The productivity of a business, no matter the size, largely depends on the level of efficiency. In most cases, even huge businesses tend to have a chaotic organization. For instance, a common issue that leads to gross inefficiency is activity duplication. Another form of inefficiency is inconsistencies in task allocation to staff members. In most cases, this could make or break businesses, especially service-oriented businesses.
However, technology has evolved to cope with some of these challenges. There are a number of tools available to businesses now that are designed to assist them to become successful. Most of these tools are available for your use on any device as long as you can connect to the internet, so you don’t have to be in the office to see changes in your company.
For the service industry, being able to organize activities efficiently is especially important. The business directly depends on how the customers are treated. As such, it is always good that customers are attended to immediately as they arrive on the premises.
The simplest tool, especially useful in increasing business organization, is the calendar. Google calendar and Google Docs can save you a lot of time and you can share it within your company. Google mail is free, so even if you are not paying annually for using Gmail you can still use it. It is a fast, efficient way to schedule appointments within your company and with team members
Consequently, the business is able to plan for a customer’s arrival well in advance. This helps the business to look more professional and increases its attractiveness to customers.
Customer relationship management (CRM)
The customer is the sole life source of a business. Without them, no business can exist. However, most businesses seem not to grasp the significance of this concept. Any business that is seeking to be successful should take steps to ensure customer satisfaction. An easy and efficient way of doing this is by having a CRM tool.
“Customer relationship management (CRM) is an approach to managing a company’s interaction with current and future customers. It often involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support.”
Source: Wikipedia
The best example to use here would be a spa or hairdressing salons. You want to have a satisfied customer who will come back for more services.
The tool best suited for this job is Phorest. This software has been in use with spa owners for a long time, with a high level of success. This Point of Sale (POS) tool is an all-in-one tool that lets you make an appointment, rebook if needed, and it has a reminder feature, etc. One of the best things is that you can create a client card with detailed information, such as coffee or tea preference (talking about customer relationship management). The Phorest tool is an efficient way to maintain a connection with customers wherever they are.
Space/Time Management
For any business to be successful, office space is an important aspect. In modern offices, one of the biggest sources of clutter is still paper because documents need to be signed physically and copies are often made. However, technology has a solution for this seemingly huge problem. One of the most efficient tools utilized by businesses for this purpose is DocuSign.
DocuSign allows business owners to sign documents digitally without having to print them on paper. It is an especially useful tool for reducing expenses and increasing office space. When combined with a tool such as Dropbox or Google Docs, it saves time and money require for office space.
Task Management
This is one of the greatest contributors of inefficiency in an office. In most cases, tasks in the office are burdensome and repetitive, while some other employees seem to have little to do. This can kill employees’ morale when they feel like they are being unfairly treated.
A great tool called BaseCamp is a great way of ensuring a high level of efficiency in managing office tasks. BaseCamp is a web-based tool that helps you organize tasks within your office. You can easily create projects, assign team members and spread working hours or other tasks among them. You can also leave messages or notes for each task, so everybody can be involved or informed in every step.
Generally, the formula for success is quite easy. However, no one can do it all by themselves. We use technology daily to stay connected with our family and friends and stay organized, it is only fair that we level the playing field by utilizing some modern tools, which will make our jobs easier and clients happier.
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