An increasing number of companies are trying to improve their work efficiency by reviewing their operations in order to make them more efficient.
However, there are many ways to improve work efficiency, and many people in charge may be wondering what kind of measures should be taken in their companies. In order to prevent your efforts from becoming a mere formality, you need to find a method of work efficiency improvement that is appropriate for your company.
In this issue, we will focus on how to promote work efficiency, ideas, and recommended tools comprehensively for below people.
- “I want to acquire knowledge about work efficiency improvement and raise employee awareness.”
- “I want to know ideas for improving work efficiency.”
- “I do not understand the procedures to promote work efficiency and am concerned about gaining understanding.”
If you are in charge of such a situation, this article will help you understand the measures you should adopt in your company, and enable you to make efforts to improve your company’s operational efficiency.
Contents
- 1 What is work efficiency?
- 2 Difference from Business Improvement
- 3 What types of operations are suited for work improvement?
- 4 11 ideas and strategies for improving work efficiency
- 4.1 (1) Reduce unnecessary work
- 4.2 (2) Integrate and divide work
- 4.3 (3) Change the business responsibilities
- 4.4 (4) Create SOP and templates
- 4.5 (5) Creating and updating business flowcharts
- 4.6 (6) Share knowledge
- 4.7 (7) Set priorities for operations
- 4.8 (8) Shorten meeting time
- 4.9 (9) Promote remote work
- 4.10 (10) Utilize a database.
- 4.11 (11) Introduce IT tools(Best way)
- 5 The easiest tools to improve work efficiency for your team
- 6 Merits of work efficiency
- 7 How to proceed with work efficiency improvement
- 8 Points to be noted in work efficiency improvement
- 9 Tools that can be used to improve work efficiency
- 10 Summary of how to enhance work efficiency and ideas
What is work efficiency?
Work efficiency refers to the reducing of burden in business operations.
When work efficiency is enhanced, it can reduce costs in terms of time, labor cost, and as a result, it can lead to improved operational speed and business performance.
Specific methods that can be implemented in the long term include the introduction of IT tools, while short-term methods include shortening meeting times and reducing errors. The optimal method varies depending on the industry and type of business, but in many cases, improving information sharing issues can lead to increased work efficiency.
In this way, by realizing the most appropriate method of work efficiency for your company and solving burden in your operations, you can improve profits while reducing unnecessary costs.
Difference from Business Improvement
Business improvement is a method to solve business problems and issues and improve the workflow.
The goal of business improvement is to solve works of meaningless and unevenness in business operations, the term is easily confused with work efficiency. However, the difference is that business improvement is only a means to an end, while work efficiency is an intermediate objective resulting from taking such measures.
The ultimate goal of both is still to make profits, but the step to reach that goal is operational efficiency, and the relationship between the two is that business improvement is the realization of that goal.
What types of operations are suited for work improvement?
In the following, we will explain which operations are suited for streamlining. In general, regardless of industry or content, efficiency can be achieved if it conforms to the following.
Repetitive tasks
First, streamline repetitive tasks.
Repetitive tasks can be handled in the same way each time, and if a manual is prepared, it can be handed over smoothly even if the person in charge is changed.
For example, “submitting a daily log”, “responding to customer inquiries”, and any other “regular” tasks fall under this category.
If you can improve the efficiency of the tasks that are repeated day after day, you can save time, and even a single operational improvement can have a big effect.
Work that is simple in process and easy to standardize
Work that is easy to obtain the same results regardless of the person in charge is suitable for efficiency improvement.
For example, “filling out forms” and “submitting and distributing documents” are tasks with clearly defined rules.
For these tasks, manuals should be created and shared within the company to standardize the work. Also, with manuals, work will not be assigned to a specific person.
If these operations are streamlined, it will help prevent the division of duties and help prevent a decline in productivity due to personnel transfers.
11 ideas and strategies for improving work efficiency
Below are 11 ideas and strategies for improving operational efficiency. There is a difference between those that can be tackled immediately and those that take time to consider and implement, so choose the one that best fits your company.
(1) Reduce unnecessary work
The easiest measure to improve operational efficiency is to reduce unnecessary work.
For example, when you review your daily work, there are tasks that you may feel are unnecessary. By cuting these unnecessary tasks, you can use the free time for other tasks.
Also, automate tasks that do not need to be done manually. Automating tasks saves time and prevents manual errors.
However, if you cut work on your own initiative, you may later find that the work was actually necessary, so it is necessary to discuss the cut of work with the team in advance.
(2) Integrate and divide work
Integrate and divide work as appropriate.
If multiple people are working on the same task or overlapping tasks, consolidate and unify them into a single task for more efficient operations. This is because the number of people in charge of tasks will be reduced, and information sharing will be facilitated.
On the other hand, if there is too much content in one task, it may be more efficient to divide the work into separate tasks. The division of work allows each person to focus on his or her own work, thereby work productivity.
Thus, it is necessary to organize the work by considering whether integration or division of labor would be more efficient.
(3) Change the business responsibilities
One way to do this is to change the responsibilities of the work.
If you understand the strengths and weaknesses of each employee and assign the employee’s area of expertise, the work will proceed without delay, leading to improved operational efficiency.
Another method is to use outsourcing instead of in-house personnel for some tasks. Outsourcing refers to procuring the people and services needed for a job from an outside source through a contract.
Outsourcing reduces labor costs and allows the work to proceed more efficiently because the work is entrusted to competent personnel with specialized skills.
(4) Create SOP and templates
In some cases, creating SOP or template can reduce work time.
SOP containing work procedures and checklists can greatly contribute to uniformity of work quality and reduction of work time. Generally, SOP are read by beginners, so they should be written in an easy-to-understand manner with figures and tables so that they can easily understand the operations.
Templates are also recommended if you are creating documents and other documents in the same format each time. Templates allow you to create documents by simply entering items, thus reducing the amount of time you used to spend on document creation.
(5) Creating and updating business flowcharts
Creating and updating business flowcharts is another way to improve work efficiency.
By creating a flowchart of your work, you will be able to grasp the overall flow of your work, and you will be able to grasp the position of your work and work with awareness of the flow of your work.
This is because you will be able to check the impact of your work progress on other tasks and move accordingly, making it easier to prioritize your work.
In addition, you should periodically review the flowchart you have created to check if there is any unnecessary work. If you report and improve the flowchart as necessary, you can naturally reduce the amount of unnecessary work and work more efficiently.
Knowledge sharing helps improve the skills of the entire team.
When a company or department has a system for sharing accumulated knowledge, each employee can access the knowledge, and as a result, work efficiency can be improved.
Knowledge is “a variety of knowledge that is useful for business operations”, and sharing knowledge helps to prevent the specialization of work and standardize skills.
Especially if you have not accumulated knowledge so far, you should try to share information by keeping knowledge as a document.
(7) Set priorities for operations
Setting priorities for operations is also useful for improving work efficiency.
When the priority of each task is clarified, more resources can be allocated to the highest-priority tasks. Also, you avoid the situation that take stagnate the progress by mistake that taking low priority tasks.
In addition, the clearer the priorities, the easier it will be to find tasks that can be solved.
(8) Shorten meeting time
Keep meeting times as short as possible.
With proper advance preparation, meeting time can be shortened. For example, “read materials before the meeting” or “reduce the number of participants”.
If you do not have to spend extra time in meetings, you can finish your work without having to work overtime, and as a result, you can expect to reduce labor costs, thus killing two birds with one stone.
In addition, if the materials to be distributed are digitized in advance, the time and effort of distributing and checking the contents can be reduced. In other words, accessibility of information can be improved while preventing loss of materials.
(9) Promote remote work
Promoting telework may improve work efficiency.
Remote work is a way of working outside the office. By promoting remote work, commuting time and office costs can be reduced and human resources can be utilized more effectively.
In addition, because work can be done outside the office, employees who are unable to leave their homes due to childcare or nursing care can continue to be employed without having to quit.
However, since an IT environment must be in place to introduce the system, it is necessary to plan the budget and timing of the introduction as early as possible.
(10) Utilize a database.
A database can be used not only to improve work efficiency but also to analyze corporate strategy.
Companies accumulate a variety of data, including customer information. If such information is managed and utilized as a database, it can be expected to improve work efficiency by “reducing the need to search for data” and “speeding up the response to customers”.
In addition, it is also possible to “utilize data from other departments and divisions for projects”, thus making it possible to maximize the use of the information.
In order to create a database, there must be a system that allows centralized management of information. For example, you need a portal site and information sharing tools such as Stock.
(11) Introduce IT tools(Best way)
The best way to improve work efficiency is to use “IT tools”.
If you introduce the right tool for the business you want to streamline, you can solve problems in the fastest way possible and achieve work efficiency more quickly.
However, since there is a difference in available functions and cost depending on the tool, it is better to introduce a tool that has the necessary functions to improve your company’s work efficiency without excess or insufficiency, not because it is a “famous tool” or “operated by a major company”.
The easiest tools to improve work efficiency for your team
Below is the best IT tool that we recommend for improving work efficiency.
While there are many tools that can help improve work efficiency, the functions available for each differ. Therefore, it is essential to find a tool with functions that can clarify and solve the issues your company faces.
However, if you introduce a multifunctional tool for the qualitative reason that “it looks convenient,” employees who are not familiar with IT may not be able to use it. Since work efficiency improvement must be promoted company-wide, selection of tools that are easy to use is required.
Therefore, for a tool that can enhance work efficiency, you should choose Stock, which is simple enough that even a non-IT company employee can use it, and does not overload it with necessary functions.
“Note” of Stock allows you to store internal information in a flow-free manner and view it whenever you need to. The Note also is associated with “Tasks” to manage work and “Messages” to communicate with members, so there is no need to go back and forth between multiple tools.
Stock｜A simplest tool to enhance work efficiency
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock"
https://www.stock-app.info/en/
Stock is the simplest tool to stock information. Stock solves the problem, "there is no easy way to stock information within the company".
With Stock, anyone can easily store all kinds of information, including text information such as requirements, images, and files, using the Note feature.
In addition, by using the "Task" and "Message" functions, you can communicate with each topic described in the Note, so that information is not dispersed here and there and work can always be carried out in an organized manner.
＜Why do we recommend Stock?＞
- A tool for companies that are not familiar with ITYou don't need to have any IT expertise to get started.
- Simple and usable by anyoneStock is so simple that anyone can use it without any unnecessary features.
- Amazingly easy information storing and task managementIt is amazingly easy to store information such as shared information within a company, and intuitive task management is also possible.
＜Stock's pricing＞
- Free plan ：Free
- Business plan ：$5 / User / Month
- Enterprise plan ：$10 / User / Month
Merits of work efficiency
Below, we will explain the merits that can be obtained by realizing work efficiency. The benefits should be made known in order to promote work efficiency throughout the company.
(1) Reduce costs and increase revenue
The biggest merits that can be gained through work efficiency are reduced costs and increased revenues.
Streamlining daily operations can reduce employee overtime, which in turn contributes to the reduction of “excessively incurred costs” such as labor and utility expenses.
In addition, while costs incurred in operations are reduced, employees are also able to work more efficiently, which allows them to broaden their scope of work and concentrate on the tasks they need to focus on. This will help to increase the profitability of the business in the long run.
(2) Reduce the burden on employees
When employees work less overtime as a result of more efficient operations, the burden on employees is reduced.
As a result, employees’ motivation and satisfaction will increase, and their trust in the company will be strengthened.
In addition, if the profits gained from work efficiency improvements are returned to employees as appropriate, it will have a significant effect on preventing the outflow of human resources.
In this way, there is a high affinity between improving work efficiency and creating a comfortable work environment.
How to proceed with work efficiency improvement
This section describes the steps necessary to achieve work efficiency. The following 4 steps can be taken by any company to achieve work efficiency.
Visualization of business flow
First, visualize the workflow in order to “grasp the current status” of the business you want to streamline.
Business flow refers to a diagram that visualizes the relationship between specific tasks by connecting them with arrows. Once you are in a position to objectively analyze the business through the business flow, consider the following points.
- Analysis of the target operations
- Time required for each task
- Status of work execution
- Identification of problem areas
Since the approach method differs depending on each operation, it is essential to first create a visually comprehensible form as a diagram.
Select a method to improve work efficiency
Next to visualization of workflow, you should consider how to improve work efficiency.
First, find out which processes have many problems and consider which tasks could be made more efficient. If you are struggling with tasks to be streamlined, it is recommended to streamline tasks that vary in time and quality from worker to worker, or tasks that are prone to re-doing.
Next, consider “how to streamline” the work you want to streamline. Consider the most appropriate method, such as “using tools” or “dividing operations.
Implement work efficiency improvement
After deciding on the method of work efficiency improvement, implement the work efficiency improvement.
This is because in many cases, even if you proceed with work efficiency improvement in the dark without prior planning, you may not know what the issues are. In particular, it is important to note that cutting back on necessary tasks will in fact result in a decline in work efficiency.
In addition, it is important to set goals and implementation plans (e.g., deadlines, methods, etc.) for improving work efficiency in advance, so that they can be verified and improved.
Repeat verification and improvement
Finally, repeated verification and improvement is also required.
The improvement of work efficiency does not end with the implementation of the plan. Based on the results of the implementation, it is necessary to “verify whether the operations have been streamlined appropriately” and “improve problems that emerged during the implementation”.
In order to avoid wasting the work efficiency improvement plan up to this point, check how much of the goals set in advance have been achieved and whether the work has actually improved.
If verification work can be done, points that need to be improved next can be identified. The same applies to newly emerged points for improvement, and the issues are to be resolved in the same way.
Points to be noted in work efficiency improvement
Below are 5 points to keep in mind when improving work efficiency. Companies that have not been successful in improving their own work efficiency should check to see if any of the following points apply to thier company and try to improve.
Are you cutting necessary tasks?
In improving work efficiency, be careful not to cut necessary tasks.
There are many cases in which seemingly unnecessary tasks have an important role to play. If such operations are cut, there is a possibility that work efficiency will be reduced or stopped.
Therefore, it is necessary to create a workflow in advance and consider whether it is really unnecessary at a practical level. If you are unsure of your decision, refer to the voices of employees working in the field.
Are costs and effort increasing reversely?
Next, check to see if your efforts to make work more efficient have not resulted in an increase in costs and time and effort.
It would be a complete disaster if the implementation of a work efficiency improvement plan results in an increase in costs and work effort. Therefore, it is important to receive feedback from employees after the introduction of the system to confirm whether the work efficiency improvement is contributing to the ease of work.
If there is an increase in effort or cost, it is advisable to either “revert to the previous method” or “consider a new method to improve work efficiency”.
Is customer satisfaction declining?
Even if work efficiency can be improved, it will be meaningless if customer satisfaction declines.
Among the measures to improve work efficiency, there are methods to achieve efficiency through outsourcing or automation, such as outsourcing or introducing IT tools. While the relevant methods are convenient, the process may cause mistakes and customer complaints.
Mistakes and complaints are one of the causes of reduced customer satisfaction, and since it takes a great deal of time to respond to them, if they occur frequently, the improvement in work efficiency will lose its meaning.
To avoid neglecting your customers by prioritizing work efficiency, determine whether you can respond in a customer-friendly manner.
Do you have verification?
Even if you have gone to the trouble of making your business more efficient, it will be meaningless without verification afterwards.
If you only end up with the result of work efficiency improvement, you will not be able to notice what was good in the process and what needs to be improved. It is time-consuming to implement measures in the dark, and the experience gained cannot be used in other operations.
Thus, verification and review are necessary in order to horizontally deploy the experience gained in the process of improving work efficiency.
Tools that can be used to improve work efficiency
Below are 10 tools that can be used to improve work efficiency. Each tool has different characteristics, so check them while considering which one you should incorporate in your company. (Scroll left and right)
| Information sharing tools | Business chat | Groupware | Sales support tools (SFA, CRM, MA) | Online storage | Memo tools | Manual creation tools | Project and task management tools | Workflow systems | RPA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features | ・A tool for storing all kinds of information within a company | ・Business-specific chat tools | ・Tools for streamlining team work | ・Tools specialized for managing and analyzing information related to sales activities SFA: Management of data related to customer negotiation records and orders received during sales activities CRM: Supports nurturing of existing customers MA: Manage information on prospective customers and support acquisition | ・Storing internal data on the internet | ・Tool for keeping memos | ・Tools for creating, editing, and viewing manuals | ・Tools to manage man-hours for projects and tasks | ・Tools that allow you to approve procedures on the system | ・Technology that automates tasks such as desk work using a computer |
| Advantages | ・Centralized information management and sharing ・Reduces the time required for information sharing ・Solves the stress of information sharing | ・No need for greetings and standardized sentences like e-mail. ・Reduction of man-hours wasted on checking recipients and wording. | ・Multiple functions such as schedule management, e-mail functions, and file sharing functions can be used in one system. | ・The system is fully equipped with all the necessary functions for the sales department. | ・Information can be accessed from anywhere with internet environment. ・The system can digitize internal documents. | ・It can be used not only for information sharing but also for personal task management. | ・Manuals can be easily created by simply filling in the required fields. | ・Visualize the progress of each member. ・A notification is sent when a task is about to become due, preventing any omissions. | ・The system allows you to digitize time-consuming paper-based procedures such as expense apps and internal approval requests. ・The progress status of requests for approval can be checked at a glance. | ・It is possible to proceed with business faster and more quickly than with manual procedures. ・In some cases, the system can be used simply by installing it on a PC. |
| Disadvantages | ・Multifunctional tools can be difficult to use. | ・It takes time to find necessary information because of the chat will be buried by other chat. | ・Multifunctional tools may include functions that are not necessary for your company’s business. | ・Tools are specialized for sales departments, so their use is limited. | ・If the tool does not meet security standards, there is a risk of information leakage. | ・As the number of memos increases, there is a possibility of missing shared items and tasks. | ・Because it is specialized for manual creation, there are cases where it is necessary to use it in combination with other tools. | ・Gantt charts and milestones may be difficult to use for non-IT companies. | ・In many cases, there are many functions other than workflow, which may be difficult or expensive to use. | ・Work that requires judgment cannot be automated, so it may not be suitable for certain types of businesses. |
Summary of how to enhance work efficiency and ideas
We have explained how to enhance work efficiency improvement, ideas and recommended tools.
The best way to achieve work efficiency improvement in the fastest possible time is to introduce IT tools. IT tools can significantly reduce operational waste, which is an issue for many companies.
However, not all IT tools can improve efficiency. In particular, multifunctional tools are likely to be difficult for employees who are not digitally savvy to use.
In conclusion, the best way to streamline work efficiency is to use >“Stock,” which can be used intuitively to improve work efficiency even those in a non-IT company.
Free registration takes only 1 minute, so using Stock to improve work efficiency of your team or company.
