Four Tips to Improve Workflow and Efficiency

From unnecessary virtual meetings to a constant flow of email, there are many barriers to efficiency. It’s not unusual to work hard all day without crossing anything off your to do list. While you can’t cut down on every time waster, you can take steps to manage and improve workflow. Here are four tips you can use to help increase productivity.

1. Increase communication

One of the biggest productivity killers is miscommunication. Without consistent updates, it is easy to think others are accomplishing tasks or working on a project, when in reality the task has not been started. Encourage open lines of communication with the ability to ask questions and schedule regular updates to track team progress. This is especially critical when members of your team are working remotely.

2. Limit distractions

Employees report the number one distraction at work is web browsing and social media use. If you find yourself or your team members falling into this category, schedule social media breaks a few times a day instead of allowing yourself to constantly scroll. If you need more discipline, download an app that limits or eliminates your daily access to surfing the web and wasting valuable time on the clock. We recommend Self Control, a free app to limit distractions for Mac, and StayFocusd for blocking sites in Google Chrome.

3. Use quality office supplies

Make sure you have the right office supplies to keep the workday moving. Low quality paper can result in paper jams, wasted time, and low-quality print jobs. Save yourself the headache and invest in high-quality paper. Boise POLARIS^®, Boise^® ASPEN^®, and Boise^® X-9^® all offer a 99.99% Jam-Free^® Performance Guarantee, making them worry-free options that will consistently print the look you desire for your documents.

4. Optimize organization

Whether you’re in your business office or home office, organize areas around your workspace based on the tasks that are commonly completed there. Not only will this speed up the completion process, but it’ll help eliminate time wasted spent searching for specific supplies. For example, make sure you have a stocked printer station with paper, extra ink, stapler, paper clips and file folders all at the ready.