Productivity has become something of a watchword in UK businesses – especially in the light of recent reports, which say that the UK’s productivity levels still lag behind those of the world’s other major economies. Studies show our output-per-hour is 27 percentage points behind France, 30 behind the US, and 35 behind Germany.
Businesses are therefore left looking for ways they can boost productivity among their workforce. Proven methods include introducing wellness programmes and allowing flexible working – but there’s also plenty of software which can help enhance productivity at work and help your staff become more industrious. Let’s take a look at some of the best options.
CurrentWare
CurrentWare is a web filtering and employee monitoring tool with plenty of features that can ensure your staff aren’t wasting time on Facebook or chatting with friends on Skype when they should be working. This software allows supervisors to control internet access, track computer usage, block certain applications and even manage devices offsite – perfect if employees are working remotely. Once you pinpoint which employees are the least productive, you can take steps to boost their productivity and keep them on track.
Trello
Trello is a comprehensive project management and delegation tool with an attractive design that resembles a pin-board. When you create a new task, it appears as a card, which you can then move across different columns and funnels on a large board. Each task can be assigned to a user, with deadline dates and any other important notes. There’s colour-coding, the ability to create checklists and a powerful search function – everything your employees need to stay focused on their workload.
Doodle
How often does meeting planning or event coordination cut into your valuable working time, as you spend endless hours reading through long email threads and tracking each individual’s replies? Doodle is a practical app that streamlines scheduling for workplaces, sending out simple polls that ask when users are free. The business version also includes useful tools like automatic reminders, the ability to see who hasn’t responded, and full sync capabilities with other calendar apps.
Ultimately, boosting staff productivity is all about finding the right balance between motivation and restriction. It’s important to keep your workforce inspired, and it can help to remove distractions too, to ensure that they remain fully focused.
Find out more about business broadband and infrastructure services that can help your business reach peak productivity, from Exascale: https://www.exascale.co.uk
