10 ways to improve productivity for your teams and your business

Productivity is too often aligned with profitability. As long as the margins are good…everyone is happy! Right? Well, the shareholders may be happy, but is your team getting what they need to do their best work?

1. 1. Procure the right people
      Your greatest resource is your team. Their skill, knowledge, and experience is the front line to your customers. They will be the face of your product, your services and the quality you stand behind. If you have a high turnover, you have a problem. 
   2. Provide the tools they need to do their jobs well
      With the right tools at their fingertips, your skilled team will be able to meet and exceed all your customers’ requirements. Herbst Software offers a plethora of productivity tools for every industry and every task. Your sales team needs information on the fly while driving from location to location.
      
      Your drivers need to be able to track all cargo and confirm it arrived on time, was signed for and landed at the location required. Your engineering team, who have impossible deadlines to meet, need to know exactly what the job costs are, where the materials are and when they will arrive. Herbst Software can provide all of these tools from any iOS or Android device. 
   3. Create and adhere to clear and logical processes and procedures
      How many companies have dozens of spreadsheets on even more PCs, with no way of pulling all that data together? Too many.
      
      With a centralised solution, you can now instill company procedures to put all customer data and project details into a central database. This not only protects your valuable data, it allows your team to access customer and project information instantly. 
   4. Open and dynamic communication channels
      Listen to your team and understand their needs – in turn, they will listen to you. Miscommunications and misinterpreted instructions can lead to costly errors – with all your information in an easy to access location, there is no room for error. 
   5. Take frequent temperature checks – read the reports!
      Review progress through the robust and customisable reports in Herbst Software’s solutions. Stay on track and on the budget in real time.
      
      More importantly, read the reports and share them with your team. Make sure everyone understand where the company stands and if you are meeting the needs of your customers. 
   6. Be open to changing tack now and then, should the market shift
      Being able to adjust your business approach to the ever-changing markets will ensure your survival. Sticking with old ways and refusing to make changes (like going mobile) will not only demoralise your team but will leave you lagging behind your competitors. 
   7. Know your clients – have a complete view of their needs, and how they do business with you
      With a central source of customer information, your team will be able to react, and more importantly, predict what your valuable client need. They will be able to be a business partner, not just another supplier. 

• Get mobile!
  Business is no longer conducted from a desk, in front of a computer. People now have home offices, need to meet customers on location or to share critical information with a virtual team or client team. They have tablets and smart phones and want information in real time.  

1. Love your data
   Your data is your lifeblood for the company – protect it and ensure that the integrity of the information being input is to the standards you demand. By deploying a comprehensive ERP you will have an end to end control of your data. 
2. Acknowledge and reward great work
   Your team did a great job. They stayed late and made sure the project was delivered. Tell them and show them! It does not always have to be a monetary reward. It can be a few extra days off, a dinner with the team, or some SWAG. Or better yet, showcase them in your company newsletter. Saying thank you goes a long way.
   

By following many of the rules top organisations abide by, even your small to medium business can benefit from their experience. It is all about productivity measurement – and not simply how much money is in the bank. A happy and well-equipped team will shore up and ensure the success of a great company.

By providing the right tools and supporting a nimble methodology to business practices, you and your talented team will be a cut above your competitors, no matter what industry you support.

productivity