Entry Software Corporation

Entry

Resource Management

How to Incentivize Productivity

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The last thing a manager or workplace wants is laziness or a lack of productivity. When workers aren’t properly motivated to get a task done, there’s a high chance the company will not succeed. Therefore, a solution can be inspiring the workforce to be as productive as possible, and doing so will improve the health of the workers, managers, and the company as a whole. Businesses who master the art of incentivizing productivity are those who can rise the quickest and achieve the most success in the fast-paced market we live in. Below are a few tips on how to motivate workers to push their productivity to the next level.

Set Quotas

One of the essential motivators for everything that humankind has accomplished in the modern world is neccesity. Using this strategy can help to get simple tasks done better and faster as well. This doesn’t mean employees should be scared while working, but quotas can be important for keeping track of everyone’s productivity and helping workers realize when they are slacking off. Start by measuring the current rate at which each employee gets work done, and set a goal or requirement for the next month that is higher than their current output, or one that is more realistic to make the employee of value to the business. When standards are set higher and employees know that they will be rewarded or penalized based on the amount of work they complete.

Make it Competitive

Humans have the instinctive nature to be on top, or to at least be as good as those who surround them. In the office, if multiple employees are doing the same job or are measured in the same way, (friendly) competition can have a huge positive effect on the amount of work that each individual completes. Having a simple tally board that displays how many units sold, projects completed, or clients attained by each worker in a given time period will push those with a competitive mindset to go further. Better yet, offer an incentive for the top 1-3 performers like a bonus, gift card, or material gift each month to set their drive on fire. If there is an opportunity to move up the company’s ladder, tracking results publicly will also show employees what it takes to get a promotion or raise over their co-workers.

Offer Rewards along the Way

While financial rewards for small goals like commision and bonuses don’t work for many companies, there are tons of ways that employees can be rewarded for completing lots of quality work. Even work that doesn’t directly correlate with revenue can come with incentives, which can grow for larger achievements to push employees even further. Take, for example, a janitor at a restaurant. They have no direct impact on sales, nor do they have a target laid out for how clean the restaurant should be. if a building starts to get dirty more often and customers complain about it, then it is often most effective for the restaurant to increase the janitor’s motivation through small or non-financial rewards. For example, a new rule could be set so that every time a customer compliments the cleanliness of the business, the worker gets credit for a free meal or side item of their choice. If a month goes by without a single complaint, then the janitor could be recognized publicly with an employee of the month signs or another award of recognition.

Here is a tool that can help.

Tracking time, Service Requests and Project Tasks for Resource Management Insight

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To successfully manage an IT department, it is imperative to understand the anticipated roles of your team, as well as how they actually spend their time between tasks, projects and operational duties.

Many companies have developed piecemeal systems to provide this insight, using multiple tools and systems to keep track of daily tasks, responsibilities and major projects. For example, you may use shared calendars for assignments and due dates, email to manage incident requests, company time sheets for time recording, and spreadsheets to manage major project milestones and tasks.

When Piecing Things Together Isn’t Enough

As organizations grow and new technologies become available, some IT departments have taken management a step further by implementing software tools to help them do their jobs better and more efficiently. Systems that can alleviate some of IT’s common pains include:

  • Time management solutions, like Timefox, let users track time, pull reports on time spent on projects and tasks, set estimates for projects and pull personnel reports.
  • Help desk solutions, such as HEAT, aid in the ticketing process from reception through resolution. Users can accept, assign and manage tickets all in one location.
  • Project management solutions, like Basecamp, allow users to manage multiple projects, to-do lists and milestones across the whole team. In addition, individuals can share files and messages, centralizing communication about assignments.

While each of these systems can be useful on their own, the unique needs of IT departments often require a combination of all three — a solution found in work management software.

With a single interface for time tracking, ticket management and project management, work management software includes all of the features mentioned in the solutions above, without the need for multiple platforms.

Benefits of Increased Insight

The unique toolset included in work management software gives you, the IT manager, one place to look for keen insight into your team’s performance. This enables you to keep projects and tasks on track, better assign workflow and keep your department working together as a cohesive, efficient unit. For example:

  • Know where your employees’ time is going. Are higher-level employees being burdened with menial tasks? Are employees using their time effectively?
  • Keep the right work with the right people based on strengths, experience and availability.
  • Assign tasks, run reports and have clear views of all projects and their statuses.
  • Identify weak links and top performers, and reward those employees whose productivity and efficiency stand out among the crowd.
  • Use knowledge-sharing tools and insight from timesheets to improve overall efficiency.

The key is to choose a system that works best for you and your team. If you’re currently struggling with managerial oversight of your IT department, a time-tracking, ticket-management, project-management or work-management solution may be a worthwhile investment.

IT managers, how do you keep track of your team?

Innovate IT and Foster Company-Wide Innovation

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One of IT’s key functions is to provide quality customer service to end users. Specifically, the department is responsible for deploying new technologies that can help employees do their jobs better.

  • Pro-actively managing hardware, software and data.
  • Decreasing downtime of end-user machines by providing break-fix and troubleshooting services.

Consumerization of IT and a Shift in Priorities

However, as the consumerization of IT continues, companies will provide employees with more flexibility regarding device usage — including adoption of the growing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend. With this fundamental shift in enterprise technology, IT’s role will likely transform from one focused on deliverables, to one that is focused on consultation and support. [Read more…] about Innovate IT and Foster Company-Wide Innovation

What to Do if You’re Overwhelmed as a Project Manager

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Overwhelmed by your project

Helping the Overwhelmed Project Manager

No one ever likes to admit they’ve taken on too much. No one ever wants to say, “I just can’t do this.” No one wants to quit. No one sets out to fail. But there does come a time when you may need to throw in the towel – maybe not just that the project has failed beyond the point of saving. Maybe it’s us – maybe we can’t handle this project. It could be technology. It could be the team. It could be the fact that we’re trying to manage five active projects at once and they’re all in the same stage of activity at the same time – like maybe all in fire drill mode. Let’s look at three situations where you might find yourself, as the project manager, in over your head and how to deal with each situation.

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How to Calculate the ROI of Work Management Software

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Calculating the ROI of Work Management Software

As a manager, you are always looking for ways to cut costs and increase profits for your workforce. To achieve this, key areas IT can optimize include human resources, customer satisfaction and software application costs. Combined work management software can have an effect on this.

Typically IT departments use separate applications to provide insight into these areas — project management, help desk support, operations management and time tracking. Work management software is a solution that brings all of these pieces together, allowing you to streamline processes and access business information in one place.

By using a single platform to organize your employees and their work, you can see a return on your investment in the following areas: [Read more…] about How to Calculate the ROI of Work Management Software