We live in a world where there’s an app for everything- from monitoring how you walk, talk, and even breathe. So, it is no surprise that there are so many apps to manage workflow and improve productivity. In other words, the market is flooded with productivity apps of all kinds, highlighting that technology plays a massive role in boosting employee productivity.
What is the Need For Employee Productivity Apps?
Basically, productivity is a measure of how efficiently a person completes a task. Honestly though, the term “productivity” means different things for different people. When it comes to productivity at work, even three hours of sincere work can be as productive as working all day.
Obviously, there’s no easy way to ensure or measure productivity. Manual methods like surveys and meetings are a choice, but they are too time-consuming and unreliable. This leaves us with a question: How will employers ensure employee productivity and optimum results?
Here’s where productivity apps can make a world of difference.
Team productivity rides high on four fundamental aspects:
- Collaboration
- Mutual trust
- Transparency
- Communication
Productivity apps are engineered with technical features like time tracking, real-time analytics, screen and video shots, multi-view dashboard, deadline alerts, and more to instill and improve these aspects.
Using the app is easy, but the choosing part is difficult, especially with so many options. When you don’t know what you’re looking for, the choices can become overwhelming since finding the right app or tool for your business can be challenging. Despite the fact that team productivity apps may offer the same functionality, their limitations differ based on their price ranges or the number of users they support.
Here are some guidelines to simplify your task of choosing productivity apps for your employees.
Picking Your Productivity App: Company Requirements to Keep In Mind
Before taking the plunge and signing the cheque for your productivity app, you will want to ensure it aligns perfectly with your business. Why? The reason is simple: There are several team productivity apps designed for various businesses. There are apps for one-man teams, startups, and full-fledged businesses with large teams.
Getting a tool that suits your team size can save money and provide specific functionality. Thus, its best to gather the following details:
1. Number of employees
Even if you have a productivity app packed with features, most will only be helpful if you have a big enough team.
2. Number of departments
When the responsibilities of each department vary within a firm, having a tool with collaboration features would be a good choice. The various departments can easily collaborate on the same project using the device.
3. Location of employees
The current workplace scenario has employees of all kinds- in-house, remote, traveling, and hybrid. Your productivity app must be adaptable enough to be used by all of them.
4. Team Compatibility
Before purchasing the entire suite, consider a trial version if your team performs better on paper or with other standard tools like Excel.
5. Value For Money
Buying a productivity app should be a sensible investment that delivers long-term benefits rather than a useless luxury. Make sure the benefits outweigh the costs and are worth it before investing.
8 Features to Look For in Your Productivity App
Here’s one thing you should remember about productivity apps: There is no guarantee that an app designed for team productivity will have the same functions and features as similar apps. Also, resist the temptation to choose one with more features because more features don’t necessarily mean a better tool.
A good productivity app should have the following:
1. Visual Interface
A productivity app with an excellent visual interface automatically ticks the box. How will you spot a good visual interface? It should be:
- User friendly
- Simple and easy to understand
- Pleasing to the user’s eye
- Easy to navigate
- Easy to source information
2. User Interface or UI
Your app has two responsibilities when it comes to User Interface: The app has to perform really well (or there’s no point in buying it), AND it must have a User Interface that’s equally capable of motivating your employees to be more productive. Generally, companies generally ignore the UI of Project Management Software when considering productivity tools. Take care you do not make the same mistake.
3. App Integration
Your team will need all the digital tools that the tech world offers to get tasks done promptly and efficiently. Check if your productivity app is integration-friendly so that it seamlessly integrates all your apps and makes the work easy for your team.
4. Task Management
Delegation and information distribution are two of the most important aspects of teamwork. In addition to the detailed options for task management, your app should also help employees and managers understand what is needed and motivate them to complete tasks on time. Here’s why: Unless an employee understands how their work productivity impacts the overall project, they may not be as passionate about delivering the highest quality results. So, choose your app with care if it’s task productivity you are looking for.
5. App Automation
Here’s a rule of thumb when choosing a technical solution: Ensure it provides automation. Trust us. You want an app that helps eliminate all your low-impact manual tasks. Besides, automation allows more time and better focus, which are significant contributors to productivity.
6. Flexibility
Ask yourself if your productivity app aligns with your future expansion plans. If it is flexible enough, go for it because it is a one-time investment. If not, drop it right away because a non-flexible app is a waste of time and money.
7. Real-time Analytics
Every team measures productivity differently. Whether you are happy or unhappy about your team’s productivity, the real-time analytics delivered by your app should explain the change in workflow. An app that manages projects provides comprehensive post-project reports to help maintain or improve methodologies. Does your app of choice have this feature? Check.
8. Team Collaboration
Collaboration between teams and within teams is what defines a perfect productivity app. You should consider this feature, especially when handling remote and hybrid teams. A scattered team can’t go very far in collaboration before their disorganization becomes a major hindrance.
When you evaluate your employee productivity software, you may discover that you already have all the applications you need for each type of task. In that case, you may use the app without any hesitation. You should only seek better alternatives when your current tools are no longer working.
CMIT’s Application Support Services: Helping Businesses in Tempe Choose the Right Apps
Simplicity is the key to boosting your productivity. Avoid choosing too many apps because the current circumstances may mislead you into believing that the more apps you have, the more productive you are.
All you need is one single app that delivers everything you need. Do not fret if you cannot find the right one. CMIT Solutions, Tempe, offers excellent application support services to help you select, transition, and manage your apps. Let’s talk about your app needs.
