Even the most organized offices and people can suffer from bottlenecks that hinder productivity. Whether it’s the chatty coworker in the cubicle next to you or duplicate documents that make finding the most recent version a headache, offices deal with numerous productivity killers on a daily basis (sometimes unknowingly). Below are 5 common bottlenecks to lookout for in your office:

1) Too Many Tools- With thousands of options for businesses to choose from when it comes to tools and software, many professionals end up using multiple tools for a single project because they aren’t aware a more comprehensive tool exists. You may be putting together a report and using 5 different tools when there are probably 1-2 tools that could accomplish the same thing.

2) Duplicating Efforts- Have you ever created a report, only to find out that your coworker already completed it? Without certain processes or best practices in place, it’s easy to unknowingly duplicate efforts and waste time.

3) Not Sharing Information- Someone might create a checklist or tracking sheet to streamline a process, but if they don’t share it with the rest of their team then everyone else loses out and wastes time. Not sharing information is also a common issue when it comes to sharing contact information between team members.

4) Lack of Visibility- Many people have trouble knowing when their coworkers are available or what they are working on. Sharing calendars and task lists can help cut down on time spent scheduling meetings and delegating tasks.

5) Interruptions- There will always be things that distract us when we are trying to work. Some of the most common distractions include email notifications that constantly pop up on your screen, people stopping by to chat, and the phone ringing. We may think staying in touch with the rest of the world all of the time is necessary and unavoidable, but limiting communication for periods of time can really boost productivity.

Does your office suffer from any of these bottlenecks? Contact us for a free 15 minute consultation to find out how we can help!