Wouldn’t it be great if we could do more with less?
Especially right now. People are stretched thin, every business under the sun is dealing with internal and external pressure, and there’s a challenge to maximize the resources we have available to us.
The combo of an ongoing global recession, frontline worker churn, and inflationary pressure is stacking the deck against any business looking to be and stay profitable.
When spending plummets and revenues fall, it’s easy for your first instincts to be to cut costs and for the real initiatives that drive long term success, motivate your frontline and make them stay to be relegated to “nice to haves” rather than essentials. This means business leaders often double down on meeting the most basic needs of their workforce, like increasing pay, rather than strategically investing in the resources and tools that make a significant impact.
It doesn’t have to be like this. With a clear focus and smart solutions, it’s possible to have higher customer satisfaction, lower costs, bigger revenues AND more engaged employees.
It may sound too good to be true but, with the right tools, it’s possible to optimize your business more effectively and manage your workforce more efficiently all while keeping your employees engaged and motivated - and, therefore, protecting your profitability.
Here’s three ways to get started:
Wave goodbye to time-consuming admin
Let’s face it, admin isn’t the most exciting task in the world, and it can be a sure-fire morale killer. The good news is, unnecessary admin is swiftly becoming a thing of the past.
With the help of AI and the right tools, it’s easy to slash the time it takes to perform admin-heavy tasks like creating schedules, running payroll, and generating demand forecasts. For example, the time it takes to run payroll can be reduced from days to mere hours, and complex schedules and forecasts can be created quicker and with greater accuracy. For example, AI-powered demand forecasting helped Roadchef get 95% forecast accuracy, happier employees, and a better supply and demand fit.
This time saved on administrative work, means that your managers can spend more time training their staff, developing your business or focusing on sales and your customers. Everybody wins!
Help the frontline shine and they’ll boost your business
Your frontline workers are your superstars. They’re the lifeblood of your business. If you neglect their needs then your business is going to suffer.
Think of it this way - imagine you're a high performance athlete. If you don’t listen to your body and fail to give it the time, care, and attention it deserves then the chances of it performing to the best of its abilities are pretty slim.
The same is true for your frontline workers. Taking the time to invest in them and make their personal and professional wellbeing a priority will reward you tenfold. With 62% of frontline workers saying they experience work-related stress (with a lack of flexibility being the main stress trigger) there is huge scope for improvement.
The good news is some of the best ways of doing this - things like listening to your employees’ needs or prioritizing mental wellbeing - cost absolutely nothing yet can have a huge impact on employee engagement and retention.
Find a solution that’s the perfect fit
When you find the right software for your business it can truly be a game-changer. Far too often we get sucked into the trap of looking for software packed with features and functionality but all these don’t matter one bit if the software is too complex for your frontline workers to actually use effectively.
Businesses that rely on frontline workers are desperate to find software solutions built with modern IT architecture, that include communication components, and have everything in one place.
This last point is crucial. You need a united technology front where your employees have everything under one roof and don’t have to rely on managing a multiverse of different apps every day, especially as a third of the frontline workforce say they use four or more apps and digital tools in their work.
Software is only a benefit if it's actually used by your end users. There’s no point in investing in tools that your employees simply won’t use or they find too hard to use. When you’re making the decision to invest in new software, make sure you check out adoption rates and user reviews.
At first, doing more with less can seem like a daunting task. But what if you saw it as an opportunity? An opportunity to not only survive, but to pioneer new ways of working so you can thrive both now and into the future.
If you want to dive further into all the ways you can do more with less then check out our A to Z guide that’s jam-packed with tips, tricks, and solutions that will give you a more engaged and productive frontline workforce alongside a more profitable and successful business.
