We’re all looking for ways to increase efficiency and productivity in the workplace. Saving a few minutes each day on tasks can make a significant difference in the long-run and in the overall profitability of the business. With any tech transformation project, it’s important to find the right product and the right way to implement it.
We’ve compiled a list of our top tech recommendations for saving time and money and the benefits you should communicate to employees to get them on-board.
Travel Booking and Information
Savi
When it comes to booking corporate travel you probably didn’t think it could be more efficient than using an Online Booking Tool. You simply enter your travel dates and book your trip right?
At Corporate Traveller we have taken it one-step further by introducing an Online Booking Tool powered by Artificial Intelligence. Savi’s intuitive platform creates a seamless experience through personalisation and predictive booking. With interactive itineraries and a user-focused design, it aims to reduce time, costs, and the back-and-forth between bookers and travellers.
BENEFITS: Time saving for bookers and travellers, predictive experience to reduce load on booker, better reporting and compliance.
Sam :]
Business travellers are often the most in need of finding greater efficiencies. Whether they’re heading interstate or internationally for a meeting, being away from home and their usual surroundings can put a strain on their experience. That’s where Sam :] comes in. Sam (Smart Assistant for Mobile) is our pocket travel assistant, designed to improve the traveller experience by having all the necessary information right at their fingertips.
Travellers can access their travel itinerary, access reminders for online check-ins, receive notifications on flight status, gate changes, weather and traffic reports and more. The benefits don’t end there! They can also upload their expenses on the go, share their trips with family/friends, access restaurant recommendations, and contact their dedicated travel manager.
BENEFITS: All required travel information in one easy-to-access and read app. Increased efficiency through time savings, and increased productivity and employee mental health through local information and resources.
Team Communication
In a world where we have a multitude of ways to communicate with each other, there are some conversations that get lost or clog up emails. Worse still, is that in today’s modern open-plan offices, colleagues can regularly interrupt each other with conversation whether our colleagues want to be involved or not.
Slack
Tools like Slack are a great way to provide employees with a chat system to use for simple questions of colleagues that don’t require urgent answers. Slack’s features include:
- Private chat options
- Private group chat options
- Customisable group ‘channels’ for different topics
- Calling (voice and video) – great for international team members
- Weekly reports to the admin on team usage (e.g. number of messages sent etc)
- Do not disturb hours – so you can send colleagues messages, but they won’t be notified until morning
The platform provides a free plan for small teams, then larger plans, and even an enterprise version. You can integrate documents and a range of apps for workplace productivity. It’s definitely worth a look into Slack.
BENEFITS: Increased efficiency in team communication, integration with existing programs, non-invasive communication.
Online File Storage
Flexible working arrangements are a big trend in the corporate space, offering employees the opportunity to work from home. With a shorter commute and a relaxed feel, employees are likely to be less stressed and happier as they spend more time with family. A major obstacle with working from home can be access to the files you need to complete your job. IP address restrictions, additional logins, and secret-key tokens can all make the process quite complicated. There is now a shift for companies to use online file storage solutions to combat this issue. Online file storage allows employees to work from anywhere with an internet connection. If they have to work from home, they don’t have to copy everything on their computer or email anyone for files.
Google Drive
If your organisation has their email addresses setup through Google, then you’ll automatically have access to Google’s suite of products including Google Drive. Drive is great for online file storage and collaboration with version control, different permission levels, and the ability to have multiple people work on the same document at the one time. If your emails aren’t setup through Google, you can still setup a drive account using your work email.
Dropbox
Dropbox is another online file storage tool loved by many. You can access the files through the web, or even setup Dropbox as a folder system on your computer. It’s a great way for teams to collaborate and store files if they’re working remotely.
BENEFITS: Increased efficiency for flexible working arrangements, increased productivity for group projects, ability for employees to work remotely while travelling.
It must be noted that depending on your business you may need to take into consideration security/access concerns. It’s best to consult with your IT department or partners to find the best solution for you.
Project Management
Collaborations within teams and with other teams can be difficult regardless of whether you’re in the same building or not. Project management tools like Trello, Basecamp, or Monday are a great way to record conversations and decisions, as well as provide files, feedback, and deliverables. There are a multitude of project management tools that you could consider, and we definitely encourage you to look further afield than the three we’ve listed.
Trello
Trello is a project management tool for great team communication. It has comments/feedback options, checklists and due dates, and works real-time so you’ll know you’re always looking at the latest information. It has two paid tiers starting at $9.99USD per user/month and $20.83 per user/month but does offer a free version without a time limit so you can determine whether it’s the right tool for you before you buy.
Basecamp
Basecamp is another possible project management solution for your business. You can setup different teams for access purposes, and work within a team or across different teams for projects. It manages message boards, to-do lists, schedules, and files. You can try it for free for 30 days, and then Basecamp has one pricing model at $99USD per month regardless of the number of users.
Monday
Monday project management allows for greater customisation to your business. You can pick templates and alter them to suit what you need. You can plan timelines, track progress, and monitor projects. Monday is used by teams for collaboration and daily task assignment, not just large-scale projects. Check out their website to see how companies have used it for HR, Marketing, Managing Clients, and Development projects.
BENEFITS: Team accountability, increased productivity by reducing meetings, everyone is in the loop.
Please note, the pricing information is current at the time of publishing this article.
Time Tracking
Some tech apps literally help you save time, by helping you track time. It’s a great way to find out where your employees are spending their time, particularly if your company runs on a by-the-hour pricing model for your clients. You can track how profitable your projects truly are.
Clockify
Clockify is a free time tracking software available on the web and as an app. It’s easy to understand design makes time tracking simple. You can setup different clients, projects, and staff members. You’ll have a dashboard and reports to understand what time is being spent where. The best part? It’s completely free and always will be.
Toggl
Toggl is another great solution for time tracking software. It has a 30-day trial period so you can try before you buy. Then pricing varies based on the size of your business and the features you want. It has the ability to track time, set tracking reminders, schedule reports AND provide information on project and employee profitability.
BENEFITS: Individual accountability, profitability reporting, transparency over tasks.
Change Management Tips
Whatever technology you decide to implement in your business, you will need to consider how you take care of the change management process. Change management is the process and tools used to manage the people side of a new project or technology being implemented. It is critical to the success of any implementation or change within a business to ensure that employees are on-board with the decision and are comfortable with the change.
What are the key steps in introducing new technology?
Involve the right stakeholders and ensure that you include them early. Consider who might be likely to resist the change, as well as who is likely to positively influence other’s perceptions of the change. These will be key people to your change management.
Develop a roadmap with key communication points, meetings and milestones – then communicate this to the staff. If the plan changes, make sure you communicate this to staff straight away and be transparent about the reasoning. This will ease any concerns and reduce the likelihood of misinformation being distributed.
Ensure the staff know the benefits and how this is going to impact their day-to-day. Then make sure they’re ready for the launch with pre- and post-launch training. For more information on change management for technology read our Switching tech doesn’t have to be painful article.
Ready to Get Techy?
The best thing to do is to consider where technology may be able to improve your business and research the offerings within that space. If you’re looking to streamline your travel, then talk to your dedicated Travel Manager to discuss what Corporate Traveller tech solutions might best suit you.