In modern business, effective workplace communication is not just a necessity; it’s a way to increase productivity and keep human errors at a minimum. As business communication has become more complex, using technology has become a necessity.
But technology use in communication has advanced far beyond simple email and instant messaging. From contact database sharing to workflow tracking software and email tracking tools, there are numerous ways technology can streamline communication processes.
For almost any correspondence pain point, chances are there are technological solutions for your situation. Here are some main areas to implement technology as part of your regular workplace procedure.
1. Instantly Share Contact Information
In most industries, one of the fundamental aspects of efficient communication is having easy access to the most up-to-date contact information. Let’s take the healthcare industry, for example. In hospitals, colleagues need to be able to contact each other immediately if emergencies arise. Even more for professionals like traveling physical therapists who change locations frequently, they must have accurate contact information to ensure efficient care coordination. The overall operation of the hospital also depends on patient and vendor contact information being up to date. If those processes are inefficient, the whole system is therefore inefficient.
Especially if your business is large or growing, using technology for contact databases and sharing is essential. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all choice. You still need to implement the most efficient technology for your specific business.
Digital platforms like Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, or dedicated CRM systems typically maintain centralized databases of contact information. These platforms store a range of information such as phone numbers and email addresses but also allow categorization, tagging, and notes. This ensures that team members not only have access to up-to-date contact information but also any details that give them useful context for best practices.
But it’s not enough just to have programs sync to each other. Nowadays, more and more people perform significant portions of their job from a mobile device. Therefore, contact information updates need to be instantly available on mobile devices. If your business uses common email providers such as Gmail or Outlook, syncing information is an easy process. Make sure it’s standard onboarding procedure to instruct new hires how to share contacts for iPhone/Android devices.
Having up-to-date contact information from day one can greatly reduce time-sucking information requests. Any time you provide channels for people to access information rather than request it, there’s a good chance it will improve efficiency.
2. Utilize Workflow Tracking Software
In today’s fast-paced work environment, managing tasks and projects efficiently is crucial for meeting deadlines and achieving objectives. However, traditional methods of task management, such as spreadsheets or email chains, can easily let tasks fall through the cracks. Why? The problem is that spreadsheets and emails fall short of providing real-time visibility, structured collaboration, and assignment capabilities.
This is where workflow tracking software, also known as project management software, comes into play. Platforms like Trello, Asana, Monday.com, and Jira offer user-friendly interfaces that can organize thousands of individual projects and tasks. Anyone wanting to check in on a project’s progress can see all the information from the workflow’s creation. They can see what has been completed, who the outstanding tasks are assigned to, and how long those people have had the task. Notifications can also be set up to alert team members of stagnated tasks, making sure delays don’t occur due to sheer forgetfulness.
The type of workflow tracking software you implement should be chosen with great care. With more robust software, your teams can create visual boards, checklists, or timelines that represent their projects and tasks. Then, each task can be assigned to specific team members, along with deadlines, priorities, and status updates. Businesses that only have a handful of ongoing projects at any given time will likely want the ease of use of a simpler system.
3. Harness Email Tracking Software
Email remains one of the primary modes of communication in the workplace. In the past, once you sent an email it was just a waiting game to get more information through a response. To truly optimize email communication, organizations need insights into how recipients engage with their emails. Otherwise, an unanswered email just gets lost in the aether.
Email tracking software provides valuable analytics and insights into email interactions, such as open rates, click-through rates, and response times. Platforms like HubSpot, Mailchimp, Mixmax, and Yesware offer features that allow users to track email campaign performance and individual messages.
Furthermore, most email tracking software often includes features like email scheduling, follow-up reminders, and automated responses. This helps automate communication workflows and ensure timely responses by lessening the potential for human errors and memory lapses.
Another interesting result of email tracking is keeping everyone honest. Clients can no longer claim they never received an invoice if you have tracking evidence showing the invoice email was opened three times. If recipients know you’re using tracking software, they are more likely to be upfront about their intentions and operate in good faith.
In conclusion, technology offers a plethora of tools and solutions to enhance communication efficiency in the workplace. From sharing contact information to utilizing workflow tracking software, organizations have access to a wide range of resources to minimize wasted time.
