Top 3 Causes of Inefficiency in Client Work

Knowledge Exchange is a weekly series of educational articles that we encourage you to share and discuss with your colleagues and network. This month, we’re offering advice for improving your business efficiency.

You strive to deliver exceptional client work while maintaining operational efficiency, but sometimes those goals compete with one another. Inefficiencies creep into operations in many small ways here and there, producing a bigger problem before you know it.

Even if you’re already using an efficiency-driving platform like Accelo, it’s important to regularly evaluate how your team is executing and delivering work. Here, we’ll discuss how to uncover and bust through any barriers to optimal productivity and profitability. 

Why Business Efficiency Matters

No matter your current business goals, efficiency is a worthy stepping stone. Yet, despite how helpful it is to use resources more wisely and minimize waste, it’s tempting to overlook this key factor and try to jump ahead to meet your objectives without considering how you got there.

Instead, look at efficiency as an avenue for creating a better client experience, improving profitability and maintaining a competitive edge.

What Causes Business Inefficiency?

Let’s look at three common reasons inefficiency arises. We’ll cover how to know if each is an issue, what the deeper cause might be and how you can address each.

Poor Communication

Communication breakdowns can result in errors, misunderstandings and slow project progress.

Symptoms: 

• No clear objectives or expectations
• Siloed knowledge
• Misalignment between departments or teams
• Decision-making or approval delays

Possible root cause: 
Your systems aren’t set up to facilitate the type and amount of communication necessary for your team to function as a unit.

Potential solutions: 

• Clarify roles and responsibilities with clear job descriptions and onboarding
• Increase transparency from the top down
• Train your team on effective workplace communication 
• Eliminate underutilized platforms and make Accelo your single source of visibility 

Inadequate Resource Management

Ineffective resourcing can negatively impact your productivity and derail projects.

Symptoms: 

• Misplaced skillsets
• Duplicate work, rework or missed deadlines
• Overlooked or underutilized resources
• Competing priorities

Possible root cause: 
You’ve been using a reactive, rather than proactive, approach to hiring and assigning work.

Potential solutions: 

• Develop a clear protocol for each communication channel
• Align resource availability with long-term business goals
• Calculate your employee utilization and capacity
• Fully utilize Accelo for skill tracking and team scheduling

Absent or Bottlenecked Processes

A lack of functional business processes can turn small problems into big roadblocks.  

Symptoms: 

• Lack of standardization
• Manual or outdated tools and strategies
• Team frustration
• No ownership of tasks

Possible root cause: 
You feel resistant to change and haven’t reworked processes in quite some time.

Potential solutions: 

• Document your workflows and evaluate their effectiveness regularly
• Provide support with intentional change management techniques
• Maintain accountability by setting clear performance objectives
• Reevaluate your processes with Accelo’s automations

Don’t Wait To Address Inefficiency

If your business is experiencing some of the above symptoms now, things will become even more painful the longer you wait to address them. While there isn’t a magic pill for improving efficiency, there is a holistic approach that can contribute to your business’s overall health — a vitamin of sorts. 

Your clients and employees experience relief when you strengthen and tighten up your operations with an end-to-end work management platform. You already have access to it if you’re using Accelo: Stay on top of the latest platform updates.

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