Increase Productivity with Staff Optimization

Generating higher productivity by saving employee time & effort.

Generating higher productivity by saving employee time and effort is all about finding inefficiencies, developing better processes and using data to prove efficacy. Then rinse and repeat. What’s driving this renewed focus on doing more with less? The latest NetSuite survey suggests a few causes:
  • 40% of managers say leadership doesn’t understand how staffing shortages affect their ability to meet goals. 
  • 80% of managers say their teams struggle to meet obligations because of talent shortages (21%), material shortages (19%), and poor tools and processes (23%). 
  • Asked how to best resolve these issues, and the top response was “improve efficiency.” 

Managers are realizing that throwing money at the labor problem is no longer a viable option.

As long as demand outpaces supply, the most effective solution is staff optimization. Discover how to run your teams more efficiently in this guide.

The labor market is an ever-changing environment, with demand often outstripping supply. That’s why many businesses are turning towards staff optimization as a way to increase productivity while keeping costs down. But what exactly is staff optimization and how can it help your business?

In short, staff optimization is the process of making efficient use of the resources that you already have. It means taking a close look at current processes and tools to identify inefficiencies and then implementing new strategies or tools that are designed to save time and effort. This can include anything from automating manual processes to introducing new technology that can streamline operations.

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When done correctly, staff optimization can increase productivity significantly while also saving time and money.

It can help reduce errors caused by human error, free up resources for other tasks, reduce costs associated with hiring new staff members or outsourcing services.

In addition, it can help create a better working environment for employees by eliminating mundane tasks and allowing them to focus on more meaningful work.

If you’re interested in taking advantage of staff optimization to increase productivity, there are a few steps you can take. 

  • First, assess your current processes and tools. Identify where inefficiencies lie and come up with potential ways to streamline operations.
  • Next, invest in the right training so that your employees know how to use the tools efficiently. Finally, track results using data so that you can adjust as necessary and maximize efficiency gains over time.

Developing capability and skills within their team is one of the biggest responsibilities for a CFO, according to Jeanneret, BioPak’s CFO, whose strategy is to build teams and processes that make her involvement minimal. “Empowering people is one of the most critical parts to what you do as a CFO. People need to be ready to make decisions when you’re not there, so you don’t get burdened down with every decision,” she said. “A CFO needs the skills to develop people, to be approachable and work together with your team to resolve issues and empower them.” 

For Mike Hirschowitz, CFO of a fast-casual Mexican chain, Guzman Y Gomez, automation and the adoption of ERP platforms like NetSuite mean the business needs fewer people to do menial tasks. Instead, they’re able to use employees to add value, help increase revenue and reduce costs to contribute more to the ongoing performance of the business. This is where CFOs must focus on training and developing the skills of their teams, fostering a learning environment to help employees excel in different areas.

Increasing productivity through staff optimization is becoming increasingly important for businesses looking to stay competitive in today’s market. By taking the time to assess current processes and tools, investing in the right training, and tracking results using data, you can ensure that your business is able to maintain the highest levels of efficiency while also reducing costs.

As finance becomes less and less of a “back office” function, it’s time for CFOs to steer the hiring strategy and invest in developing their teams, internally upskilling and bringing in the right talent where necessary to cultivate trusting relationships. The changing nature of work adds more complexity to this. With many organizations expected to maintain remote working in some form, CFOs must work closely with their teams to develop a new approach to the workplace. As they move to online systems, like videoconferencing and chat, impacts the ability to build relationships; CFOs must work even harder to establish effective ways of collaborating with employees.

Check out how we took our customer’s Mock Product Recall from 90 hours to 1.5 hours HERE.

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