Becoming unfit isn’t what anybody plans, it's something that usually goes unnoticed.
And the same thing happens with our businesses - over time, it’s inevitable that systems and ways of working start to become a little…saggy.
Processes that once purred like a Formula 1 engine are liable to start sounding more like a second-hand banger. And any kind of misfiring system will have an impact on your company’s bottom line.
The cumulative impact of lots of small inefficiencies can have a stifling effect on a business. It’s a particular problem when you’re managing mobile workers due to the challenging and competitive nature of the work.
So it really does pay to give your company the business equivalent of a good gym session now and again. To identify and tackle those areas of the organisation that are ‘out of shape’.
Here’s a look at some ways to boost efficiency and reduce mobile workforce costs:
- Purge your paper
- Reduce company 'footprint'
- Cut wasted journeys
- Manage your mobiles
- Make flexibility your friend
Purge your paper
If your business still relies on bits of paper to manage its mobile workers then…stop. It’s not just the slow, error-prone and inefficient processes it creates, it’s the actual business costs associated with paper.
It’s the paper itself; it’s the printers, photocopies, ink cartridges, shredders and the postal costs incurred. The emergence of digital communications and workforce management systems provides a fast and efficient alternative to any paper processes and significantly boosts mobile workforce productivity.
Reduce company ‘footprint’
One of the benefits of moving towards digital ways of working is that it completely changes the way we’re able to use space. With cloud technology and digital storage, offices and depots are no longer the only way to access information.
There’s no longer a need to store paper documentation or to have all of the office equipment associated with paper ways of working. It opens up the possibility to downsize the workspace required - significantly reducing costs.
Cut wasted journeys
One of the biggest costs for any business providing mobile services is going to be fuel. It’s an area where even seemingly trivial inefficiencies, when multiplied over time, can lead to serious losses.
A good digital workforce management system can automatically create a schedule from a list of jobs which reduces distance and saves time. By providing information digitally, you can also remove the need for workers to constantly drop off and pick up paperwork from offices or depots.
Manage your mobiles
With more companies now using smartphone apps to manage and monitor their employees, the costs of mobile services and data plans is one area where savings can be made.
One effective approach is to supply employees with work smartphones, allowing companies to take advantage of cost-effective pre-paid plans. By providing smartphones, the devices can also be customised and controlled to limit their use to business related purposes.
Make flexibility your friend
Unless your company is a sparkly new start-up, your organisation is likely to have a fairly traditional structure based on the ideas of office based ‘nine-to-five’ working. But the move to digital working means a much more flexible approach can be adopted when it comes to how, when and where employees operate.
Remote working, job sharing and more flexible hours provide businesses with the ability to mould working practices which are better suited to the organisation’s specific needs. Employees also benefit from as it gives mobile workers the option to adapt their working patterns to something which is a better to their individual circumstances.
So if your mobile working company is starting to develop a slight paunch, there are plenty of practical ways to tighten things up and reduce those business costs. By making the most out of digital management, you will find simple and effective ways for your organisation to achieve more, for less.
MyMobileWorkers is a digital workforce management system which provides a smarter and more efficient way to manage field workers.
