B elow, we’ve rounded up some top productivity hacks from warehouse to head office that you might not have tried, so you don’t have to sweat the small stuff while you’re on a job.
That thing you’re putting off… do it right now!
We all do it - push that email back another day, postpone a task until next week. Prioritizing your workload means there are those tasks that just aren’t as pressing and you almost never find time to do them. Get those small jobs on the back of your brain out of the way, first thing, before you start anything else that morning. Future you will thank you for it.
We recommend a good Spotify playlist and a project management app to keep track of all those extras. Here at Current, we all use different apps to keep us on the ball, but some of our favourites include Toggl, Teamweek and Wunderlist. There’s nothing more satisfying than ticking off that to-do.
50%
of to-do list items are completed within the first day and many completed within the first hour.*
Apply some warehouse Feng Shui
If your warehouse is getting a little cramped, it might not mean that you need more space, you just need smarter space. Take the time to organize your stock with your normal processes in mind. It’ll make your working environment nicer to be in, safer and more efficient.
A sensible way to approach it would be keeping your frequently used kit nearer to hand and to chuck out any boxes and spares that are just getting in the way. Consider how easy it is to move around the space. Be ruthless. It might take a little bit of time at first, but if you keep it in check you’ll see the benefits when you’re loading kit for a job and everything’s right there.
Remember, there’s no I in team
There’s a famous saying, ‘You’re only as good as your team is,’ and here at Current we completely agree, which is why having a tight system in place that includes every team member is one surefire way to meet your productivity goals. Frequent team catch ups with all departments keeps everyone in the all-important communication loop.
If you’re running a larger operation, it’s especially important for everyone to know what’s needed from each other. Plus, it’s never a bad thing to play to your team’s strengths and reallocate jobs to who can get the task done more efficiently. Promoting a flexible and open work ethic means everyone’s sights stay on working towards a common goal - your business.
86%
of employees say ineffective communication is a big reason for workplace failure.*
Power yourself with reliable software
Having flexible software to plan your jobs and keep track of your inventory and availability goes a long way. Real-time availability gives you the power to secure future jobs, with you knowing exactly what you can and can’t achieve with the kit you’ve got at hand. Access-anywhere functionality like being based in the cloud means you can log in to your software solution when you’re on the move, even if that means you’re on a train, on site, at a show…
It’s not all about the logistics, though. Some rental software can calculate the cost efficiency of your jobs as you put them together for a client, so you know how much profit at a glance that job will bring you. It’s just another way to keep yourself one step ahead and to forward plan your upcoming jobs for months to come.
Barcode scanning for speedy processing
If you don’t already, using barcodes to manage your stock will save you a lot of time. Simply scanning your inventory when you’re preparing a job is a time-saver compared to manually checking and logging each asset as you load it up. Plus, you’ve got a record of exactly which item has gone out, where and when, rather than keeping track of your products in bulk.
There are heaps of affordable barcode scanners available online, too. We recommend getting a bluetooth barcode scanner that operates as a keyboard wedge - this makes it compatible with the barcode scanning functionality within Current. How long barcode scanning takes to set up will depend completely on how much stock you have, but trust us; it’ll be worth it in the end, when all you’ve got to do is click and beep.
46%
of small and medium businesses either don’t track inventory or use a manual method.*
More productivity tips to keep you on your toes:
- Top Ways To Increase Productivity
- 9 Tips to Improve Warehouse Efficiency and Productivity
- 8 Eye Opening Employee Productivity Stats
Stat resources:
- Stat 1: The Busy Person’s Guide to the Done List
- Stat 2: Salesforce
- Stat 3: Wasp Barcode