The Ways Brands and Businesses Optimize Staff Workflow with Better Technology

No business will ever perfectly match the staff availability and customer demand. This is a frustrating but common part of business, where downtime will have staff sit idle and, just as importantly, peak times will have more customers than there is staff to manage them. With this problem affecting every busy brand and business the world over, there are some interesting new ways that technology is optimizing staff workloads. Some of these you’ll undoubtedly have experienced already, while others are working behind the scenes to keep your experience streamlined.

Tech-Led Direct Assistance

The most common technology which is helping reduce staff demand is the addition of kiosks and self-pay systems alongside regular registers in a retail business. This doesn’t just reduce the demand on up-front staff, it also allows customers to go about their days with few distractions and the gradual exhaustion which comes with direct interaction. According to recent studies, 66% of customers prefer this method, with 80% of shoppers preferring a non-traditional checkout.

Source: Flickr

Taking the idea of tech-led assistance one step further is the increasing reliance that brands are placing on apps. These can extend the concept of ordering easily and directly, but more high-tech systems take the concern further. AR apps, for example, let users virtually try goods before they buy. This can let customers see how glasses will look before they try them on, or look at how a new piece of furniture will fit in their apartment. This forward-thinking technology is a huge modern hit, saving staff time in explaining features or customers changing their minds.

Of course, tech solutions don’t have to be mechanical, as improved chemical systems have also contributed to freeing up staff hours. Some of the best recent examples here have come through improved cleaning solutions, with the development of 24 hour disinfectant. These products are developed for non-food contact hard surfaces, and once applied, can last up to an entire day. This means that staff only have to clean once a day, rather than at more regular periods, meaning more time to focus on other business activities.

Statistics-Led Roster Analysis

Indirectly, the better application of staff numbers can also be the result of the statistical analysis of busy times and working hours. Time tracking software of this type can let managers see exactly how all their staff are spending their time, enhancing transparency and showing where resources are being used inefficiently. Through the application of this software, it can be possible to detect patterns that humans alone would miss. This includes days when staff are constantly underutilized or overstrained, allowing a reapplication of reshuffling of staff to more appropriate periods.

Source: Flickr

As much emphasis as many brands and businesses like to put on doing things the traditional way to embrace their history when it comes to managing staff, this is an outdated approach. A modern business needs to fully utilize tools in automation, modern apps, improved chemical systems, and statistical analysis to maximize staff potential. Directly or indirectly, these are all factors that customers will appreciate, and they’re increasingly demonstrating the necessity for a new status quo.