New technologies naturally increase the speed with which your employees can work. Pulling a file from an electronic file cabinet from your desk is certainly faster than getting up, going to the file cabinet and getting the documents needed. But the best results don’t come from replicating current workflows using new technology.
With new technology, you want to create new ways of working.
Ideally, you want to optimize the processes of how your people work. For example, you may want to:
- Provide onsite and remote employees with the means and the time to collaborate more easily and effectively.
- Streamline document workflows to reduce time and effort involved with any given task, regardless of where process stakeholders may be.
- Ensure employees have visibility to information and data so they can analyze and inform decision-making faster.
As you implement new technology, one goal should be to minimize manual workflows. Let your technology do the heavy lifting of menial tasks and moving document from one person to another. When you do, you empower your employees to get more done, leaving more time to focus on strategic initiatives.
The key with optimizing user workflows is to keep your focus on "the how" when it comes to user workflows. A good question to start with is, how do these processes need to change for optimal results?
Answering this question will lead you to specific technologies that best support your team's unique workstyles.
