Tips To Improve Efficiency In Business

So many companies can end up falling behind on their objectives or goals for the year because perhaps some of the practices and processes that they have in place, aren’t working well enough. To prevent that from happening to your business, here are some tips to improve efficiency.

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Keep It Automated Where You Can

Automation in business can be essential to improving how you utilize your time within the company and everyone else for that matter. Where possible, try to automate tasks if you can. One example of this is through your company’s social media accounts. Get your social media team to use software where they can use robotic process automation in order to get this content out, even for when it’s out of office hours. Scheduling content and automating a variety of other things in your business can save you precious hours that can be used elsewhere. The likes of this crosslist app can similarly be used to automatically create product listings on multiple selling platforms. This can save you time creating individual listings manually on each platform.

Reduce Interruptions

Constantly getting interrupted from tasks will disrupt your workflow and make you less efficient. It’s important to find ways to minimise interruptions where possible. Answering phone calls is a common interruption that businesses have to deal with. Hiring a dedicated receptionist or outsourcing a phone answering service could be worthwhile if you’re constantly dealing with incoming calls. Maintaining your equipment is also important for reducing interruptions due to equipment failure - regularly schedule equipment servicing and try to schedule repairs out of work hours before equipment completely fails.

Remember Communication Between Staff

One thing that a lot of businesses will suffer from is a lack of communication. This can be pretty impactful on workplace productivity and the progress that you make as a whole. It’s all about ensuring you have the right people in place and who can manage their staff to delegate issues that need sorting. Communication is essential so using some sort of platform like a task management one, for example, can at least help improve how staff communicates with each other, in order to get the required job done. The less communication staff members have, the more risks it poses for something going wrong.

Create The Right Environment

The efficiency within the building stretches beyond just the staff and the equipment but also the type of environment that your office space or area offers. Look at how you can improve the space that your staff work in and it could simply be a case of making their workspace more enjoyable and better from a health and safety point of view. Bring in indoor nature, open up the space to create a more free-flowing atmosphere, and don’t forget that natural light can be fantastic for providing a positive vibe to the company.

Hold Shorter Meetings

Meetings are necessary in most businesses. With so many of your staff members handling a variety of things, it’s better to hold shorter and more bite-sized meetings than ones that last for hours and that actually get less done.

Keep your meeting rooms in professional meeting spaces, rather than taking it out of the office. The temptation to stray from certain topics might happen, and so it’s just wise to have it in your offices. Keep an eye on the clock when you get into the room and try to have some sort of direction for the discussion needed. 

Being an efficient business is only going to help open up a wealth of doors for you and your organization in the future. So look at improving your business efficiency right now. Who knows the difference it would make? 

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How to Handle a Promotion into a Fleet Management Role

Rosana Beechum

So, you've been tasked with managing a fleet of vehicles for the company that you work for; or you've been brought on board in a more senior role as a fleet manager for your new employer – and now you're excited yet nervous about the transition.

Feeling a bit uncertain is understandable when you consider the level of responsibility that comes with fleet management. Fortunately, if you take the necessary steps to ensure that you are committed to safe and effective operating habits you should be able to succeed in your new role. To help you handle the promotion in the most graceful and productive manner possible, here are four tips you can follow for a safer and less stressful experience:

1. Ensure the Company Has Adequate Insurance Coverage

Your primary duty as a fleet manager is to facilitate the continuity of fleet operations in a way that maximises profitability while also minimising risk. Thus, checking the existing insurance policy to ensure it provides optimal coverage is one of the very first steps you should take to protect yourself and your employer from negative financial events.

Likewise, if the company doesn't yet have fleet insurance, or you want to check how their current policy compares to others, looking at the wide range of policies on the market through a comparison platform like Quotezone will allow you to compare insurance companies for many types of vehicles in just a few minutes.

2. Research Fleet Management Best Practices

Of course, beyond the initial precautionary measure of ensuring that the company’s fleet is adequately insured, you need to be ready to perform your duties effectively. While your employer should provide some level of orientation or training in this regard, it's best to do your own research in your spare time if you want to be the best fleet manager you can be.

3. Become Familiar with a Fleet Tracking System

Most companies will already have fleet tracking systems in place, so adjusting to this type of interface will be one of the primary learning curves that you'll encounter in your new position. However, whether the company already has a preferred platform or not, comparing all the software and tools available on the market is still worthwhile, because you could propose a change if you find that another fleet tracking tool would be better suited or more cost-effective. Company owners and managers like to see that their fleet managers are playing a hands-on role in improving logistics on an ongoing basis, so changing the fleet tracking system or mastering their existing platform will help you make a good impression.

4. Optimize Logistics and Create Reports to Impress

In addition to revamping the fleet tracking system, you'll also want to look into ways to optimize logistics for enhanced profitably. If you can increase the company's bottom line as a fleet manager, you'll have proven your value in that position. Of course, the fear of demotion or just that you might not do your job well will always be looming in the beginning, so taking steps to facilitate and show improvement through comprehensive reports can help you avoid such an unfavourable outcome.

Fleet Management Doesn't Have to Be Extremely Difficult

Much of the concern and hesitance that comes with managing a vehicle fleet originates in the value and responsibility involved. In terms of job difficulty, it's not really rocket science and you should have no problem mastering it within the course of 1-2 months on the job. In fact, if you're a fast learner, you could be impressing your corporate superiors within the first week by thoroughly following the tips given above.

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How You’re Going To Keep Morale High In The Workplace

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In the majority of instances, a business’s level of success and growth is dependent on how well the staff works together. If the employees are performing at a high level, the company as a whole is going to experience fantastic results and flourish faster. Adversely, if they aren’t hitting the required standards, the company won’t reach anywhere near its potential. It could stand still or maybe even go backward, which could lead to failure. 

Sometimes there’s a secret formula and a method that means everything in a particular workplace flows so very smoothly, but the majority of the time it’s down to hard work and concentration. We all know that hard work gets us what we want in life. We also know that motivation and initiative can be hard to come by sometimes. If we were all able to stay switched on like robots, we’d probably all be millionaires, or maybe even billionaires! 

So if you’re the boss of a firm, and you need to keep your staff focused, motivated, and willing to get things done in a fast manner, what can you do to achieve it? Every single person is different, and they all have complex thoughts happening in their heads, so not everything will work for all of them. There are little things you can do, and little changes you can apply that may give everyone a boost, though. Let’s take a look at some.   

Keep Your Work Space Clean and Sanitized

A clean and healthy environment is one that will likely create a lot of productivity. There’s no reason why you should have to attempt to get things done whilst surrounded by ugly and dirty items, sticky furniture, and other work-related bits and pieces. If you’re in an unsanitary place, workers are likely going to be distracted by the unpleasantness. You’ll need them to be focused fully on their jobs. Get everything cleaned up. If you have the funds, you could hire cleaners to come in a few times a week to make sure the place is consistently kept fresh.

Be Organized

The workplace won’t operate to its potential if there are constantly bumps and kinks along the way. A lack of organization could result in slow work and, thus, be an annoyance for all staff members. Make sure the desks or workstations and neatly arranged. Make sure also to remind each individual to assemble their stations efficiently. 

Keep Your Work Space Safe for Employees 

Similar to cleanliness, the staff is going to work with a lot more confidence and peace of mind if they know that they’re safe and comfortable in their surroundings. You’ll want to make sure the place is secure from any problems in terms of criminals and the building’s condition. 

Installing security systems such as CCTV cameras and alarms could deter robbers from breaking into your office or warehouse. You could also build a gate or fence, hire security guards, or buy large locks for the doors. 

The premise itself needs to be safe to work in, otherwise, your staff will not want to go to work. Check to see if all of the utilities are working correctly. Be sure to check that none of the fundamental parts are shoddy or damaged. If they are, you could also get in contact with contractors and handy people that can fix those issues. If you need an electrician to rewire parts of the systems, or roofers to provide a commercial roof replacement, it’s probably wise to get in touch sooner rather than later.   You just want to be sure the entire office or warehouse is in working condition and up to the city or town’s code.

Spread Positive Vibes to Everyone on the Team

Finally, make sure that everyone on the team is satisfied. Do this by cultivating a laid-back attitude and welcoming work environment. A stressful or toxic work atmosphere only leads to burn out, which negatively impacts attendance and productivity. You could also provide your staff with rewards, incentives, bonuses, and perks such as holiday and thanksgiving gifts for employees to show your appreciation. An employee will be as grateful for a gift as much as you take the time top tap them on the shoulder and say “thank you.” 

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