Time for a digital spring cleaning: OTRS AG shares five tips that will bring new momentum to dusty operational processes
Spring begins in a few days. Its start inspires us to clean up and bring extra energy to old routines. But order should not only prevail in the home; clean structures, clear insights and efficient processes are also required in the workplace. A survey of 500 employees showed that 82 percent are using half an hour of every workday to search for the information they need to do their jobs. This can be done more efficiently.
OTRS shares five tips on how to improve order and efficiency in everyday office life.
- Structure your communication.
Today, there are a multitude of communication channels, so conversations can quickly become unclear. According to the latest OTRS study among 500 employees, over a third of office employees spend one hour a day on sorting their emails. This is where digitally-structured communication via a ticket system helps. It assigns inquiries directly to the responsible specialist or department so that exactly the right contacts communicate with each other. Automatic notifications and reminders ensure a rapid response. The requester can view the status at any time.
- Automate workflows.
Recurring workflows, such as vacation requests, room bookings or material requests, do not always have to be performed manually. Doing so costs time and adds stress. Instead, ticket systems like OTRS can automate everyday processes. Processes can also be constantly adapted, and new process templates can be created at any time.
- Establish self-service for increased efficiency.
Employees often pick up the phone to call the IT help desk with the slightest problem. With well-maintained FAQs and a knowledge database as part of your ITSM solution, employees can help themselves, providing relief to the service team. Surveys can also help to identify employees’ needs and problems in order to improve self-service options.
- Optimize resource management.
A common work scenario is that one person in a department does not know what another is doing. This often duplicates tasks and results in a loss of efficiency. Digital resource management, on the other hand, enables everyone to get an overview of their colleagues’ assignments. Shared calendars for teams can be created so that the best possible transparency can be achieved – even across departments.
- Evaluate a leap to the cloud.
Many companies have been thinking about moving on-premise software to the cloud for a long time but still have security concerns or compliance mandates that prohibit it. If these issues aren’t holding you back, now may be the time to take the plunge. Doing so means that the effort needed for operating and maintaining the software is eliminated, leaving more room for the core tasks. According to Bitkom, two out of three companies already use cloud computing.
OTRS offers the highest security standards such as ISO/IEC 27001-certified data centers and GDPR-compliant data protection processes.
More information on how companies can save time and money with process and communication management can be found here: www.otrs.com
About OTRS Group
OTRS Group is the manufacturer and world’s largest service provider for the OTRS Service Management Suite, awarded the SERVIEW CERTIFIED TOOL seal of approval. It offers enterprises of all sizes flexible solutions for process and communication management, in order to save time and money. OTRS AG is listed on the Basic Board of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.