#SmallBusinessAdvice

5 workflow planning tools for SME productivity

26 March 2023 4 Mins Read

Are you tired of juggling tasks and deadlines while ensuring your team stays on top of their workloads? As a small and medium-sized business (SME) owner, you know that productivity is crucial to meeting customer orders and addressing queries efficiently. But how can you streamline your processes, allocate resources effectively and increase productivity in the workplace? The answer lies in workflow planning. By mapping out tasks, deadlines, and resources needed to complete a project, you can improve productivity and efficiency. And with the help of digital business tools, you can manage tasks, track progress, and communicate with your team seamlessly. In this article, we introduce the latest workplace productivity solutions so you organise your business’ workflow.

1. Team collaboration

Collaboration among team members is a critical aspect of any successful business. A 2022 survey by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research found that slightly less than half of New Zealand workers have the option of working from home. With remote work and distributed teams a mainstay in the workplace, effective communication can sometimes be a challenge.

To overcome this hurdle, online collaboration tools like Skype, Zoom, and Slack are essential for modern businesses. Features such as chat, audio and video calls, screen sharing, and document sharing provide a platform for seamless communication and collaboration. You can have team meetings, share progress updates, and work on projects together, all in real-time.

Online collaboration tools reduce the time and effort required for face-to-face meetings, boost productivity, and facilitate effective communication and collaboration. Read useful tips that help you improve employee productivity as they work remotely.

2. Task management

Task management is an integral part of project management and an essential aspect of any successful business. It involves organising tasks, deadlines, and resources needed to complete a project effectively. Task management tools and software like Basecamp and Asana offer a user-friendly platform for your employees to start creating tasks and support team collaboration in the long run.

With these top time-saving tools, you can assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and monitor progress in real-time, effectively managing workflow. This ensures all deadlines are met with task delegation and submissions are completed in one place. By implementing a proper task management system, businesses can become more efficient, productive, and successful in achieving their goals.

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3. Social media scheduling

In today's digital age, having an active presence on social media is crucial for businesses to reach out to their target audience. However, it can be challenging to create and share relevant content regularly without sacrificing valuable time and resources. This is where social media scheduling tools like Buffer, SproutSocial, and Hootsuite can help. By allowing you to plan and schedule your social media posts in advance, these tools help you stay consistent and save time.

With features like post scheduling, content curation, and performance analytics, you can manage multiple social media accounts and optimise your strategy. Not only does this improve the efficiency of your social media marketing efforts, but it also ensures that you're engaging with your audience when they're most active. In today's fast-paced business world, social media scheduling tools are a must-have for any organisation looking to maintain an effective online presence and drive sales.

4. Business reporting

In the world of modern business, data is king. Making informed decisions based on accurate information is critical to staying ahead of the competition. That's where business reporting comes in. It's all about collecting, analysing, and presenting data in a way that makes sense and can be acted upon. With powerful business reporting tools like HubSpot's Marketing Analytics and Dashboard software, businesses can unlock a treasure trove of insights into the performance metrics of their social media, blogs, landing pages, emails, and more.

Armed with this knowledge, businesses can adjust their marketing strategies to maximise their impact and drive more sales. Don't just guess and hope for the best – use the power of business reporting to make data-driven decisions and stay ahead of the curve.

5. Logistics management

As a small business owner selling goods online, fulfilling a large order from a distant customer can be exciting yet overwhelming. How do you efficiently manage shipping labels, tracking, and cost estimation, and ensure timely and safe delivery? With MyDHL+, you can easily create and print shipping labels, track the shipment in real-time, and estimate shipping costs.

MyDHL+ is not just a shipping tool – it's a solution to your shipping problems. With MyDHL+, you can streamline your shipping processes, save time, and reduce costs associated with shipping. Business development is integral to logistics; you can ensure that your customers receive their orders on time and in good condition, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty – ultimately maximising profit.

DHL Express’ digital solutions

DHL Express offers a range of shipping options to suit different business needs. Whether you're shipping small or large items, shipping to China or Spain, DHL Express has a shipping option that will work for you. We offer on-demand delivery, express delivery options, and insurance coverage to ensure that your items arrive at their destination safely and on time.