Every business wants a magic box of tools that can make life easier and squeeze more out of the enterprise. Luckily, there are plenty of new technologies that have been designed to do just that. Here are some of best.
1. Automate with IFTTT
Camille Woods is the founder of start-up support network Monday Mind StartUP and resident at Fishburners, Australia's largest start-up space. She's also a chartered accountant and a tech aficionado.
She recommends using IFTTT, which stands for "if this then that". It's a free, web-based service that gives users more control over the technology they use.
"The beauty of this tech tool is that you can increase your social media productivity by automation. When I post on Instagram, IFTTT reformats my photo and posts a tweet instantaneously. The possibilities of this site will blow your mind away. You can even receive an email with a map of where you just parked your car," she enthuses.
2. Get feedback before making business decisions
As Woods notes, one of the biggest blocks to productivity is getting stuck at the decision-making stage. To combat this, she recommends a free tool called Doubtcloud where you can easily upload your two choices and leave it up to the universe to vote which option is better.
"If you want to take things a step further and select a target market for the decision, then try Pickfu. This is for instant market feedback and is a paid service. It is commonly used for business decisions such as which app design is easier to us or which logo looks better. By getting instant feedback before proceeding with business decisions, enterprises can be more productive by not wasting time on inferior alternatives," she explains.
3. Streamline your network
Thin clients are about to transform computing. They replace a standard PC but run in a virtual environment. They consolidate server assets, security and applications in the cloud. Thin clients are also faster to boot up, are cost effective, cooler and take up less desk space.
They also allow users to move to any thin client on the system, log on, and have whatever work they were performing opened instantly in front of them – very handy for mobile staff, or those visiting another office. Central management also makes them easier to administer, with administrators able to turn machines off remotely and block any "random" software from being downloaded. Check out IGEL Technology, a leading vendor of thin client technology.
4. Transform your travel arrangements
Another great app is Locomote, a travel and expense technology solution that helps companies manage their business travel expenses.
An Australian invention, Locomote automates all the elements involved in organising business trips. There's no need to send emails back and forth to claim expenses, or fill in spreadsheets to track travel spend. Travellers can enter expenses in real time by taking a photo of their receipts with their mobile, which means accountants get a complete report of the expenses, including the approval of the traveller's manager.
5. The easy way to win new clients
Winning new clients is an essential part of doing business. But it can be time consuming and, often, hit and miss. Which is why a new app called ReferUs is so useful.
Simply go onto the app's website and create a profile. Then, invite everyone in your existing referral network to download the app. The next time they want to send business your way they simply go into the app and enter the job details.
After that the new client will get an SMS and email with your details and the referrer receives a thank you message. You get the new client's details sent to you as well. It's a fantastic way of managing new business.
6. New approaches to performance reviews
Performance reviews based on "constructive criticism" are a thing of the past, with businesses such as Deloitte and Accenture moving away from this style of human resource management.
Business hates a vacuum, so new tech tools are emerging to replace the traditional box-ticking exercise.
One platform Pay Compliment aims to replace the annual performance review by providing staff continual feedback. It can also be used for customer feedback.
One early adopter is the accountancy firm DFK Crosbie, which uses the platform to give its team members monthly and in the moment feedback.
7. Never have staff clock on again
Another really interesting app is Mitrefinch. It's morphed the traditional "bundy on/bundy off" clock into a computerised system.
It's hardware and software to assist businesses with time management and attendance, mobile workforces, staff scheduling, absence management, job and labour costing and health and safety.
"In the past, recording time and attendance information was done with paper-based systems like timesheets, time cards, or job cards. Today, our customers want more information, and they want it now," says Allan Murdoch from Mitrefinch.
"They want to know what their labour force is doing, how much it's costing them, where their project is at and more. Mitrefinch gives these insights by tracking employees and what they are doing. It's faster, and more accurate than paper-based systems and saves departments like human resources, finance, payroll and management significant time and effort, particularly with regards to reporting," he adds.
8. Find inspiration
And for something a little more light-hearted, why not try Momentum Dash? It only works in the Chrome web browser, but it's a great motivation tool. When you open a new tab in Chrome an inspirational quote appears. It also helps you to keep track of your most important task for the day.