Productivity tools every business needs

A business is only as successful as it is productive, so it stands to reason that entrepreneurs are always seeking ways to increase their staff’s workrate — particularly since one recent study saw workers admit to wasting 3 hours in every 8-hour day. This is a problem further exacerbated by technology, with the same study showing that just under two-thirds of workers “use the internet for personal purposes” on work time.

However, there are many tools available to businesses which can help them improve their productivity through facilitating communication, project management and collaboration, making employees’ jobs easier, and allowing for more work to be done in less time. Here are a few pieces of handy software that could prove essential to your business.

EASA

The spreadsheets you use to organise client information, financial data, or even payroll can easily spiral out of control if they are shared within a team. Crucial formulas can be overwritten by mistake, and out-of-date versions of a document can be sent in error, putting sensitive information, or inaccurate data at risk of being circulated. And while Microsoft Excel is the go-to tool for businesses, having to recreate spreadsheets from scratch in the wake of these problems can put a serious dent in a business’s productivity levels.

However, there are ways to improve Excel’s efficiency through the use of tools like EASA, a program which helps companies convert their Excel spreadsheets into webified forms. This gives users access to data in a secure web portal, eradicating compatibility issues, and enabling multiple users to make use of the same spreadsheet without overwriting any key data. It also allows them to create a fully customised user interface. This can improve productivity by reducing the need to share, copy or edit different versions of spreadsheets, with everything updated within the newly-created app.

Monday

Effective project management allows businesses to be sure that every task is being completed smoothly, and has the potential to hold the whole business together. As such an essential part of any company’s operations, many tech companies are looking to help enterprises maximise their productivity and streamline the way their projects are overseen.

Monday, for example, enables teams to connect and manage projects within a single virtual workplace, comprised of shared task boards. It can help businesses to refine their client strategy, defining clear objectives, and helping to determine the timescales of different projects. It visualizes the progression of any given project, which can improve time management, particularly for those working remotely, who can more easily keep track of tasks, and see where the rest of their team is at.

Insightly

Customer relationship management (CRM) software allows businesses to organize and synchronize customer data and interactions on one platform, streamlining the entire process. Understandably, it has become hugely popular in recent years, with 2019’s figures seeing 87% of businesses utilising the software, compared with just 12% in 2008. These tools are key to a business’s success, helping to strengthen relationships with clients by monitoring all customer interactions and, in turn, increasing productivity through easily accessible, well-organised data.

Tools like Insightly bring together marketing, sales and project management functions into a single platform to keep business processes running productively. CRM platforms also help to speed up daily tasks like data entry, customer interaction logs, and customer service tasks, reducing the amount of time employees spend searching through emails trying to connect with clients.