People love the user friendliness and ease of using apps on their smartphones. Phones today make multitasking easy and efficient. It is no coincidence that anywhere you go you will see people accessing information via the apps on their phones. So why not bring the convenience of smartphone apps into your workplace?

Ditch the Paper, Improve the Process

If you haven’t already, the first thing you need to do is ditch the paper. There are no two ways around it, working with paper costs you money. This can be measured in a number of ways. The obvious is through lost efficiency. It also takes floor space to file the paper. If you have run out of area space, you may be paying for off-site storage. We haven’t even touched on the time it takes to file, refile and locate lost documents. Then there are audits. Having your documents digitized and accessible decreases audit times, improves results in your favor, and yes, saves you money.

At the same time you ditch your paper, take a look at your processes. How does information move through your organization? Are there bottlenecks and inefficiencies that need to be addressed. Begin by analyzing your current state and then move to create a new, future state. Documenting these processes, reviewing them with a group of individuals, and then implementing them can have an enormous positive impact on your organization.

Don’t Be a Hindrance to Productivity

Any employee worth their weight wants to be productive. So why not let them be? Creating an office environment that stimulates thought, reduces stress and empowers your workers is not that difficult. Think back to the simplicity of your smartphone. Now look for apps you can use within your office to increase you employees’ productivity level. When good employees are empowered with the proper tools they become more efficient. When they are more efficient they can get their work done quicker, which reduces their stress. Feeling less stressed and more productive makes for happy long term employees.

We now live in a world where we are all competing for the very best employees. Having a modern workplace with the sophistication and ease of use of a smartphone, can make the difference between hiring and retaining great employees or struggling with average workers.

Jack Arnston is a Principal at The Priton Group. He can be reached at jarnston@pritongroup.com.