3 Ways To Improve Business Efficiency

There are always efficiencies and improvements to be found in business, no matter if it is a time of growth, consolidation or scaling back. Every procedure and workflow must be regularly reviewed and updated so as to improve productivity and cost-saving, mitigating your business from falling behind the pack. Extra efficiency precedes extra profit that can then be reinvested into the business, accelerating growth and improving the capture of market share.

As a specialist business process outsourcing (BPO) staffing provider, a primary function of our partnership with client businesses is to ensure that they extract the very most in value and output from their teams – both off and on-shore. Beyond simply filling a gap, our role is to guide partners towards the peak of their productivity from top to bottom, streamlining onboarding, communication and delegation. We have assisted client businesses big and small, across a broad scope of industries, continually re-evaluate their processes and implement carefully selected tools and software that elevate performance across the board.

It’s this experience that we’d like to share with you. Consider the following three simple concepts that will allow you to create greater efficiency.

Take Advantage Of Tools

Through cloud accounting software, social media automation, e-commerce platforms, delegation and communication tools, video-conferencing and screen sharing – the possibilities are endless. In fact, potentially so endless as to overwhelm. Tech service providers abound on every corner, and there are subscriptions, service charges and terms & conditions that stretch a mile.

Our advice is to be specific in your goals, and open in your dialogue. Our partners have seen success in narrowing their ambition into clearly defined categories – and placing focus in areas such as finance and administration, or IT support. Companies that have adopted dedicated offshore support staff for their book-keeping, for example, have recognised the congruent opportunity to introduce cloud-based accountancy and invoicing systems into their operations. This creates two-fold cost-efficiency – utilising offshore expert skill providers in tandem with the tech to elevate performance to the highest levels.

Finance, bookkeeping, and IT support for the team represent areas of the business that will benefit quickly and remarkably from the correct implementation of new technology. You should attempt to automate as much of the process as possible and a partnership with an experienced, skilled staffing provider clearly allows for a smoother technology selection and implementation process. We have the experience of assisting in the adoption of so many new tools for clients, and that allows us the confidence to mentor future partner businesses down this often confusing but necessary pathway.

Create Communication and Workflow Structure

There are skilled specialist staff and role-players available from back of house through to front, and when communication and workflow channels are clear, their results can be extraordinary. It is essential for any business to continually review and update procedures relevant to their communication, as new practices will always reveal extra advantages.

The key to improving business efficiency is in recognising what each team member’s full capacity is, then implementing the pathways to allow them to realise that potential. There are workload management tools that allow for oversight without overcrowding, and communication standards that can ease the strain on key full-time individuals. Not every piece of work needs to pass through the office of ownership. There are management and quality control processes that might just allow a small business owner the time and flexibility to finally step back and view the business as a whole for potentially the first time in a long time.

Operations and administration teams occupy an essential space within the core business, whose workload directly impacts that of management and ownership around them. When the right workflow and communication structures are in place, administrative staff have the capacity to take a huge weight off a business owner’s shoulders. Considering how precious an owner’s time and attention is, that can make all the difference.

It’s not simply about setting staff members in place, then forgetting. A team member who doesn’t know what they need to be doing represents a failure of communication. Ultimately it creates additional hassle, mopping up unnecessary shortfalls and wasting time doing so. The benefit that client businesses enjoy with an outsource services provider such as hammerjack is that our dedication extends beyond simply placing a staff member into a chair. The ultimate mark of success is in optimal performance, and we seek to make that a reality. We want to see the best structures in place to have our offshore experts thrive. We want to see them perform optimally so that you can.

Redefine Roles and Responsibilities

Growth is a tricky thing. It’s what so many small businesses aspire to, however it can create some real confusion. As customer numbers bulge, inefficiencies become nightmares. Too often we have seen these growing pains manifest themselves in stress, unsustainable workloads, and distorted roles for team members throughout the operation. This is especially true of ownership, who will inevitably try to be all things to all people in an attempt to keep the ship moving in the right direction.

When re-defining roles for offshore or in-house team members it is especially relevant that, the lines of communication are crystal clear. Especially in the age of the remote domestic worker, there can be no room for confusion or meandering. Quality control is so much more difficult when staff lack the necessary understanding in terms of what is expected of them, and how that may potentially differ from what has been previously asked. Creating cohesion within the team is so much easier when everyone is on the same page.

If partnered with a specialist BPO staffing provider, such as our team, be open to the benefits of our advice and experience. We have often been able to identify areas our team members can expand their role or function within the business to lessen the workload on ownership. You may not have considered some of the logistical, human resource, or operational tasks that can be taken off your plate. The more open you are to the advice of those invested in your success, the more likely you are to realise it.

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Efficiency within your business is a never-ending aspiration, but the process need not be the struggle so many make it out to be. With the right tools, review procedures and clearly defined roles as conditions change, the transformation of your business into a well-oiled, cost effective machine might be easier than you imagined.

As ever, our team is always on hand to not only provide the highest quality offshore staffing solutions, but also to ensure that your streamlined business collects every possible benefit

from their hard work. We’re partners in your success, and want to see you realise the fullest potential of your operation. If you’d like to take that next step, speak to our team today.