Resolving issues on productivity

We all know that employee productivity is a big deal for businesses, especially in the service industry. Higher levels of productivity can lead to increased revenues, lower costs, reduced waste, and – ultimately – happier customers.

But how productive are companies these days really? 

The numbers may shock you. According to a recent study by Salary.com, 9 out of 10 employees waste an average of 2-3 hours at work per day. In the US alone, lost productivity is costing companies a staggering $750 billion annually. 

Why is productivity so low?
One can cite a myriad of factors such as social media use in the office, lack of motivation, low morale. But in general, according to a study by research firm PlanView, the No. 1 cause of wasted productivity is simply inefficiency.

A lot of companies are not monitoring productivity, while those that do are not doing it efficiently. Some may be tracking using only Excel or physical whiteboards, which is cumbersome and difficult to scale. 

In some companies, teams and departments are not coordinating with each other when it comes to priorities as well as resource allocation. As a result, managers are making resource decisions blindly without the benefit of correct information.

If these problems are left unresolved, they can cause major losses as well as disruption in operations. 

​One of the ways to address this is through web-based tools for team scheduling and productivity monitoring. These tools make it possible for managers to monitor resources’ schedules and distribute task assignments without any hassle. Resources, in turn, can easily view their assignments and update them when completed. 
Typically, these tools are available for subscription at costs ranging from $10-$100  or more, depending on the number of users or other factors. 
Below is a list of top 5 workforce management tools that have a really good set of features.

Skimpl - free
Resource Guru - paid with trial period 
When I Work - paid with trial period
Weekdone - paid with trial period
Toggl - paid with trial period


The results of having these tools in place are very high.
A good workforce management tool can address problems regarding resource allocation, task management, and productivity monitoring. With such a very low investment, this tool can reduce spending by as much as 40-50%.