Productivity: That Elusive Business Buzzword

As a business owner, you’ve probably seen the word “productivity” thrown around so much that it’s almost lost its meaning entirely. You don’t want to bombard your employees with that word because they’re just as sick of hearing it as you. However, the underlying principles are well-placed. Nagging at your workforce to be more productive isn’t going to change anything about your company, but getting to the source of the problem might just help your business lift itself out of a slump and achieve success. Creating a more productive business model is about making changes to the company’s overall plan so that your operational processes run more smoothly. Many companies are struggling with productivity. If the end goal of a “productive business” seems to elude you at every turn then let’s talk about how you can turn that meaningless buzzword into an essential component of your company’s structure.

Automate administrative tasks.

Want to achieve more within your company without spending more money? Well, you need to put your time to better use. That idea will be important throughout this article, in fact. Making a more productive business is about using your time more effectively. For example, your employees could be spending more time on the technical demands of their job role if you automated administrative tasks such as filling in invoices or stock management. The point is that your workers could spend more hours of the day focusing on important work whilst technology handles the dull part of the job.

Improve your workforce.

One of the crucial ways in which you can make your business more productive is to improve the workforce. In fact, this is the most important focal point when it comes to productivity. People keep your business running; you can automate certain tasks, as discussed in the last point, but most elements of your business operations depend on people who can sit behind the wheel. And if those people aren’t motivated to work hard then your company’s level of productivity is going to slip. You need to incentivise your workers to give it their best shot. You could offer rewards such as bonuses, free lunches, or early finishes to the work day for the best employees every week. This will not only let your team know that you value them but also inspire them to work harder so that they can get that reward.

Of course, it’s not just about motivation; your workforce might benefit from learning new things in order to be more productive in the workplace. You might even want to check out a company such as lean six sigma that can provide a professional training course to help your employees learn about ways to increase productivity and customer satisfaction whilst also reducing the costs of processes within your company. Training might also be helpful for you, as the business owner. You’re never fully knowledgeable in the world of business. If you want to create a more productive company then you should be looking towards your team of workers and thinking of ways in which you could all get more done within the business so as to produce a higher-quality product or service without wasting money or time.

Value your time and money.

We’ve discussed this throughout the article, but valuing your company’s time and money is the best way to ensure that you create a productive structure for your business. You could save money on paper by digitising information or save money on energy around the office by insulating the windows and walls. That additional wealth could be used to make smart investments in the company; better resources or additional members of staff could help to speed up operations and increase productivity. It’s all about being smart with your business’ money and making better use of time.