomplish everyday tasks, inefficiencies continually sap profits. Meetings often waste employee time. “Meeting ourselves to death” was a term coined by an assistant professor at a major university to describe how meetings impeded the progress of work across her department. Meetings are great for addressing key or critical issues, for sparking creativity, collaborating, and sharing ideas. When meetings become the “go-to” for discussing or addressing every issue that comes to light in the workplace however, it’s the perfect recipe for wasted time. Meetings that are too frequent also lead to boredom and frustration amongst workers who are repeatedly pulled away from their work. Additionally, “stream-of-consciousness” meetings that don’t have an agenda or clear objectives do not result in actionable tasks. Process drift is a common problem in many organizations, particularly in data-driven workplaces. When a company’s processes no longer complement or work within the operational parameters of digital solutions or suites, workers often find themselves in the position of having to devise workarounds for routine tasks on a case-by-case basis. Lack of strategic focus is a deficiency that costs organizations millions of dollars over time. An organization may have excellent managers, supervisors, and workers doing great work, but if there’s no “vision,” individuals may be working at cross-purposes. Objectives and goals just don’t align. Managers, supervisors, and workers who are often too busy (or perhaps attempting to appear so) are a good indicator that a lack of strategic focus is a problem. Lack of organizational analysis plagues many companies, particularly successful ones that have been operating in a given modality over a long period of time. We’ve all heard the axiom “The business that fails to plan, plans to fail.”. Failure to periodically compare performance over time to strategic objectives is a major inefficiency that is overlooked by many organizations. This issue tends to “run in the background,” rather than pinpointed as a glaring example of inefficiency. People vs. processes. When identifying areas of inefficiency, sometimes it’s the people rather than the processes. Some established organizations, departments, and workgroups cultivate a laissez-faire attitude toward processes. By becoming overly dependent on established processes, workers may become unproductive. Such workers tend to get overlooked during workplace changes. After all, managers married to an imperative of finding a new normal may become less attentive to performance. Taking Care of Business Identifying every source of inefficient practices can be a bottomless time suck, but here are some proven methods you can use to find the most serious offenders in your organization: Evaluate current processes – This one can be complex for hands-on managers, but it’s definitely worth it. Take some time to observe current processes and ask questions of team members. This not only helps to reveal inefficiencies but improves morale because workers gain buy-in to the process. It also affords workers the opportunity to point out deficiencies they may have noticed but don’t feel called upon to disclose. It may seem like a no-brainer that processes should never be more complex than warranted, but analysis may divulge unnecessary complexities. Process evaluations that result in useful streamlining help eliminate process drift. Solutions often include scheduling and resource management tools, productivity suites, or stand-alone productivity solutions. Tighten up those meetings – As indicated above, meetings should always have an agenda, even for brainstorming sessions. Attendees should only include those who are involved in a particular project, rather than being open to nonessential personnel. Finally, there should be a clear statement of objectives and actions for every meeting, regardless of how short the meeting may be, or how inconsequential it may appear in the greater scope of things. Engage digital solutions – With the proliferation of data-driven organizations, it is now possible to make mundane tasks more efficient very quickly. Business Process Automation (BPA) is software designed to simplify complex tasks, which saves companies time and money and improves productivity. Productivity solutions and suites can centralize data, eliminating the “lost data” phenomenon, frustration, and wasted time. Set goals for improvement – If your organization has solid workers who follow directions, the process of improving efficiency can become like any other project that needs to be addressed, rather […]

How Can You Encourage a Work-Life Balance for Your Remote Employees?

Posted on August 25, 2020

Changes in the workplace and the development of technologies like remote communications platforms and project management applications have facilitated the rise of virtual companies that don’t require brick-and-mortar facilities. Recently, Twitter, SquareSpace, and several others have transitioned to a permanent remote work model. It wasn’t just the COVID-19 pandemic that led to this shift, however, but it did accelerate it. Concern over employees’ work-life balance created a greater number of remote workers in organizations that once exclusively depended on the traditional office workplace. Remote workers schedule their working and non-working hours strategically throughout the day. This flexibility allows them to attend children, appointments, tasks, and even recreational activities that would be disruptive if they had to address them in a traditional workplace. Remote work flexibility, however, can come with increased responsibility . . . and more pressure. In most cases, remote workers are required to become self-starters, a skill set with which they have little experience. Even the best entrepreneurs and freelancers can admit to being their own worst employee. The internal discipline of remote work can be a difficult part of the remote work learning curve. Then, too, some remote workers can swing the other way, failing to take the lunches and breaks required to avoid burnout. And, many work well into the evening because the office is always there at home. An Unexpected Development With the advent of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, lockdowns and quarantines took much of the choice out of the hands of organizations and workers. To keep their businesses running, they had to work from home. Companies discovered that the only way they’d survive was to allow employees to work remotely. Companies resistant to the remote work paradigm feared it might provide workers too much autonomy, and they were surprised when it worked well. It is undeniable that coronavirus has changed the way we work, and that it has placed substantial stresses on everyone, in and out of the workplace. In addition to concerns over avoiding infection, the potential for infecting others, and the pressure to stay on top of government mandates, the new remote worker is faced with radically changing the way they work. History and Remote Workers Workplaces changed in a number of significant ways from the 1970s on. With more single-parent families and professional women with children entering the workplace, many companies began to make provisions for less traditional lifestyles. Some began to work remotely. Increasing globalization, too, required certain workers to be available for conference calls (and later, video conferencing) with colleagues at varying time zones. Remote work made the most sense for those taking calls at 4:00 a.m. or 11:00 p.m. Another thing that came out of that period was an increasing acknowledgment by scientists and the medical community of the subtle interplay of mind-body dynamics, and the effects of stress on health. People became familiar with terms like “workaholic” and “karoshi,” the Japanese term for “death from overwork,” which is actually a significant problem in Japan. As a result, employers and primary care physicians alike began to concern themselves with the work-related stresses employees face, and the imperative for maintaining a work-life balance. Workers can’t produce when they are sick or have a reduced capacity when they are tired or stressed. 6 Guidelines for Remote Work So, just how does the remote worker go about maintaining work-life balance—or, more importantly, how does the employer go about encouraging workers to do so? With increased autonomy, it’s not as easy as implementing a new workplace dress code or time-off policy—so just what can the conscientious employer do to help their workers help themselves in this area? Here are six guidelines for remote work that can provide a road map for workers and employers who may be new to the remote work protocol: 1. Craft a Policy In the wake of the pandemic, many organizations found themselves having to quickly formulate policies and procedures for remote workers. These policies protect both employees and the company. For employees who tend to overlook issues of work-life balance, including clear break time mandates, employers must give them permission to take critical relaxation time. Scientists insist these breaks keep workers functioning. Break time mandates also instill the idea that the organization is concerned with their well-being, and is dedicated to employee psychological, emotional, and physical health. 2. Create a Schedule As many remote workers, freelancers and self-employed persons have learned, scheduling work activities as they would if they were traditionally employed is critical. The new remote worker often takes a while to figure this out, which leads to undue stress and frustration during the adjustment to remote work. Including scheduling protocol or expectations in your remote working policy will help employees hit the ground running. It provides a solid foundation for structuring their time in a new paradigm. It also delivers the message that their well-being makes them a valued employee. Digital solutions, including online calendars, help to keep managers and teams apprised of workers’ schedules, vacations, and other pertinent information. 3. Organize that Workspace! This may seem self-evident, but let’s be mindful that remote workers do not have the same sense of urgency about keeping an orderly workplace that they might have in a traditional setting. There are many office workers whose cubicles are immaculate no matter how heavy their workload is, yet their living rooms are haphazard. Let workers know that it’s OK to set aside some of their scheduled time for housekeeping, or office keeping. After all, good organization contributes to better efficiency. Encouraging workers to go as paperless as possible—as many traditional workplaces are increasingly doing—also helps to increase efficiency and reduce distractions. 4. Planning and Preparation This section might also be called “Getting ready for work.” While the culture of remote work lends itself to rolling out of bed and shuffling directly to the home workstation (and some do just that), many have found benefits in retaining a pre-work routine that is nearly identical to the one used when they were working […]

What is a Project Management Communication Plan?

Posted on June 19, 2020

In these strange times, companies around the world are learning how to balance their workforce and workflow either remotely or with social distancing measures in place. Many of our clients are approaching us to identify tools or techniques that can increase their company’s efficiency and effectiveness. This is why it’s more important than ever to have a project communication plan to keep everything on track. An Introduction to Project Management While no project is identical, we have identified tried-and-tested practices that ensure much greater project success. Let’s consider the definition of project management: Planning and executing a project to achieve specific goals over a certain period of time There are many roadblocks that project managers face, such as poor communication, over-planning, tight timelines, and inadequate monitoring, to name a few. Not to mention the new hurdles of managing a remote workforce for the first time due to COVID-19. We always keep clients up to date on project management trends to ensure that they’re 100% optimized for success. Can you guess the #1 technique that we recommend for more reliable project management? A Project Communication Plan for Effective Management Successful plans should have a project communication plan that is rooted in project management best practices. These steps help create clear-cut guidelines for how information should be shared, who is responsible for what, and who needs to be privy to each type of communication over the project. A good project management communication plan will determine how critical information is delivered to stakeholders throughout the project timeline. This helps with crucial details, including who receives the information, how people receive it, when they get it, and how often they get it. We’ve all had to deal with communication breakdown at some point during a project (or during regular business communication for that matter). If you have already forecasted every task, deliverable, and scope for a project, it makes perfect sense to do the same for communication. Famed composer John Powell noted that “Communication works for those who work at it.” We all know he has a point. Let’s quantify how: Creating a project management communication plan will ensure that the entire team has access to the rules as a reference point. First, create a physical or virtual document with the project management communication plan. Then, make sure to send it to the entire team to have it on hand for reference. Ensure that expectations and procedures are set. You will rest easier at night knowing that everyone is versed on your project framework for communication. It should be easy for everyone to identify how issues, queries, or updates are shared. Once everything has been systemized, your team will be more productive and focused. Enjoy more effective, direct, and precise communication. How to Create a Project Management Communication Plan Okay, so we understand that project management communication plans are a reliable tactic to stay on track. Now, here are three steps for creating one. List the types of communication needed for the project and who will be involved. It’s also useful to identify what type of communication is a no-go. Rid yourselves of extra meetings, emails, and nonsense that may slow down the project. Establish communication guidelines to set the timing and pace of communication throughout the project. These guidelines help set expectations for updates, schedules, meetings, and reports. Determine the stakeholders and owners of each communication funnel. This creates accountability to help everyone understand their role and the preferred way to communicate over the project timeline. Finally, the ultimate step is to pick a format or platform for the project communication plan. Sometimes project managers merely use a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet. Others use a timeline, flowchart, or a dashboard with extended reporting capabilities. There are many examples of a project communication plan. Below is a high-level Excel spreadsheet that could serve as an initial outline for a team to measure their process. Taking the time to plan your project communication protocols allows for a clear and effective project that benefits from full team synergy. Your team can benefit from tools such as project dashboards to streamline your process and create efficiencies. Do you need a project management communication plan? Or perhaps you need a communication plan and a range of software tools that make your projects easy and efficient. Trinity can help you take advantage of these tools and make it simple to adapt to new processes. No matter your industry, our customizable software solutions can adapt to any industry. If your project management could use a vital boost, we’re here to help. […]

4 Ways to Show Your Employees That You Care

Posted on June 5, 2020

Many employers wonder: why is employee recognition important? Today we are looking at the best ways to show employees how much your firm appreciates them. Employee recognition leads to stronger brand loyalty, higher work performance, and lower turnover. What makes people enjoy working at a company? Employees need: A sense of purpose that aligns with the company’s mission, values, and ethos A pleasant work environment and fun perks Fair compensation If your company manages to obtain all these things: you are winning. You are both increasing employee retention and making recruitment a breeze. Word gets out quickly when people know that you are an excellent company to work for. But this ignites an age-old debate: what is the best way to motivate employees and show them that you care? Whether your team is working in the office or remotely, agile leaders should consider new strategies to support your workforce. 4 Ways to Show Your Employees That You Care Here are five ideas about how to effectively reward your workforce: Positive Feedback Okay – this is obvious, right? But it’s an important start and one that many managers often overlook. People enjoy getting positive feedback and are often motivated by the approval of others. Whether we want to admit it or not, human beings are motivated by feedback from their peers and increased social status. Positive feedback could be as simple as winning an ’employee of the month’ style contest that managers highlight in weekly emails or Zoom calls. A Reward System As nice as praise and positivity can be, it’s not enough for employees to feel completely appreciated. Money, perks, and rewards all speak volumes. Often, employees are much more partial to these rewards rather than praise. Employee recognition programs that have physical perks make a huge difference in building employee satisfaction. These rewards could be cash bonuses, gift cards, raffles, or other physical perks on top of this. Experiences Not all employees are into physical perks. Many people love having real-life experiences that go beyond simple cash bonuses. This could include extra paid time off (PTO) or team events. Experiential praise could be anything from fun experiences such as boating, outdoor activities, or sports games to a team happy hour! Ask your employees what kinds of experiences they prefer. Perhaps your work environment doesn’t look the same as it used to. In this post-COVID-19 world, entire companies have decided to move their operations to being either entirely virtual or semi-distributed. Our goal should be to increase employee satisfaction while we optimize productivity for the company. Consider perks that reward performance while still maintaining social distancing. While 2020 might not be the best time to take the team to an all-inclusive spa, you could combine positive feedback with perks such as cash, Amazon gift cards, or whatever else your employees would enjoy. Virtual Rewards Given that you are probably facing a ‘business life’ that is in-and-out of quarantine, you need ways to celebrate employees while working remotely. Remotely managing your workforce is challenging, particularly while your team is getting used to it, so here are some tips on how to celebrate their achievements even if you aren’t in the office: Giving them their choice of a subscription service. This could be anything from a meal delivery service to a prescription service to cover their healthcare needs. These are perks that can actively increase the quality of a person’s life. Give them their choice of a reward using an online platform such as Netflix, Amazon, or Adobe. Let people choose their gift instead of forcing generic rewards on people. Employees feel appreciated when they can pick their destiny. Whether you’re working in the office or remotely, it’s more important than ever to celebrate your employees and their achievements. Organize something small, like a video call on their birthday, or something large scale, like a team outing. But remember to always show your appreciation to foster a healthy workplace. Do you have questions about your organization’s operations during this unprecedented time? We’re here to help! […]

5 Tips for Handling a Changing Workplace

Posted on May 22, 2020

Times are changing and the business world is scrambling to keep up. These are strange times indeed and managers need to react quickly to keep their teams working efficiently. Let’s be honest: as enjoyable as it is to work from home in your pajamas, it can often be difficult to remotely manage a workforce and stay productive. Some organizations will thrive in this environment. In fact, companies such as Twitter and Square have officially told employees that they can permanently work from home. As a result, the goal of this article is to help you survive and thrive with changing team dynamics in this brave new world that we are facing. Let’s look at 5 ways that your company can move forward in today’s changing workplace. 1. Embrace the Cloud 2020 has become an ideal year to make the switch towards digitizing your entire workflow. This includes apps, storage, communications, and operations. While it is true that a migration can be difficult at first, it is also equally true that the efficiency gained can be massively rewarding. Using platforms such as Quickbase, it is possible to design customized software applications to centralize, streamline, and future-proof your business operations. In the case of cloud-based technology, you can keep your entire business operation connected and lower your company’s IT costs. On top of money saved, using a cloud workspace gives access to scalability, consistent backups, encryption, and emergency backups. Luckily, adopting a cloud workspace is straightforward and usually involves minimal training time for workers. This is all great. But truly, the beauty of having a cloud-based system means that you finally have access to total flexibility for your workforce. Everyone can access the same servers from across the world and manage virtually any business function, giving your company full control over your future. 2. It’s Time to Go Paperless Going paperless is like migrating over to the cloud. At Trinity, we help our clients utilize web-based form technology to gather and exchange information or use document assembly software to create customized documents. Having a paperless company enables your workforce to get things done. Fast. Digital collaboration and paperwork are made easy without having to store tons of documents in a physical office space. Plus, your accounting team will be grateful to have everything digitally available: sending and receiving invoices, payments, and common accounting functions can all be done on the cloud. 3. Customized Software for Scalability Customized business process solutions are our specialty. We love helping clients tackle customized software that makes scaling easy. Off-the-shelf software platforms typically have a limited capacity for scaling and customization. It’s important to consider your long-term goals. Picture this: your team is adjusting to remote working. You want to encourage business growth and are not happy with your off-the-shelf software. At Trinity, we have helped companies across the world meet these challenges. Think of this pandemic as an opportunity to mobilize and take a proactive approach. As a Quickbase Solution Provider, we specialize in application development that is ideal for scaling. We can help your organization roll out software over a rapid timeline. 4. Prioritize Cybersecurity You’ve probably heard about the insane amount of ransomware and cyberattacks attacks that have affected everyone from Apple to police departments across the United States. Cyberattacks usually are focused on accessing, changing, or destroying business information. As a result, we need to be vigilant concerning cybersecurity and only use encrypted technology to prevent or mitigate cyberattack risk. We can happily state that Quickbase obtained an A rating from SecurityScorecard, which is an independent security rating service that rates digital companies based on the strength and comprehensiveness of their platform security. Cybersecurity and encryption are huge. If you’re going to have your entire corporate operation based on the cloud or utilize digital web-based applications in any capacity, thoroughly examine the platform you work with. 5. Embrace New Communication Methods There are lots of applications that when utilized together can make your working life 100% easier. It’s funny how a simple combination of tools can vastly enhance the quality of output and efficiency of a company. The first step is to find a single platform that allows your team to pick and choose which apps they use. In our case, we have multiple Quickbase integrated apps that are designed to streamline your work life. These include: Online Scheduling: If your company wants an efficiency upgrade, check out an online calendar and scheduling tool. We recommend TrinityCalendar. The application is fully integrated with Quickbase and has streamlined scheduling and resource management features. Digital Signatures: TrinitySignature is a Quickbase digital signature solution. Your team can use digital signatures to make signing forms and outputs fast and easy. Plus, you can utilize the tool inside the web version of Quickbase or Trinity can design a custom mobile app that integrates with Quickbase. Virtual Meetings: We’re all probably familiar with virtual platforms to handle meetings remotely during this pandemic. We recommend examining the security credentials of your video conferencing platform. If your organization wants a guiding hand to help determine next steps during this changing time, we can help. Developing customized software is our forté. If you can define it – we can build it. Get in touch with Trinity and we can explore the options. […]

Why We Focus on Quickbase Application Solutions

Posted on May 8, 2020

More and more firms are adopting Quickbase as their business process solution, but is the platform actually worth all the hype? At Trinity, we are massive proponents of Quickbase because we use the software as our primary tool for developing custom software applications for our clients. Let’s examine why Quickbase is the strongest tool for customized software applications and why the platform might be a good fit for your team. The Quickbase Basics Quickbase is a low code business solution, application development, and online database platform. It is designed to increase the flexibility, communication, and efficiency of your business operation. Along with being customizable, it is easily scalable and perfect for businesses of any size or industry. Trinity has designed a range of applications to assist our clients in running their businesses more efficiently. We have developed Quickbase solutions with brands across the map, including Southwest Airlines, American Gold Star Mothers, Defenshield, Walmart, and hundreds of other companies. Check out our in-depth case studies here. Quickbase is customized to meet specific needs and is perfect for automating workflows to increase company collaboration. It’s also perfect for integrating applications and consolidating your data in one secure, encrypted place. That’s why we are a premier Quickbase Solution Provider. What Can Quickbase Do? There are many fascinating functions that Quickbase can create for your business. Here are just a few examples of how applications that we have designed for our clients have added tremendous value to our clients’ organizations: Centrally Managed Data and Assets Automating Time-Consuming Manual Processes Creating Seamless Collaboration Tools Improved Reporting Accuracy and Efficiency Connecting and Integrating Separated / Legacy Systems Automated Reminder Tools Reduced Time to Delivery Tools Increased Platform Security Centralized Company-wide Information Off-the-Shelf vs. Custom Software You might be thinking whether Quickbase customized software is worth the time and expense to get up and rolling. Although there is an upfront cost and a learning curve when adapting customized software, many of our customers find that it is an investment that immensely pays off over time. It is true that off-the-shelf software is easy to adapt and ready to be deployed. But, it will never be as customizable as an in-house solution and it will be less customized to your specific requirements. We often find that customized business solutions are worth the extra effort to get rolling. Your team has access to a more streamlined and customized platform that is perfect for scaling as your operation grows. Here is a universal tip: developing software in-house is a solid option if you require extensive customization. There will be a strong ROI and scalability that would never be possible with OTS / COTS software. That is where Quickbase can come in as a low-code business solution. At Trinity, we give recommendations based on the software needs and situations of our clients. If they are better suited to an OTS solution, we are always upfront and tell them as such. There isn’t any benefit for us to design software solutions that don’t have utility for our clients! Quickbase API Integration API (Applications Programming Interface) refers to the method that enables cloud-based programs, applications, and systems to connect with each other. In the Quickbase world, APIs allow companies to integrate Quickbase applications with other software solutions. There are hundreds of applications that can integrate with Quickbase including accounting, CRM, document storage, case management, project management, legacy systems, and many more. We help companies develop custom applications on the Quickbase platform and use API integration to connect to the existing programs your business is already using. Our customers use Quickbase APIs to: Enable Multisite Integration: Companies that operate multiple sites or data centers can easily deliver the information required by business teams, insurers, auditors, finance, and executives for simplified reporting. Increase Operational Efficiency: Streamline core processes effectively and create a more responsive, efficient business operation. This enables lower operating and maintenance costs on top of this. Centralized Location: Your company can save time by having a centralized location for information storage. Plus, it’s handy to quickly access and make use of data and information. Quickbase Integration Made Easy Most companies these days have custom software applications. Many businesses design them to enable more effective integration with existing systems. As we have seen, API integration is popular and is used almost every day! Examples like Dropbox utilize integrations for their file management software. There are many long-term cost benefits of using Quickbase applications. There is an ease of scalability, greater effectiveness from automation, straightforward system integration, and solid customization. Our slogan is that “If you can define it, we can build it”. Trinity is at your service when it comes to designing and mobilizing web-based (and mobile-based) software. […]

5 Ways the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Changed the Way People Work

Posted on April 24, 2020 (September 19, 2024)

We’re living in unprecedented times. In a few short months, the world has been altered forever, and every person on the planet is being forced to adapt. Now, the economy is facing a rough ride and businesses must adjust their operation strategy or become another casualty of the pandemic. Are you going to let this pandemic sink your business? Or will your organization choose to adapt, and keep afloat through these challenging economic times? The purpose of this article is to observe the five ways that people and organizations are changing their working tactics to weather the recession and survive. With each point, we suggest a tactic to help your business or organization meet the challenge. More Remote Work (Even After the Pandemic) Gartner, Inc. conducted a survey in March 2020 and found that 88% of businesses have either encouraged or required employees to work from home. They also found that 97% of organizations have canceled work-related travel. This will undoubtedly rock many organizations to their core. It’s a challenge to change your entire business operation within such a rapid timeframe. This isn’t a time for worry – in fact, it’s an opportunity to revamp your business operation in an efficient manner. If your organization hasn’t done so already, consider migrating to a cloud workspace. Cloud servers offer easy collaboration for remote workers. Plus, adopting a cloud workspace is easy and has a short training time frame. Your formerly office-based staff can access cloud desktops and run an entire company virtually. Creating customer orders, completing administrative tasks, and updating employee files are just a few of the tasks you can do. Virtually any office task can be achieved remotely, and workers can access the cloud from anywhere with consistent backups, essentially avoiding any risk of physical disasters destroying your data. Cloud workspaces also offer scalability and you only pay for the storage you need. There’s no longer a need for hardware in your office space, which can get outdated quickly. Cloud technology enables you to scale services solely to what your company needs now. There’s a strong chance that many companies will embrace the remote cloud workspace and keep most workers remote. This will save serious money on overhead such as office space and computer hardware. New Communication Methods Effective leadership and a clear timeline will enable your company to make these changes in a measured manner. Your leadership should provide a clear ‘plan of action’ for employees to have full disclosure and comfort with your COVID-19 proof strategy. We recommend only referencing information from verified sources such as the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s important to establish team guidelines to ensure that there are ground rules for your new remote working strategy. Record numbers of employers are introducing intentional ‘peer-to-peer’ interactions such as regular virtual check-ins with managers, and virtual ‘all hands on deck’ meetings on platforms such as Zoom, GoToMeeting or Microsoft Teams. Having ‘core team time’ helps employees stay in the loop and helps stave off feelings of isolation. One key tool is utilizing online scheduling – an exceptionally useful tool for scheduling and resource management. We use TrinityCalendar to easily expand our calendar and scheduling needs while connecting with other Quickbase applications. When all our applications are connected, it makes our organization flow become fast, smooth, and at peak efficiency. Another benefit of using Quickbase applications is the sheer effectiveness. Using features such as digital signatures, you can capture a digital signature and use it on all your forms and outputs. These have a user and time stamp to ensure authenticity while making it easy for HR or other members of your workforce to approve, sign, and authorize documents or reports. Whichever communication platform you choose, ensure that it can integrate with a wide variety of apps and has project management features to manage, track, and administer workflows. Only work with flexible tools as your business grows and changes. More Tech, Less Travel Pre COVID-19 crisis, it was considered normal to have millions of people traveling for business every day. But this pandemic is forcing organizations to reconsider the impact of travel in many ways. Yes, there are environmental drawbacks, and there are also serious health considerations as we’re forced to accept that air travel has quickly spread a disease that has negatively impacted human health and the global economy. Many businesses are realizing that there are far more cost-effective ways of communication. Instead of footing the travel costs (flight, hotel, food, and so on) of employees, why not just invest in the cloud and host video conferencing? Virtual technology is seeing a massive uptick during the Coronavirus crisis. Once this is over, we will see a lasting progression of cloud use, virtual technology, and videoconferencing. This adaption of technology is a good thing. Offices will never fully disappear. Humans are social creatures and there are benefits of having a team in one place for certain business functions. The corporate world is realizing that sending employees across the world is unsustainable in many ways. Post-pandemic, we will see a drop in global business travel as corporations save travel for only the most essential purposes. Everything is Going Online We’ve heard about the retail apocalypse for some time now. Now, it’s being accentuated by a pandemic that is literally closing shops and forcing restaurants and retail businesses to either embrace online shopping or fail. This pandemic is leading to a rapid increase in online, pickup, and delivery options for shopping and food sales. Again, this trend will outlast the pandemic and businesses in these spaces should prepare their business model for long-term growth in online sales and strategy. This increase in home entertainment will continue to affect the cinema industry as the film industry is already adapting by releasing entertainment directly online to streaming platforms. Online businesses are growing and it’s safe to say that every industry will need to adapt to increased consumer […]

5 Tips for Remotely Managing Your Workforce During the COVID-19 Crisis

Posted on April 17, 2020 (September 19, 2024)

Imagine that you found a time machine and went back in time to the beginning of 2020. Imagine telling your co-workers that in a few months the whole company would be working from home, the economy would be on the brink of recession, and the entire world would be battling the biggest pandemic since 1918. They probably would have laughed at you. Very few people aside from experts such as Bill Gates saw this coming. Whether we were prepared for a recession or not, few of us were prepared for the combination of a deadly pandemic and a subsequent economic downturn. And that’s okay. You don’t have to be hard on yourself because of this. What you should do is compose yourself, rally the troops, and adjust your strategy accordingly. Your country, your company, and your family will overcome this pandemic and recession. At Trinity, we’ve had many clients come to us asking for advice on how to remotely manage a workforce – and how to implement it fast. After all, our company is a 100% remote organization! We have experience in these spaces, and we can happily assist your team in rolling out the custom software applications and digital solutions that you need. Many of our products are perfect for constructing a remote company that is fast, straightforward, and streamlined. How to Manage Your Workforce Remotely (Despite a Global Pandemic) Below are five strategies for effectively managing your workforce during the COVID-19 crisis. We use our products as an example – and you aren’t limited to using these. But we can faithfully state that ours are almost certainly the best! Pace the Transition We understand that this is a crucial time for many businesses to stay afloat. It’s swim or sink right? Absolutely, but there should be an adjustment period for employees to come to grips with new remote workplace procedures and systems. Train employees without rushing them and slowly introduce the new applications and processes. If you rush this transition process, it may lead to serious mistakes that nobody can afford to make. It’s a cliché, but slow and steady wins the race. Embrace the Cloud Workspace If your organization hasn’t already, this is an opportune time to digitize your apps, storage, operations, and communications and go paperless. Migrating can be difficult at first, but the efficiency gained will be massively rewarding. Working with the cloud is an opportunity to use software such as Quickbase to centralize and streamline your business operation while using apps that work together to make your workload easier. Enhance Your Scheduling Tools We recommend using a cloud-based solution to enhance your calendar and scheduling capabilities. There are excellent solutions available for online scheduling such as TrinityCalendar, which is fully integrated with Quickbase. It has a multitude of features for flexible scheduling. It’s much more cost-effective to have a reliable scheduling and calendar platform that doesn’t have ongoing costs. Take Advantage of Digital Signatures Using an application such as TrinitySignature enables you to capture a digital signature in Quickbase and mobile applications. Digital signatures are great, especially when your HR department is sick of dealing with physical signatures that need to be printed, filed, and transferred again. Digital signatures/eSignatures are dated with full details. Implement a Time & Attendance System Many of your employees will be completely new to working from home. It’s becoming quickly apparent that solutions for tracking this transition are critical. It’s important to ensure that employees are spending time wisely and don’t lose productivity. Nobody wants the company to get lost in the transition phase of managing an entirely remote workforce. We can help your company track employee hours using a time and attendance system. These are paperless programs on the cloud that help your team manage employee time, attendance, payroll and benefits all in one place. This helps your organization maintain efficiency across the board. Applications Designed to Your Specification Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, our clients have requested methods to quickly and accurately track employee assets, expense management, time tracking, PTO and much more. Fortunately, Trinity has a wide range of experience in these spaces and we are happy to assist your organization in rolling out the necessary solutions you need in an expedited manner. We understand that time is of the essence! We’re a Quickbase Gold Partner and our team are experts in business process improvement and Quickbase application development. Think of this crisis as an opportunity to revamp your systems and processes. By combining our Quickbase solutions and our business process expertise, we develop a customized plan to upgrade your business. By automating processes, you will see improved efficiency and quality of output. In addition to process improvement strategies, as a Quickbase Solution Provider, we specialize in application development. Web-based or mobile-based, we utilize the Quickbase platform to curate the perfect business technology solution for your organization. Our unofficial slogan is that ‘if you can define it, we can build it’. At Trinity, we try to make implementation of new systems smooth and easy. We integrate your current systems with Quickbase and sync all your external data. On top of this, we walk your team through the process. We want to eliminate the chances of any issues during the transition phase occurring. Let’s optimize your operations. […]

Trinity Is Thrilled to Be Named A Quickbase Elite Partner for the 3rd Year in a Row

Posted on April 9, 2020

For the third year in a row, Trinity Integrated Solutions is proud to be a Quickbase Elite Partner! This prestigious award is only offered to the top performing Quickbase Partners. Once again, Trinity continues to be committed to providing only the highest quality solutions for their customers. FRISCO, Texas (PRWEB) March 30, 2020 – For the third year in a row, Trinity Integrated Solutions has been awarded the honor of being named a Quickbase Elite Partner. Quickbase is an application development platform designed to address the challenges businesses regularly encounter. The platform requires no code, making development more accessible to all businesses. It is no easy feat to qualify as a Quickbase Solution Provider. An app development business must maintain an excellent customer service rating. For three years, the team at Quickbase has chosen only five of its providers to be named an Elite Partner. This prestigious recognition is awarded to providers with the highest quality reviews, ratings, and expertise while maintaining a Certified Expert Quickbase Builder qualification. An app development business must also have a proven strategic solution delivery methodology. Throughout the past three years, Trinity has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to providing the highest quality solutions for their customers. Over 95% of customers continue to work with Trinity as returning customers. Over the past year, Trinity has formed strategic relationships with Walmart and Southwest Airlines to help provide technology solutions that allow team players to work smarter. Walmart updated its home office maintenance software to offer mobile options that allowed team members to update work orders while in the field. Meanwhile, Trinity helped Southwest Airlines create Quickbase solutions that streamlined many business processes. Southwest was in awe with how quickly and easily Trinity helped increase productivity, service, and quality. These are just two stories of customers who found success while working with Trinity, adding to their stellar rating and helping them obtain this prestigious award. Scott Burday and Charles Guilbert, the Managing Partners at Trinity, had this to say about becoming an Elite Partner with Quickbase for the third year in a row: “Becoming an Elite Partner with Quickbase is an achievement that we attribute to the amazing work that the Trinity team does for our clients every day. We aim to achieve excellence in all phases of a client’s engagement. That shows in the solutions that Trinity delivers, the great response from our clients, and, ultimately, becoming a Quickbase Elite Partner every year since it has been awarded.” Trinity builds amazing cloud solutions focused on business process improvement, tailored to the unique needs of each client. Flexibility and scalability are integral to these solutions since Trinity understands that growing businesses evolve over time. For over 22 years, Trinity has worked with clients to improve their efficiency, increase service levels, and upgrade their quality of output. […]

How to Future-Proof Your Business with Today’s Business Technology

Posted on April 2, 2020

If you’ve been in the business world for over 10 years, take a moment and consider how much technology has drastically altered the workplace and your day-to-day work life. Here’s just a few that I’ve used in the past week or so: Taking an Uber to the next business meeting. Using Zoom instead of flying across the country for a meeting. Moving almost 100% of advertising expenditure towards digital marketing. Using apps that integrate in the cloud to connect virtually all my business operations processes. The list could go on and on, couldn’t it? It’s crazy to reflect on how fast the business and digital worlds are changing. Technology and processes that we’re currently using will probably be obsolete in 5 years or less! Have you heard that old Charles Darwin quote? “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.” This is why many businesses are becoming obsessed with ‘future-proofing’ their businesses so they can stay ahead of the curve, rapidly adapt, and ultimately increase chances of long-term survival. We don’t just want to survive – we want to thrive. So, let’s get into the top ways that you can future proof your business. 7 Steps for Future-Proofing 101 1. Invest in Cybersecurity It’s 2020 and cyberattacks are now part of the digital landscape. From media giants such as Sony, to presidential elections, it’s an issue that is affecting companies across the world. Cyberattacks typically attempt to access, change, or destroy business information in order to extort money from business. Everything from ransomware to identity theft happens every day across the world. Invest in encrypted technology to prevent or at least mitigate the risk of cyberattacks. It’s worth consulting with external contractors to get an expert opinion and advice for cybersecurity. 2. Go Paperless It’s time to get with the 20’s! Going paperless enables your workforce with easy access to everything at their fingertips. Need some examples? Digital collaboration tools make it easier to conduct teamwork, plan, and transfer information faster. Paperless accounting is huge and allows companies to send and receive invoices, payments, and handle general accounting functions easily from the cloud. Another benefit of going paperless is using electronic documentation which can streamline every aspect of a business. Many of our clients use web-based form technology to collect and exchange information, or document assembly software to produce custom documents with a diverse range of sources and formats. 3. Digital Signatures Use digital signatures to create a more efficient day-to-day work process. It’s a nice feeling streamlining your business in a simple way. One example is TrinitySignature – a Quickbase digital signature solution that helps you capture digital signatures to use them on your forms and outputs. Fast and easy. You can use the tool within the web version of Quickbase or on a custom mobile app that’s integrated with Quickbase. 4. Customized Software for Scalability Let’s imagine a hypothetical situation: your business is growing, and your team wants to expand features for your current software. It’s a smart idea to ensure your software is custom built with scalability in mind. Off-the-shelf software solutions generally have a limited capacity for customization. You need to think long game and consider how to future proof. Make a software selection that is scalable enough to account for the current and future requirements of your company. Always consider future expansion compared to your ongoing needs while considering how this affects your budget. 5. Follow the Trends Make sure your marketing department keeps track of customer behavior to anticipate shifts in consumer or business trends. You want to be ahead of the curve. Set up a system to track customer behavior to predict changes in buying patterns. It’s worth fostering a culture of innovation at your company. Keep the departments in the loop with each other so they can communicate and support each other with ideas to improve business operations. Workers enjoy feeling heard and being part of something bigger than themselves. It also helps to have more eyes on the ground that subconsciously track industry trends and customer behavior. 6. Cloud Workspace Cloud-based technology updates automatically and keeps your entire business operation connected. Using cloud servers rids yourself of the burden of managing your IT support or managing hardware in an office space. You get real benefits such as consistent backups and scalability. On-site storage can get costly not only for the storage devices, but for the upkeep. It’s quite convenient and satisfying to only pay for the storage you need. The only downside is that you need an internet connection to access your information – not usually a problem in western countries. Using a cloud workspace also gains access to multi-faceted security such as state of the art firewalls, high levels of encryption, multi-layers of authentication, and backup systems in case of emergencies on top of this. All companies deal with the struggles of implementing new software. Adopting a cloud workspace is generally easy. It typically entails less training time for employees. Office staff can access cloud desktops from across the world. They can handle virtually any business function such as creating customer orders, completing administrative tasks, and updating employee files. 7. Online Scheduling Want to upgrade your calendar and scheduling needs? There are some great solutions available for online scheduling such as TrinityCalendar which is fully integrated with Quickbase. It has a range of features for powerful scheduling and resource management. You’ve probably heard the standard quote about how efficiency is intelligent laziness. That sentiment is true because you’re making your life faster and easier. It’s surprising how many simple tools can improve efficiency, increase service levels, and upgrade the quality of output. If you need assistance generating operational efficiency while future-proofing your business – we should talk. Feel free to send us your information for a no-obligation introduction. It’s a nice opportunity where we measure your […]

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