Small business owners understand that they cannot afford to lose their time. They do their best to grab untapped opportunities.
Time management is an extremely important issue for a small business. But many businesses neglect this fact and prefer to spend their time resources on planning different activities rather than investing funds into the creation or adoption of a time management solution that would work smoothly and increase the business efficiency.
Business owners often cannot successfully manage their time, and they fail to provide time management tips that would work for their employees, as well. Time losses lead to financial losses, making it impossible for a business to reach a new level of success.
To improve their performance, small businesses opt for time management systems since such systems can help them not only to run their activities but automate different routine tasks, streamline operations, etc.
How does a perfect time management solution look like?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution that can satisfy the needs of any small business. But successful time management systems have some common features. Let’s discuss features that a good time management system should have:
1. Time and attendance system
The main benefit of such solutions is that they enable managers to see how many hours each employee spends on his/her tasks. They can be sure that every working hour is recorded and time theft is prevented. These systems can be also used by employees to make clock in and clock out records or by managers to control attendance. They make it possible to see and assess employees’ efficiency to reward good workers and correct behavioral issues of bad ones or determine the appropriate punishment if needed.
2. Customer information management system
Being a common practice of managing customer data, this system can become part of a time management solution. A small business may have a large customer base it deals with from time to time. Sometimes employees have to search for customer data they used long ago. A customer information management system simplifies such a search. Employees do not have to delve into the archives and lose their time, they can just enter a query in a search box of a program. The time they save by using such a solution can be spent on other tasks.
3. Project management system
This system is vital for any small business that has more than one project in the pipeline. Using it, system managers can assign tasks to employees, track the progress of each project and change a project priority. Some other important features are the ability to edit projects, add comments and remarks, etc.
4. Employee self-control system
Such system can become a personal assistant for employees who will see all the tasks and projects they are assigned to. They will be able to arrange these assignments in an order they like to make the most of their working hours.
5. Notification system
There are at least two reasons why this system should be integrated into a time management solution. First of all, notifications are important because of the human nature: people tend to forget different things, be they important or not. In my understanding, it is always better to set automatic notifications if there are tasks that you may forget. Secondly, managers can make changes in their subordinates’ tasks, and the employees must be notified of the changes in order to complete the tasks successfully.
6. Mobile version
There are several billion smartphone users globally and this number continues to grow. This results in a rise in the popularity of mobile apps which are nowadays much more than just entertainment. Mobile apps are extensively used by businesses to manage their activities. Taking into account the fact that an employee may have some meetings outside the office or be on a business trip, he/she will not always have enough time to access the time management system via browser to check tasks. On the other hand, a mobile app will give him/her access to all the assignments 24/7.
Some functions like a self-control system may not require Internet access unless an employee needs to send a report to the manager.
7. Scalability
This is one more important aspect that software development companies should stick to. Businesses’ owners want to succeed, and that is why it is important to have a time management solution that could be used by any business.
To make a long story short, all human beings suffer from procrastination. And we sometimes forget about really important things. The adoption of a time managing solution will reduce procrastination and will enable small business owners to manage their time and tasks efficiently.