The workplace is a source of constant change. New technologies come and go, processes change, and managers are tasked with finding methods to operate more efficiently. For years, this meant incentivizing staff to do their job more quickly and move past old ways of doing things. However, in our modern, digital world, these same efficiencies are being achieved through the increasing prevalence of business automation.
In California, the centre of the tech world’s rush toward automation, Elon Musk’s Tesla has announced a bold advance in the realm of business automation. Their next big vehicle, the Model Y Compact SUV, will be almost entirely constructed by robots. If successful, this move won’t just revolutionize car manufacturing, it stands to completely revolutionize manufacturing as we know it.
Automation on a Smaller Scale
While it’s always nice to check in with the advances happening in Silicon Valley, how does this relate to small business? Well, the same desire Musk displays to create efficiencies can easily be transferred to normal, everyday businesses. There are a variety of ways businesses can achieve stunning leaps in their efficiency, and it’s all down to automation.
Here are several ways you can use business automation to save time and money.
Project Management Tools
Project Management is one of the hottest career paths out there right now. In fact, the US-based Project Management Institute (PMI) has seen its numbers swell from 25,000 to 250,000 members over the last decade. The benefits of employing a Project Manager are clear, but for a lot of businesses it’s an investment they can’t afford. Luckily, there are automated tools that can pick up the slack. Base Camp is one such tool, providing an easy-to-use way to manage projects, work with clients and avoid tedious busy work. This smart application gathers all the details of a project in one convenient place, allowing you to delegate tasks to team members, send them reminders and collaborate easily.
Use Gamification Tools
The process of gamification takes key elements from games such as design, action, fun and competition, and applies them to the working world. Staff can earn points, badges and placement on leaderboards for hitting goals you set out for them. How is this automation, I hear you ask? Well, Gamification removes a lot of the unwanted grunt work from the HR process, engaging and motivating employees toward improving their performance. It can replace regular check-ins, and even head off disciplinary issues such as poor timekeeping and low performance. For this automation hack to work, it’s vital to ensure staff are adequately rewarded for reaching their target goals.
Delegate Unwanted Tasks
Business automation can exist outside the confines of your business too. At GD Commerce we can take online off your plate, giving you more time to do what you do best – running your business. It’s easy for web and online marketing to become overwhelming, that’s why the team at GD Commerce is here to help. We can help you grow your business through our full suite of online services. No matter how small or large the project, we strive to execute on time, and on budget, with full support along the way. Interested in hearing more? Contact us, we’d love to chat!
Combine Tasks into One Spot
Are your marketing and sales efforts separate from each other? If so, combining them provides a quick and easy way to become more efficient. Software like Infusionsoft and Salesforce allow you to manage several aspects of your business all under one roof. Take Infusionsoft for example. This powerful software offers a robust Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) experience, allows you to automate marketing efforts, and even track sales and accept payments. The best part? It features analytics across all of these features, so you can easily track and reference important business data in one place. Software like the two mentioned above take four or five separate processes and condense them into one easy-to-use piece of business automation.
Thank you to our GD Commerce Partners:
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