With 2021 right around the corner and Covid-19 disrupting the populations of office buildings everywhere, it’s hard to believe that some companies still rely on punch clocks and paper records. A resistance to change and fear of technology are partially to blame for the continued use of what’s familiar and outdated, but, as we get closer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, isn’t it time to take advantage of those tech sales and embrace the many benefits smartphones can offer employers and employees? You might be thinking that the use of smartphones is only for large corporations who can afford the monthly expenses, however even during the pandemic small business owners will benefit from an increase in accountability, environmental sustainability, and efficiency that comes from using smartphones. Here’s how:
1. Accountability
Whether at home, a coffee shop, or a client’s location, working remotely is not only becoming increasingly popular, but necessary to many businesses’ survival. Many managers fear that employees who are not in the office are employees that can’t be managed and will be largely unproductive. The truth is, every business will have less productive employees than others regardless of the environment or incentives. Employees who work remotely are still required to produce quality work and keep a record of their productivity. Admittedly, it’s easy to manipulate records kept on paper versus records kept on an app which are unable to be edited by the user. With the right app, managers can track employees' punches or working times, locations, performance, and productivity. This increase in accountability will lead to an increase in productivity.
2. Environmental Sustainability
Much of the up and coming generations of consumers are concerned with environmental sustainability. Working remotely doesn’t change the fact that time-sensitive paperwork needs to be created, filled out, signed and returned, and saved. Most people do not have a scanner at home, and even fewer will have a fax machine. Smartphones have the capability to instantly fulfill any paperwork requirement electronically. With the ease and security of saving records to cloud based storage, the use of paper-and those boxes of seven years worth of records collecting dust in the storage room-will become a thing of the past. Of course eliminating paper completely will take quite a few years, but a drastic decline in its use will show true brand commitment and impress consumers.
3. Efficiency
For every need, there is an easy to use app: whether it’s to send an email; instantly access past records; securely create, share, and save documents; instant message coworkers; hold video meetings and share presentation material; or track and update project progress. A smartphone is the equivalent of an entire building worth of resources in an employee’s pocket. With the ease and accessibility smartphones provide, many mundane tasks can be automated or completed in a fraction of the time it would take to do by hand leaving employees more time to focus on the things that really matter. For small business owners, there are many apps that can automate payroll leaving more time to promote the business, the brand, consumer connections, and their commitment to environmental sustainability.
The use of technology is far from perfect, but the benefits greatly outweigh any potential frustrations. It’s time to start looking at this mobile technology as a present and an integral way to increase your business’s productivity and bottom line, otherwise you and your business may be left in the past.
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