The success of a business primarily depends on its employees. With the help of the right tools, employees can be more efficient. This will result in a more productive work process that can benefit the business as a whole. There will be a positive impact on the revenue and the employees will have a sense of fulfillment knowing that they were a big part of the business success.
Here’s a list of the best tools that can make employees more productive:
Rescue Time
Wasted time is one the main consumers of employee productivity. However, organizations need to make every moment at work count. To minimize time wastage and maximize productivity, employers and employees can use Rescue Time.
This free software is usually installed on the user’s computer to track productive time. Apart from monitoring activities throughout the day, users can set goals and track progress as well as track time spent doing productive and non-productive work.
The app can also block time-wasting and distracting websites. It can also be used to track all apps and websites visited during the day. This software measures productivity on the scale of very productive to very distractive. Depending on the scores, employers and employees can make adjustments that can boost productivity.
Mailbox
Many people get the illusion that going through emails is a sign of productivity, since they are related to the business. However, there is always that problem of spending too much time on one email, forgetting to reply to an important one, or even getting distracted by emails that are not work-related.
That is why Mailbox was developed. It is a mobile email management tool, which is available on iOS, OSX and Android. It was created by designers who understand that the modern business professional is always on the move. With a wide range of swipe-based features, entrepreneurs can view, prioritize and organize emails on their tablets or smartphones. Its planned integration with Dropbox will facilitate fast and easy files attachment when creating emails.
Trello
When there is better collaboration at the workplace, the result is increased productivity. Trello is a highly visual and free online collaboration tool. It organizes your projects into lists together with cards pinned on a virtual board. The cards can then be moved in between lists, to indicate the progress of a project.
Since it is a virtual tool, entrepreneurs have a chance to see what is being worked on by employees at a certain time, as well as the progress being made, without having to go through tons of paper work.
Even better is the fact that it is online based. You can just view project progress wherever you are, without going to the office. Apart from organizations, this tool has helped thousands of individuals to become highly organized in handling their tasks.
Dropbox for Business
Dropbox is one of the most common file-sharing solutions whether on the mobile or through a computer. More organizations have realized the importance of Dropbox for business, and have started implementing it into their organizations. Those who have already used it have noticed an increased productivity.
Employees don’t have to leave their workstations just to share files with their colleagues. It provides a convenient and easy means for employees to share or exchange vital work files on different work platforms. The work can then be retrieved on different devices.
According to a recent survey, more than 50% of IT business professionals have indicated that they are ready to implement a personal cloud tool in their businesses. With the availability of tools like Dropbox, there will be greater and better collaboration at the workplace, thus maximizing productivity.
WorkZone
Lack of clarity at the workplace is one of the biggest obstacles to employee productivity. Sometimes, you find that no one knows who should be working on a certain project, work deadlines are not clearly stipulated and there is no prioritization in terms of doing work. This problem can be solved by project management tools.
They come in handy, to managers or employers who want to define tasks. However, they must have a user-friendly interface, to be efficient for business too. Today’s business professionals are also a project manager. They want to define tasks in a clear and concise manner. This way, when a project stalls, a certain individual can be held accountable.
Once work is broken down to manageable tasks, increases productivity. In this light, multitasking is clearly discouraged. Multi-tasking is not good for business, since it separates teams while forcing employees to socially and mentally re-adapt to tasks. WorkZone is one such project management tool that can be implemented into any business.
HipChat
HipChat is similar to WorkZone. However, instead of sharing work files, people in an organization are able to chat directly, without organizing meetings. It is more of an instant messenger specifically designed for the workplace. The tool can be used to set-up chat rooms or even one on one communication.
You just decide the number of individuals that you want to participate in a discussion. The time wasted organizing for physical meetings, as well as the transitional time in between can be transferred to working time. It also comes with a complete chat history. This means that if an employee missed a meeting, he or she will have to liaise with another individual, to get up to speed. However, if the meeting was conducted via a HipChat sessions, you just need to revisit the chat and you will have a clear idea of the ideas shared during the meeting.
DeskTime
The difference between productivity and sloth are almost negligible at the workplace. In most cases, the employee is just staring at the screen and typing continuously. In such a situation, the manager will always be convinced that in fact work is going on as expected. However, if you want to determine actual employee productivity, the best thing would be to track employee time. If you can establish the applications and websites visited by the employer, then you can easily tell whether the time was spent productively or not.
As a manager or business owner, it is your responsibility to supply your employees with the right tools and equipment. Doing so can help your employees maximize their capabilities so they can be productive at work. Moreover, you should also create an amazing working environment where your employees can freely communicate with you. This will allow you to discuss problems and hear suggestions openly. May you succeed in all your undertakings!
