For many decades, the UK has been falling behind both its European counterparts and its US cousins, with British workers producing less, per hour of work, than their equivalents in the US, Germany and France. At present, the UK has the world’s fifth largest economy, but languishes in 15th in terms of the productivity table. While the UK has always been slightly behind when it comes to productivity, this became further pronounced following the global financial crisis in 2008, according to the Institute of Employment Studies (IES). After the crash, companies were forced to reduce expenditure and make use of low-cost operating models. The result of which was an economy slow in pay progression, limited in benefits and with undefined working hours. Last year, Fellowes released a white paper, titled Productivity in the UK 2017, following a survey of 1,000 UK employers. The stats made for interesting reading, with the report finding, among other things, that the average worker gets side-tracked every 35 minutes, and 43% of workers claiming to be distracted 15 times a day. So what approach should employers take to boost workplace efficiency and employee productivity? How can they navigate what appears to be a “distraction epidemic” and reduce the UK’s productivity slowdown? At SCC, we believe the best way for businesses to increase productivity in the workplace is by rethinking their processes and investing in innovative technologies. Instead of looking to invent a new way of working, organisations should be looking to adopt information and communications technologies that already exist. If your business is struggling from a productivity shortfall, it may be time to reconsider its set-up. Do you need a more reliable network? Are employees continually having to address repetitive administration tasks that could be automated? Do teams have access to collaboration suites and software? It’s time that businesses began to evaluate the ways in which they work, and task themselves with introducing technologies that streamline operations and create a more efficient workplace. Discover more about our IT Services
