In the business world, time equates to money—especially within the workplace. The more hours spent on manual tasks, the less time available for strategic initiatives that propel business growth. Manual processes not only pose security risks, scaling challenges, and degrade the onsite experience, but they can also drain up to 30% of a company’s annual revenue. Implementing technologies such as a desk booking system can significantly reduce manual work, fostering a more efficient and productive work environment. In this article, we’ll explore four processes you can automate to minimize manual efforts and enhance workplace efficiency.
1. Visitor Check-In
Relying on pen and paper for visitor sign-ins is both outdated and inefficient. This manual method can quickly become chaotic, leading to overcrowded lobbies, lost records, and inaccuracies in visitor information. Beyond being a poor first impression for guests, it hampers efficiency and can result in expensive security and compliance issues. Sensitive visitor information on clipboards is vulnerable to unauthorized access or theft. Automating the check-in process streamlines visitor management, boosts security, and enhances the experience for both staff and visitors. Additionally, it ensures records are accurate and readily available for audits requiring detailed visitor information.
To optimize your visitor check-in process, seek a tool that can:
- Verify visitor details against various databases and third-party watchlists automatically
- Maintain digital records of all visitor activities
- Alert employees when their guests arrive
- Print visitor badges upon sign-in
- Assign access permissions based on predefined criteria
- Automatically revoke visitor access after a specified time
“We have kiosks to assist team members without access control cards and to help visitors or delivery personnel navigate between floors.” – People Experience Leader at a Global Fintech Company
2. Employee Check-In
Accurate tracking of employee attendance is crucial for security, compliance, space management, and evaluating the success of return-to-office strategies. With numerous employees moving in and out throughout the day, manual tracking can be unreliable and cumbersome. Automating employee check-in allows staff to log their presence by scanning their badge or phone upon entering the workplace or connecting to the building’s Wi-Fi, ensuring precise records of everyone on-site.
To enhance your employee check-in process, look for a tool that can:
- Grant appropriate access to employees authorized to be on-site
- Integrate employee check-in data with access control and Wi-Fi systems
- Generate occupancy reports for relevant stakeholders
3. Deliveries
Automating the handling of deliveries ensures that every package entering the workplace is processed promptly and correctly. This includes employee packages, expensive equipment, time-sensitive materials, and more. An automated mailroom reduces the risk of lost packages, prevents backlog, and keeps the workspace organized for both employees and visitors.
To streamline your delivery process, consider a tool that can:
- Notify employees when their deliveries are ready for pickup
- Send reminders to employees to collect packages that remain unclaimed
- Manage and organize incoming deliveries efficiently
4. Space Management
Optimizing space utilization and enhancing the onsite experience can be achieved through automated room resizing and releasing. These features prompt employees to use appropriately sized meeting rooms when smaller spaces are available, reserving larger rooms for bigger groups. Additionally, if a meeting room remains unused or attendees are not present, hosts are prompted to release the room for others to use.
To improve space management, use a tool that can:
- Recommend more suitable meeting rooms based on current needs
- Remind hosts to free up unused spaces
Automating workplace processes requires initial effort, including setting up the right systems and tools and training employees and staff to use them effectively. However, once implemented, automation reduces manual workloads, streamlines operations, and frees up valuable time for your team to focus on impactful work.
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