Want to Increase Your Productivity? Don’t Miss These 10 Business Podcasts

Posted on December 2, 2020 (September 19, 2024) by smartboost

If you’re looking for creative ways to improve workflow and productivity at your business, or on a more personal level as a business leader, consider looking to outside sources to give you some fresh ideas. Business podcasts have become notable tools for learning. The only problem is the number of options out there, with thousands of podcasts on the scene promising everything under the sun. The Best Business Podcasts Some business podcasts are certainly better than others. Luckily for you, we’ve put together a list of 10 business podcasts you won’t want to miss if your goal is to increase productivity. We know you’re all about maximizing efficiency, after all. The Tim Ferriss Show It wouldn’t be a list of best business podcasts without mentioning The Tim Ferriss Show, typically ranked at the top of most-listened-to offerings in the genre of business podcasts across platforms and a favorite resource among industry leaders. Host Tim Ferriss talks to successful business owners, entrepreneurs, and frequent celebrity guests about routines in both their personal and work lives that have led to a high level of productivity and success. Rise and Grind Host and high-profile entrepreneur Daymond John came to the world of podcasts on the heels of a prominent role on ABC’s Shark Tank and a book by the same name. With guest interviews on topics around increasing productivity and why it’s important to identify goals for our business and opportunities for success, Rise and Grind is one of the best podcasts for business owners out there, particularly those who have found themselves in a bit of a business rut. HBR IdeaCast Those looking for podcasts that are all business will enjoy HBR IdeaCast from the Harvard Business Review. Weekly installments explore productivity and business management strategies employed by successful companies around the world. Guests have included an impressive list of CEOs and political figures offering insights in a just-the-facts manner for listeners looking for actionable strategies. Masters of Scale Entrepreneurs looking to grow a startup business will want to listen to Masters of Scale. Hosted by Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, the podcast examines strategies other startups have used to not only increase revenue but create successful brands. Topics dive into all aspects of business management, from pivoting business plans in order to adapt to changing markets, a sign of business agility, to surviving times of uncertainty. Getting Things Done Popular with listeners looking to boost productivity on a personal level and at the workplace, Getting Things Done uses common barriers to efficiency to offer solutions to, put simply, get things done. Solutions offered by host David Allen, author of the book by the same name, are particularly useful after identifying inefficiencies that get in the way of a higher level of productivity in the workplace. Entrepreneurs on Fire Often listed as one of the best podcasts for business owners, Entrepreneurs on Fire is here to inspire you to come up with actionable steps to meet those business goals. Host John Lee Dumas uses interviews with successful entrepreneurs to gather insights into what it takes to be successful in the world of business today. Tips have included ways to boost your own productivity as a business leader, the importance of individualized goal-setting, and why a good team is invaluable. Back to Work If you’re looking for a business podcast that’s a bit less dry, you should try the Back to Work podcast. On top of in-depth discussions around productivity, choosing the right tools to improve efficiency in workplaces, and what’s on the horizon in the world of business software, humorous asides keep listeners interested in what hosts Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin will come up with next. The Productivityist Podcast Using interviews with business leaders and his own insights, host Mike Vardy offers up weekly tips around improving efficiency and productivity on The Productivityist Podcast. Topics include why it’s important to delegate responsibilities rather than micromanage, the power of business process improvement, and improving communication as a way to increase effectiveness. The Action Catalyst The Action Catalyst, a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, is focused on making the most of your time to reach your business goals. Episodes often include interviews with industry leaders, and topics have included overcoming obstacles to efficiency, starting small to reach your ultimate business goals and habits of successful business leaders. The podcast’s title fits its aim to act as a catalyst for you to attack any obstacles to your goals head-on. Workforce Health Engagement If you’re looking for ways to boost employee engagement, productivity, and company-wide morale, consider the Workforce Health Engagement podcast. Host Jesse Lahey talks to industry experts on topics that have included avoiding workplace burnout, boosting employee motivation, and protecting employees’ health as a way to build an environment of showing employees you care about more than their output. Channel the Inspiration from Your Favorite Business Podcast Now that you have some fresh ideas to increase productivity at your business, or at least avenues for learning how to do so, consider tackling those action items with some support from Trinity. From software solutions to increase productivity to improved business processes, we have the skills and tools you need to craft a customized approach. […]

The Cost of Doing Nothing

Posted on November 6, 2020 by smartboost

Introduction Quickbase provides a fantastic platform to build any business on, and the breadth of the applications that can be built is unlimited. At Trinity, we always say, “If you can define it, Trinity can build it.” However, there is a cost to do so, and one of the reasons that many companies do not proceed with a project is the cost. Understandably, the cost of the application development plus the cost of the Quickbase platform must be considered. But potentially more important questions should be asked. What is the cost of… – Doing nothing? – Continuing with manual-based processes? – Putting up with solutions that are not meeting the needs of your business? – Using bloated apps that you use only a portion of that meets only part of your needs and the rest is in the way? – Using apps that are incorrectly designed for your workflows? Doing Nothing Many areas of a business get affected by doing nothing. Let’s look at a few of them. – Productivity. This is one of the primary reasons that clients come to Trinity – to help them improve what they do so they can be more efficient and optimize their resources. Productivity is the cornerstone of business process improvement and has enabled many of our clients to significantly expand their businesses while keeping costs in check. Without the correct supporting processes and applications in place, operational costs can grow exponentially to handle poor processes or a lack of systems. – Service. With the pace of business continuously accelerating, providing top-notch service to your clients is a must. But, if you do not have the systems in place to track projects, task assignments, key performance indicators, and service levels, then your team reverts to the best way they know how to do so. Many times, these are spreadsheets that management has no visibility to or the use of poorly designed apps that leads to inconsistency between your team members and their delivery in service and product. – Quality. The expectation of the marketplace today is that goods and services will be delivered to an extremely high level of quality. Companies that do not have adequate systems in place to measure the quality of the output, whether services or products have no way to hold their employees accountable and provide metrics to their clients. – People. Your team knows what needs to change and how it needs to be changed. Whether it is processes or solutions, they know. And when you do nothing to make those changes, to advance the business, to invest in the future, they see that as well. Sometimes this causes unnecessary frustrations, or the team will figure out unnecessary workarounds to meet commitments, track projects, keep the boss happy, and so on. These underlying costs continue to add up without any understanding of why your costs are going up, why commitments are not being met, and why your team is frustrated. Real-Life Scenarios A home health care business was drowning in paperwork and outdated processes but wanted to double and even triple their business. They knew the time and financial commitment was significant but had confidence in how Trinity could lead the project. Working together, we completely revamped all business processes, developed a solution to support the new workflows, and then rolled it out to all employees. Overnight the business was transformed and handled a large influx of new business with a much higher employee utilization and no new support staff. Within months, their margins and profits were higher than they ever imagined. A construction company was buried under spreadsheets and a lack of consistent processes for tracking projects, tasks, time, and materials. Everyone had their own way of doing things and became comfortable with it, but no one had any visibility to what was going on. With the various components of what they imagined (workstation, mobile, integrations with some legacy solutions that would need to stay in place), the cost was going to be significant for a full solution. Stepping out of their comfort zone (aka cost) to achieve their vision, they did a complete revamp of their processes considering best practices across their organization. Teams were energized to participate and transform the business. It has paid off in improved customer engagement and service, a fully mobile workforce enabling visibility and data into every aspect of the business. How about an example that involves Trinity? After the COVID pandemic struck, we made the decision to move forward with a new digital marketing strategy. The cost was significant, and it was not an easy decision. We knew it would take time to build up our web presence and that any payoff would come down the road. Halfway into the new strategy, our digital agency recommended that we double our ad spending amount. In the middle of a pandemic? Yes. If we wanted to really find clients that could benefit from our expertise, yes. Tough decision, yes. Outcome – it has exceeded our expectations and we believe that we’ll even do better as time progresses. Investing in the foundation of your business does take some faith. Basing it on a future vision and not just dollars can pay off if it is done correctly with the proper diligence and leadership. Trinity works with many clients to help them achieve productivity, service, and quality improvements. Trinity has been a Quickbase Solution Provider (QSP) for 16+ years and has extensive expertise in developing and enhancing Quickbase applications. We understand what it takes to build great Quickbase applications to meet your exact business needs. For more information about Trinity and a demonstration of our capabilities, contact Scott Burday at sburday@trinityis.com or 214-937-4534. […]

6 Tips for Improving Company Workflow Efficiency

Posted on November 4, 2020 (September 19, 2024) by smartboost

Remote work is likely here to stay for the foreseeable future. That means companies must find ways to keep employees motivated and efficient, even when they’re unable to come into the office. While some studies show that remote workers are even more productive than their in-office counterparts, there are still a number of ways to make the work environment an efficient, more productive place to be. How to Improve Workflow Efficiency: 6 Strategies Let’s take a look at strategies to improve workflow efficiency, whether that’s at the office or for the remote worker at home. 1. Identify Priorities Anyone can get bogged down in the details when bigger picture projects aren’t identified or prioritized. Every company should then have both short-term and long-term goal-planning in mind. Priorities set from there should keep a few things in mind: What should employees be working on in this moment in order to meet those short- and long-term goals? Do employees need some support around breaking down tasks in order to achieve those goals more efficiently? Is there company-wide access to tools that would make it more likely for employees to meet those goals in an efficient way? 2. Analyze What’s Working and What Isn’t You likely know your employees pretty well, but maybe you don’t know where workflow efficiency could be improved. How are the various roles at the company working together to efficiently handle tasks? Are your company’s tools and processes promoting workflow efficiency, or could improvements be made to boost productivity? Where is the most time being wasted? Solving productivity issues may mean reaching out to your employees to determine what’s working and what isn’t, even if you need to gather that data anonymously. If your company is drowning in paper, for example, perhaps it’s time to consider going paperless. It’s a strategy that isn’t just great for the environment, but proven to improve efficiency in the workplace, too. Just consider how much time employees spend on administrative tasks that involve paper. That could be time better spent elsewhere, like focusing on those identified long-term goals. 3. Create Efficient Processes Sometimes, your employees’ workflow efficiency is only as good as the processes in place to optimize productivity and workflow. You may not even realize that there are things in the way of employees’ being at their most productive that are beyond their control. If your employees are stymied by data reporting, you may need to investigate systems that will simplify those processes for your employees. Our solution for our Quickbase users is Trinity Dashboards, an application that allows you and your employees to adjust data filtering and reporting based on what you need at that moment. Identify what your company needs to become more efficient, and find the tools to meet those needs. 4. Train Employees in Those New Processes Investments you’ve made to improve business workflow at your company are only good if your employees know how to use them. Training employees in new processes is the first step in better productivity. Perhaps you could even identify employee leaders to become trained in these new practices. These captains would then bring that knowledge back to the rest of the employee base as necessary. Either way, it’s important your workforce knows how to use the tools they’re given, to maximize the benefits of those tools. 5. Establish Methods for Easy Communication Whether employees are meeting on virtual conference calls or back to in-person meetings, it’s important to identify ways for employees to communicate with ease. Finding the time to meet, though, even virtually, can be one tricky area. Trinity’s Quickbase Calendar is a way to make that process less of a hassle and more of a support system for your company, as this scheduling solution takes the guesswork out of determining the availability of employees company-wide. 6. Access Tools to Make Efficiency Easier Your processes are in place, and your employees are trained. What do you do next to allow for seamless monitoring of employee efficiency? How can you make workflow efficiency easier to maintain? There are a number of tools to help you do that, whether you’re looking to automate certain processes or make existing processes easier to manage. Trinity has a number of those solutions to help get you started and to identify the business process solutions for you. Remember: You shouldn’t just adopt every proven solution under the sun because you’ve heard they’ve worked for other companies. It’s important to consider what will work for your business’s unique needs. Let’s explore two options: Quickbase: Trinity promotes the Quickbase platform as a way to streamline your business through a customized response. The focus is on your company’s flexibility, efficiency, and communication, all areas that promote overall workflow efficiency. Custom Solutions: For businesses that need a more customized approach, Trinity offers custom software solutions for even the more complex problems around running a business. Help us help you with solution-based processes to promote growth at your business. These are just a few strategies for how to improve workflow efficiency at your business, particularly as companies continue adapting in this unprecedented moment. With the right tools, your company can ramp up its efficiency in no time, even if your workers are remote. […]

5 Industries That Benefit From Having Geocode Apps

Posted on October 21, 2020 (September 19, 2024) by smartboost

Every single point on earth can be described with longitude and latitude. Google and Apple maps and many more platforms depend on this Geographic Information System (GIS) data to get consumers from place to place. Businesses, too, can create geographic information system based apps to streamline processes, reduce costs, refine marketing initiatives, and more. Street addresses have limits, after all. Pinpointing a customer or employee through their smartphone signal makes for more accurate interaction. For instance, a GIS-based app can help a pizza delivery person reach them at a park or beach. An ambulance trying to reach an injured hiker can’t depend on a street address. Finally, in developing countries, many homes don’t even have street addresses, yet businesses need to reach them. Leveraging Geocode Applications for Businesses Smartphones can help in providing information about latitude and longitude with great precision—up to 15 feet with the help of GIS technology. Web browsers and applications by higher-end service providers are aimed at supporting geolocation features designed to provide geographic coordinates even in the absence of a smartphone. These applications are capable of linking geographic coordinates to the respective street addresses as well. This process is referred to as reverse geocoding. The mechanism aims at taking an address and converting it into the respective geographic coordinates. In such instances, a reference dataset is required to relate the respective geo-coordinates to a given set of street addresses. Industries That Benefit From Geocode and GIS Solutions Here are some of the leading industries that have significantly benefited from the introduction of geocoding apps into their day-to-day operations. Gaming Just when we thought video-gaming couldn’t get more complex and involved, companies launched GIS-based gaming. Games like SimCity and World of Warcraft that are set in fantasy worlds don’t involve GIS. It’s the high-end games like Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty that depict real-life places and cities in places like California, Iraq, and others. Game developers work with GIS to keep cities, battlefields, and other locations accurate. This precision allows the players to fully immerse themselves in the given scenarios, lending the realism they’ve come to expect. Marketing Digital advertising tactics like sentiment analysis, coupon distribution, and more depend on location-based data to win the best return and response. GIS-based or geocode-enabled apps for location analytics create accurate, cost-effective marketing initiatives that reduce uncertainties, drive profitability, and maximize performance. Security & Defense Civil administrators must monitor and analyze population, traffic patterns, and crimes to keep society running smoothly. GIS-enabled utilities help in identifying specific hotspot areas while facilitating insights that can improve civil administration oversight. Travel & Transport GIS apps are critical for urban planning as well as trucking and transportation companies. If a city’s transportation department is planning to introduce a new railway or park, they turn to GIS data for the numbers to select the routes. Trucking companies rely on GIS apps to keep track of dispatched truck locations and destination arrival times. GIS is also helpful in monitoring road conditions and rail systems for improved performance. Natural Resource Management GIS-based applications for environmental management, agriculture, mining, oceans, conservation, and forestry collect the data to make critical decisions about resource distribution, staffing, and more. TrinityMaps: Delivering Geocode Applications for Improved Operations TrinityMaps showcases Trinity’s ability to provide clients with advanced geocode applications that unlock a myriad of feature-rich mapping functionalities. Utilizing the Quickbase platform and mobile applications allow users access to multiple mapping functionalities, including geocoding, distance calculation, routing and scheduling, GIS or data overlays, routing, search capabilities, and mobile workflows. Trinity provides numerous custom business software solutions and Quickbase solutions for the business user. Quickbase is a low code, low-cost business solution and application development and online database platform that specializes in aiding business flexibility, efficiency, and communication. It is easily scalable, making it perfect for businesses of most sizes and across most industries. […]

Is Your Company’s Business Process Attracting Top Talent?

Posted on October 7, 2020 by smartboost

Top talent makes a huge difference in a company’s success. Given that the Covid19 pandemic is fast-tracking remote and online work, teams all over the world are refashioning their hiring process. Due to increasing competition, most companies out there know that they need to position themselves as the ideal employer for on-site, remote, local, and overseas talent. Such things as showing current employees you care about their job satisfaction and aspirations have become key components in acquisition and retention strategies. With the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, organizations are now looking at new ways of working. These strategies include cultivating effective remote management protocols and encouraging new remote workers to maintain a work-life balance. Prospecting Strategies and Tools Appeal to today’s top talent with the following tactics. Employ Strategic Planning Always remain proactive rather than reactive when it comes to talent acquisition. This starts by acknowledging the specific roles of the HR department. Always work collaboratively across departments to develop a comprehensive strategy for talent acquisition. Ensure that key employees in different divisions share the organization’s goals and vision. Focus on Competencies Limited time, funds, or a lack of clarity in the overall requirements can lead managers to hire based on gut instinct rather than proven skills. Underqualified candidates are a drag on the organization. According to a recent study, talent mismatches are a growing concern for businesses. Companies with sound recruitment strategies optimize the hiring process. Developing the right competency frameworks also set the employee up to know the role’s expectations. Strategies that are based on the competency factor turn out to be far more sustainable than just recruiting for the sake of filling the respective vacancies at the lowest price and in the shortest time frame possible. Develop a People-Oriented Culture The acquisition of diverse talent is not an easy task. For this, employers need to accommodate both the monetary as well as non-monetary expectations of their prospective employees. This can be done by renovating existing reward and compensation strategies, learning and development opportunities, workplace culture, and other factors. The organization’s culture should aim at focusing on people while rewarding performances and encouraging a good work-life balance. Always cultivate a brand that includes diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Moreover, a culture of transparency and open communication go hand-in-hand with success in this type of targeting. Make sure to create and maintain your company’s brand to attract employees who resonate with it. Measure & Analyze Data Continuously monitor the results of the talent acquisition process. Knowing outcomes helps develop the best hiring process. Document the specific metrics of talent acquisition—time to hire, yield ratio, the acceptance rate of offers, etc. This data provides insights into how specific talent groups respond, improving the overall recruitment process. Get Leaders Out in the Public When company leaders speak in the community they clarify aspects of their organization’s mission, objectives, and corporate culture, thereby enhancing the company’s image in the eyes of potential employees. Prioritize Employee Recognition Employees thrive when they know their work matters. Study after study reveals that employees are interested in much more than their paychecks. They aren’t just interested in making a good living. They want to make a difference in their department, the organization, and even society. Putting it all Together Talking to your business process solutions provider is a great first step in getting a handle on the best tools and strategies you’ll need to optimize your organization’s process for attracting top talent. For over 20 years, Trinity has been partnering with clients to deliver superior business software solutions and process improvements. Trinity helps organizations get the most out of talent acquisition and management processes, and provides a wide range of custom business solutions, including Quickbase solutions to improve your business processes. Reach out today to learn more about our solutions to all your business process needs. […]

How to Manage a Remote Team: 5 Tools to Help

Posted on September 23, 2020 (September 19, 2024) by smartboost

The average Millennial might not be aware of this, but the need for many of the resources we take for granted in the workplace was perceived by futurists and executives as early as the late 1970s. At that time, the globalization of business began in earnest, with overseas outsourcing occurring at an increasing rate, and multinational corporations growing in power and influence. According to Global Workplace Analytics, 50% of the U.S. workforce is currently working in some sort of telecommuting role, with a staggering 80% to 90% of all employees saying they would like to work remotely at least part of the time. With increased globalization and changes in many workers’ lifestyle dynamics over the last couple of decades, offering remote opportunities has become an attractive way to gain productive workers. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and millions of workers, from executive suites to mailroom workers, were forced into remote roles. While the circumstances were far from ideal, the upshot has been that many companies and workers alike have benefited in numerous ways from working in this modality. Working remotely may be a dream-come-true for many workers, but managing a remote team has proven to be a thorny issue for many managers. Finding workers who perform well in this capacity (as opposed to someone needing direct oversight) can be a process unto itself, and managers who’ve been working in a traditional setting often find that cultivating trust with remote teams can be a challenge. Remote teams are here to stay. Business owners and managers will need to adapt for their organizations, their workers, and their own peace of mind. The Evolution of Remote Teams Over the last 15 years, there have been many changes in the way we work, leading more workers to seek remote opportunities. While a lot of these employees are younger, many older workers have relished the chance to move into remote roles, which they would have done years ago had the opportunity presented itself. Not only have virtual companies come into their own in recent years, but many established organizations have seen cost-cutting initiatives realized through engaging remote teams. This has been underscored by measures companies have had to take during the coronavirus pandemic. Timely Solutions for an Evolving Culture Technology improvements have allowed for the development of far more powerful business tools for remote works. While some utilities have positioned themselves for market dominance, the most popular “go-to” suite or solution may not necessarily be the right one for your organization. There are, however, companies that have developed applications and business solutions with remote teams in mind. Here, we decided to feature one vibrant, comprehensive platform that will help you manage your remote team. Quickbase: The Foundation for Your Business Quickbase is a business solution for application development that specializes in aiding business flexibility, efficiency, and communication. It is easily scalable and perfect for businesses of all sizes and industries. Customized to meet an organization’s specific needs, Quickbase allows for efficient automation of workflows and convenient company collaboration. Quickbase is the perfect system to integrate applications and consolidate your data in one secure place. What can the Quickbase platform do for your business? Quickbase reduces the frustration that chaotic, manual systems inevitably induce, and allows your organization to: Manage data and assets Centralize all information Automate time-consuming manual processes Encourage seamless collaboration Improve reporting accuracy and efficiency Connect and integrate separated systems Automate important reminders Reduce time to delivery Increase security In seeking Quickbase-compatible business app solutions, one doesn’t have to look very far. Trinity is a business software solutions company that’s been a top Quickbase Solution Provider for over 16 years. We’ve created a growing set of solutions with the business user in mind that are all fully integrated with Quickbase. Below are some of our most popular solutions. TrinityCalendar TrinityCalendar is a powerful online resource management tool that managers can use to seamlessly schedule meetings, tasks, and appointments. It includes drag & drop functionality, filters to view key information, pop-up modals to display additional details, links & buttons to go directly to the records in Quickbase, month, week, and day views, and a host of other features. TrinityScan TrinityScan is a Quickbase barcode scanning system with extensive capabilities in working with barcodes and RFID in many types of processes and applications. It can be integrated into your Quickbase apps for barcode scanning, including asset management, inventory management, and many other processes that benefit from barcodes. TrinityMobile TrinityMobile Trinity develops custom Android and iOS mobile solutions that dramatically improve a team’s productivity by accommodating the client’s unique workflows and processes. It offers the ability to define custom workflows and processes, barcode scanning using the device camera, GPS functions, and an optimized, branded UX with true mobile workflows and easy to read buttons for navigation. TrinitySurvey Whether doing surveys, audits, or questionnaires, with TrinitySurvey, businesses can design their own surveys and have the ability to collect and report on the exact data needed. It’s a flexible tool that enables teams to design custom surveys, checklists, questionnaires, and audits, assign surveys to individuals, efficiently complete surveys, add notes, measure survey results, and easily customize survey response options. TrinityDashboards+ This dynamic business solution revolutionizes the way reports are viewed on Quickbase dashboards by allowing the filtering of multiple reports simultaneously. TrinityDashboards+ incorporates extended reporting functionality into Quickbase with features that include dynamic filters that change all the reports on a dashboard, multiple page dashboards, and dashboard filters driven by the current user. This gives managers the ability to make faster and more educated business decisions. TrinitySync TrinitySync allows for integrating Quickbase with legacy solutions that still need to exist. Operational Efficiency – Streamline your core processes effectively and respond to changing market forces in a cost-efficient approach. Multi-App Integration – Businesses with multiple applications can easily deliver information required by your business teams, insurers, auditors, finance executives, or others for simplified reporting. These are just […]

5 Strategies for Identifying Inefficiencies in Your Business

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

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 by smartboost

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 by smartboost

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 by smartboost

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! […]