Most business owners, regardless of the industry, want nothing more than for their businesses to be successful. This is much easier said than done since there are so many variables involved. One of the most frequent that can be difficult to control is staff productivity. With so many businesses operating remotely or partly remote, productivity has become more of a concern than ever before.
Even for employers who have employees working in a physical office, there has always been a concern over how to increase productivity. In the age of the Internet and cellphones, distractions are everywhere. Additionally, employees seem more prone to burnout these days, and working them too hard will lead to turnover or even a decrease in productivity and quality of work.
If you want to ensure that your business stays as productive as possible, you must have the right tools in your toolbox. There are many different apps and websites designed to increase productivity, and we've gathered five of the best that can apply to most industries.
Barracuda
Have you ever caught yourself or your staff members scrolling through social media during work? Social media is incredibly addictive and even the most productive employees can find themselves drawn to Facebook or Instagram when they have the opportunity. Barracuda will allow you to ensure that this never happens in your workplace. If you have employees who are constantly on websites that are irrelevant to their job, you can block their access with Barracuda. Now those minutes spent scrolling through Instagram can be spent on more productive tasks.
SharePoint
Have you ever needed an important document that you didn't have access to? Did you have to e-mail someone and ask them to send you the file or share access with you? If this is a common problem in your workplace, you need to try SharePoint. SharePoint will serve as a database for important files that anyone in your business may need at any time. You won't have to wait for someone to share the files with you anymore. Keep in mind that SharePoint still requires a level of organization so that files are easy to find and secure.
TimeCamp
TimeCamp is one of the most useful productivity apps available right now. With TimeCamp, you can track how much time your team is spending on any given project. It will break it down by specific apps and websites so you can see where most of their time was spent. You'll also get to see analytics and determine how they are performing. TimeCamp will help you keep your budget in check and ensure that no task or project goes over budget. If clocking has been an issue in your business, TimeCamp can help there, too. This program can be used as an easy attendance-tracking tool as it has functions for clocking in and out, tracking overtime, automating payroll, and reporting leaves. It's simple to use and comes with endless benefits.
Microsoft Teams
If your company is operating remotely, or if you have certain employees who aren't working in the office, how are you communicating with each other? E-mails can be easily missed, and unless you provide your employees with work phones, texting is iffy at best. Microsoft Teams takes all of the confusion out of the mix and gives you the best group messaging option. Employees will stay up-to-date on recent developments within the company. You can also create specific groups if you need to get a message out to a particular team or group of people. Microsoft Teams has worked wonders for many organizations throughout the pandemic and is a foolproof way to increase productivity. Also, if your company already pays for Microsoft 365, you could get the premium version of Teams without paying more!
Asana
Asana is one of the best project management tools on the market. With this program, you can plan projects in advance and set up task lists to ensure that everything gets completed on time. You can also keep your employees informed about any new developments with Asana's messaging and commenting system. If you're overseeing a team that is working on the same project or task, then Asana is a must-have for your company. To get the most out of your business, you must ensure that productivity is maximized wherever possible. There are many new websites, apps, and programs designed to encourage productivity in the workplace. You just have to find what works best for your business. If you're unsure of where to begin, give some of these programs a try, or ask us what we recommend for your specific company.