4 Ways Technology Can Reduce Stress And Increase Efficiency
With more and more of the workplace being “digitized”, technology is becoming increasingly impactful on daily interactions. It can often be overwhelming with the number of notifications and messages or data you have to enter by hand. However, with the evolution of technology, there are many ways that your day-to-day work life can be improved. Keep on reading to find out how technology can reduce stress and increase efficiency!
1. Automate Repetitive Tasks
One of the most effective ways to reduce stress is to remove those manual and repetitive tasks that plague the workplace. A recent study shows that an overwhelming majority of office workers (87%) would like their employers to start automating repetitive tasks. This would reduce the levels of stress caused by these tedious tasks, and help employees feel more comfortable and impactful in the workplace. Allowing employees to focus on more creative tasks often leads to breakthroughs that can have a great impact on the success of the company, especially compared to what is accomplished through repetitive tasks.
A commonly used software to achieve this level of automation is called Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and can allow you to achieve more with less. RPA allows you to automate those repetitive tasks that employees dislike, and can actually accomplish them faster than a human would be able to. Automating those monotonous jobs can be a win-win situation, removing them from the plate of employees who can be reallocated to other tasks, and finishing them at a faster pace with a 100% accuracy rate.
“The employees that are then allowed to focus on other tasks can work on projects that are more rewarding for both the company and the worker. More productive and entertaining work and less data entry can allow a company to get more out of their employees, and provide workers with more satisfaction during their job.” – says Vladimir Antonovich, Chief Operating Officer of Elinext.com.
2. Project Management Software To Help Keep Things Organized
This is another fine example of how technology can reduce stress when used properly. Keeping track of all the different projects that are actively being worked on can be quite challenging. Especially when they all have multiple sub-tasks and are divided across different teams. Using project management software can help. Basically, it keeps all of that information in one area. Then, you can share it with whoever needs access.
Hive is one of the most popular options that companies are using. It offers a bunch of different and unique features for companies of all sizes. You can view the projects in different formats, such as by individual people and the assignments they have. Or by a big-picture view so you can see all the tasks and their respective due dates.
Hive also offers a timesheet function, which allows you to specify how many hours you spent on each individual project. This allows for accurate time tracking. You can also break a task down into individual “sub-tasks” and split the assignments among multiple employees.
3. Try Using Cloud Software
Some people may be asking, “What is the cloud?” Simply put, it’s a place where you can host all of your data. The cloud is also a secure location online. Some of the best examples are places like Netflix or Google docs. You can access all the movies or documents you need online, without having physical copies of any of them. Being able to access company information or programs from anywhere can help increase efficiency. This also helps to explain how technology can reduce stress. All in all, it makes the life of employees easier by giving them a little more flexibility.
The cloud helps employees be able to work from home more easily. It’s also great to have when employees are traveling for company work, or happen to be working anywhere that there is an internet connection. Traveling or working from home can be very stressful for employees, as you have to make sure you have all the information you need before leaving the office.
With your data in the cloud, you can access anything you need without having to be on location. This allows for flexibility. Implementing different types of cloud software allows your company to adjust quickly to any situation that might arise, and take some of the pressure off of current and future employees.
4. Make Sure You’re Using The Best Communication Tools
Communication is arguably the most important aspect of a business. Without it, you can put your employees in stressful situations and lose precious time in tight situations. There is a fine balance between too little communication and too much. But here are some tools that can help you walk the tightrope between the two.
Slack is one of the notable instant messaging systems for companies of any size and allows quick and efficient communication across your company. Slack provides a great system for those fast and quick questions that otherwise might take a long time to get an answer to. You can also create groups and only include necessary people, which can reduce the number of messages that are distracting third parties. Slack also provides a quick video chat option for smaller groups, but probably isn’t suitable for larger groups or company-wide video chats.
For all large-scale video conferencing needs, Zoom is the go-to software currently. Zoom is a great way for companies to communicate face-to-face with each other. Sometimes online communications are necessary for larger decisions. While Zoom had some issues in the past with security but they are constantly working on, and evolving their security. This way they make sure that you have the most secure meetings possible. There are several different offerings that Zoom has. You should pick the one that would suit your business’s needs the most.
All Things Considered
Some people often view technology as an unnecessary complication, that is just making lives more difficult. However, technology is often the answer to already difficult situations. It can also help save your business a lot of time and stress. Removing repetitive tasks can help give your employees more meaningful and impactful work. And project management software can help make sure everyone is aware of what tasks they are responsible for.
Cloud software can create easy and flexible access to data. And the right communication tools can save your business time and the hassle of constant emails back and forth. Give any of these tools a try! You will see that technology can reduce stress levels as well as make your business more efficient.
