Each technological advance changes the way that we work, as we’ve seen with the invention of email, laptops, mobile phones, and wireless internet. Although technology can at times suck us into a mindless vortex of scrolling through social media posts, it can also be an incredibly useful tool for boosting our productivity at work.

If you’re looking for ways to improve the efficiency of your workplace, have a read of these five tips below:

1- Consider a Cloud-based Phone System

Increasing numbers of small businesses are looking to the cloud for cost-effective business solutions for data storage, but did you know that you can also invest in cloud-based business-grade phone systems? Cloud PBX providers like Broadvoice can set up your phone system to allow team members to access full phone-system functionality from wherever they are. This means that business calls don’t need to wait until you’re in the office, and your company is fully equipped for remote team members. You can also record call activity and manage your voicemail online.

Your VoIP PBX provider will manage these phone systems, allowing you to save time and resources on upgrades, system maintenance, and new user setup.

2- Turn Off Phone and Email Alerts

To avoid distractions and allow yourself to concentrate entirely on the task at hand, try temporarily switching off your phone and your email alerts. While some people try to complete multiple tasks at once to achieve maximum efficiency, research has shown that multitasking is generally less efficient. Technology makes us constantly contactable, but you can choose to set up your phone and computer to carve out time to focus. You can schedule time throughout the day to answer emails and respond to phone calls.

3- Automate Where Possible

With AI technology advancing rapidly, it’s worth investigating how you can save valuable time in areas like data collection and analysis. With the right knowledge, you can automate many of your company’s online reports, from Google Analytics to weekly orders. An automated report will be 100% accurate, consistently formatted and always punctual. Most importantly, automation will also free up your time to dedicate to strategic business activities.

4- Use Project Management Software

Project management software is invaluable for businesses with teams of people collaborating. This software can be used for project planning, scheduling, allocating resources, communication, sharing files, and much more. It gives you the ability to capture progress and record data from each project for easy tracking while providing a comprehensive reference for future planning. Having a set and transparent process in place allows each team member to know what tasks they need to complete and when they should be finished by, as well as having all the information they require to get started in one place.

5- Online Shared Documents

Utilizing cloud-based online documents is another big productivity booster. Multiple team members can share, comment on and contribute to a working file in real time no matter where they are, as long as they have a decent internet connection. Sending comments and questions via email has a large margin for error and frequently causes delays as people’s emails back up, resulting in lost information and overlooked queries. Cloud-based document collaboration keeps all progress in one place, making it easy to follow and avoid version control issues.

The application of productivity solutions in the workplace is extensive, offering countless methods that’ll help to make your organization more efficient. Rather than being left in the dark ages, follow the above tips to get your workplace running smoother than ever.