Your workflow will make or break your business. Everyone has chaotic days at work where your to-do list is a mile long. But you should not have this hectic workflow every day. You can ease the pressure and work frustration by improving your inefficient workflow to being smooth through the help of technology. When do you know your workflow if not efficient?
Sign 1: You still use paper-based process
Manual paper-based processes are far from efficient. Although paper records are the traditional method, technology in recent years have made paper-based processes obsolete in your workflow. Computer-based processes are much more efficient and organize your information much better.
For example, if you need to retrieve data, you no longer need to shuffle around a magnitude of papers to find it. You can simply search for the necessary file and have it ready in seconds. Avoid inefficient processes by upgrading to digital file storage and other software.
Sign 2: A lot of time is wasted on repetitive tasks
Gone are the days where every job needs to be completed by a person. Machines are at the cusp of taking over repetitive tasks that require low skill levels. DJS Research determined that the average office worker spends approximately 552 hours per year on repetitive tasks which could be automated. Already, jobs are being replaced that don’t require a lot of skills. Cashiers at grocery stores and fast food restaurants have already been taken over by automated machines, even servers at restaurants are no longer necessary thanks to robotics. Think about the repetitive tasks in your workflow, and how many of them can be automated. Replace inefficient jobs with automation so you can focus on more important tasks.
Sign 3: There are constant mistakes
To be human is to make mistakes. However, mistakes can be avoided or reduced by using machines to perform human jobs. Machine learning algorithms learn from past mistakes to ensure that they are not repeated in the future.
For example, if you manually enter data, this is much more room for human error. However, if a machine were to automatically transfer data, there is a much lower chance that there would be any mistakes. And if mistakes were made, they would learn how to prevent it from happening again.
Sign 4: You rarely update your software
Whether it is updating or replacing your software, organizations need to constantly keep up-to-date with your software. Using outdated software can result in system crashes and risk losing valuable data. It also helps your business perform to the best of its ability. Slow software can be extremely inefficient and result the of out-dated software can make your workflow run slower. It is easy to automatically update your software, or check if it needs to be replaced.
Sign 5: Your business is growing
As your business is growing, you need to adapt the way you conduct business. It’s typically a good sign when your business outgrows itself! But, some software systems can place limitations on your expanding business. A custom software solution allows your workflow to be agile and meet a wide range of demands. Off-the-shelf software limits the agility and flexibility your business has. When your business begins to change sizes, that is a good time to reevaluate your workflow and how you can improve it.
Sign 6: There is a lack of visibility of key data
Data plays a key role in how business is conducted today but can often get lost or unusable in an inefficient workflow. It is extremely important to have a system that supports data management. You should be able to find data quickly and limit the verified people that can view it. Similar to paper-based processes, it is inefficient to have data you cannot easily access.
Sign 7: There is a low use of existing systems
If your systems in place are not being used by your employees, it has just become a sunk cost. Technology should be an asset to your company and help your employees be efficient workers.
Sign 8: Multiple programs are used for a single process
Using multiple systems for a single process can be the opposite of efficient. Many programs conduct a single process in its entirety. Meaning there is no reason to purchase or use more than one program for a single job. You can also integrate a software solution that can merge the multitude of existing software to make your workflow more efficient.
Do you see any of these signs in your workflow? There is an easy way to make your workflow more efficient and agile to meet all of your needs, custom software solutions are built specifically to provide you with peace of mind.
Still hesitant about implementing automation into your workflow? We have busted 7 myths about automation.
