Importance of Resource Management:

It is said that “A good businessman is always a good leader “and “A good leader is always a good manager”. Many business owners and entrepreneurs don’t realize the significance of resource management. There are a lot of examples of business ventures that started with nothing and ended up earning billions. Steve Jobs started his company in a garage, today Apple has trade mark registration in Dubai. This is all about team motivation and efficient use of resources. On the other hand, ineffective management of resources is also a major cause of failing. In a practical world, a company’s resources are always limited, but what really matters is, how effectively we are utilizing those resources. It is very critical for any business, whether big or small to get highest possible productivity from available resources.  To make it a bit more understandable, I am quoting here two basic formulas that we all have learned in our high school days,

Productivity = Output /  Input

Efficiency = Productivity / Productivity of best practice

In simple words, productivity is the ratio of output level to input level and efficiency is the ratio of the current productivity level to the best practice of productivity level. Best practice is defined as the largest productivity achievable. The maximum productivity levels serve as a benchmark for desired performance. Large scale companies have HR Mangers and departments to enhance the efficiency of their systems. They either hire experts or get consultancy services from firms and remunerate them in return.

It costs a lot of money and may be many companies are not in a situation to bear this extravagant expense. No matter how big or small you are, we all want maximum results. So what should small business owners do, is there anything for them?  And this is where we step in. In this article, I am going to introduce you to the formula to get highly cost effective. To become cost effective is not rocket science. It’s just a basic set of simple practices which we are supposed to perform in order to get desired results. These basic practices are common for companies from the micro level, having 1-10 employs to large scale companies having thousands of employs. So the key to success is very simple and can be secured by anyone.

To get things more simplified, I am going to split down into pieces. All companies either big or small have offices. An office is a major part of any company’s resource. I am going to explain you the top productivity management strategies inside your office. These management strategies are similar for every other unit, like production or maintenance. Office management strategies will give a complete flowchart that you can use in each department to get maximum results.

Significance Of An Office:

A company is represented by its office. It’s a face of any business and acts like a headquarter of all operations. When you invite clients for meetings, your office environment makes an impression on them. An organized and sophisticated office atmosphere will reflect your style of working. Here are some simple strategies to get your office more organized and productive.

Escalate Space In Your Office:

I have visited many offices. A common observation that I have made during all my visits is that most of the offices feel to be overcrowded and burdened. People are often seen struggling with wires, laptop cables and gadgets. The main reason is that a lot of useless, undesirable and undeserving stuff is cluttering their workspace. Out of order equipment, unnecessary machines and files of old records. These are inhibitors of productivity. This is the first step. Increase volume. Get rid of all the unnecessary stuff. Take a survey of your office. List down all these inhibitors and in the first available time get them out of your office. Sell them in an auction, this might even become helpful for your economy.

Rearrange Your Office:

Got rid of all the unwanted, the next step is rearranging your office. Look again at your design and figure out what more can be done to increase workspace volume. Maybe your reception is way too voluminous and is acquiring an undeserving space while staff in computer section is struggling with their chairs. Give each section the space it deserves. The design of an office matters a lot. This also includes rearranging of drawers and files. Don’t spend too much of your time finding files and documents. Arrange them in a systematic way, for example, place them alphabetically or according to their dates or status. It would make things a lot easier. If you want to review a file, you know exactly where to find it.

Right Thing at Right Place:

So now you have rearranged your office so what to do next? You have a lot of equipment in the office and it must be placed int he right place. For example, there is a photocopy machine in the office. It is mainly utilized by accounts section, but the machine is placed in the computer section. The two sections are at opposite ends of the office. Now to get a document photocopied, the individual has to cross the whole office. It has two disadvantages. Firstly, of course, it is the waste of time and secondly, it will create a disturbance in the office. Make things more workable. Put things in right place. Place water dispensers, coffee makers in the center so that they are easily approachable for all the staff.

Organize Your Workspace:

When done with the office, now it’s down to an individual to organize his workspace. Get rid of extra wires, cables or extensions. Make things comfortable for yourself. See if you need to replace your seat or tables. Communicate it to your superiors. If your laptop or any gadget you use is outdated and causing trouble, ask them to be replaced with the latest ones. Clean and tidy workspace is always soothing and helps to relax in a stressful condition.

Equitable Use of the Office Equipment:

Office equipment is a major part of your resource. Try to get the maximum out of it. See if it needs critical maintenance and always keep them in good working condition. Train your staff to use equipment properly. Don’t just hand over things blindly. Always keep booklets and manuals safe so that you can easily diagnose if any troubleshoot takes place. Keep in mind that the designated staff is competent to use your machinery. Look where your equipment is being unnecessarily used.

Cut Expenses:

Cut as many expenses as you can. Have a look at your wastes and try to recycle them. It’s a double victory, firstly this practice is environmentally friendly and has a good impact on your reputation and secondly, you might be able to save a handful of money. Switch off unnecessary lights and equipment. Try to have an audit on the weekly or monthly basis.

Make Timetables:

Time is another valuable asset and resources. Correct use of time enhances productivity. Time Management in office is always a critical issue. Set deadlines for your staff. Try to get maximum attendance. Hire staff that resides near to office and has no transport or other related issues. Be strict on punctuality and deadlines. Have a daily record of office happenings. Consider of keeping a log book at reception. Make sure that reception maintains the log book and every entry is made on time.

Digitalize Your Office:

Today office management has become a lot easier than before. You can have online meetings even if you are not in the office. All the staff is digitally connected. Try to make your office digitally up to date. Make sure conference and meeting rooms have the modern digital equipment. Projectors, cameras, microphones, screens and all other gadgets are in good position. Have closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) in all rooms. It helps in monitoring functions easily. Try to take all safety measures to minimize any threat of theft or robbery. Have firefighting equipment placed at each corner. Have firefighting and SOS drills at your office so that if any emergency happening takes place, you and your staff remains safe and financial losses are minimal.

Make Office a Fun Place:

Do you want or have you ever seen someone who wants to work at a boring place? We all want a place where there are cheers and is full of life. Don’t be too strict with your staff. Have a healthy relation with them. Happy workplaces are always more productive. If you remain bossy all the time, it will agitate your workers, which is disadvantageous for productivity. Change lifestyle of your workers. Try to buy their loyalty. Offer them free gym subscriptions. Have indoor games in the office. Table tennis or X-BOX is a good choice. Make a separate games room where staff can relax and enjoy. Encourage short breaks, they are killers of stress. Introduce bonuses for workers. Have a health policy or insurance for your employs. Have celebrations on success or if any milestone is achieved. Arrange office tours and trips. These all are motivation builders. Try to have as much fun as you can without compromising on office decorum.

Interact With Your Staff:

Try to remove any communication gap if it exists. Make sure they feel free to approach you. I don’t encourage the system of “Through proper channel” in every organization. It has its pros and cons. In some organizations, it is very necessary for streamlining work, but what I have mostly observed is that it makes things complex. It creates a gap between executives and workers. This gap is a hindrance to high productivity. Have daily or weekly meetings with your staff, try to anticipate their fears and needs. Have a Question and answer session. Professionals recommend of having a suggestion and complaint box in the office. Consider any suggestion if it seems reasonable. Sometimes a lot of brilliant ideas come out of these suggestions. Encouragement and Communication with employs is a discussion that it needs whole another presentation for a detailed explanation.

Get Rid of Motivation Killers:

Regardless of how much you make things easier for your employs, there are always some unhappy fellows. They don’t work by heart themselves and also discourage their coworkers. Such people always remain unsatisfied no matter what you offer them. Try not to recruit such people even if they are highly competent because their pessimistic and negative approach causes disappointment among staff. Make sure there is no politics going on, in the office. There are always some leg-pullers and rebellions. These people are a source of mutiny and disobedience which end up in the formation of worker unions and associations. Never let things come up to this level. Establish an espionage system so that if any such thing is building up, you are able to eradicate it before it gets too late.

Become a Role Model:

It all starts with you. You have to be a role model yourself. Employs always emulate the footsteps of their executives. So firstly you have to keep a check on yourself. Enter office on time, be punctual and professional, remain firm on deadlines, take good care of yourself and always be diligent. Try to become an inspiration for your staff. Always keep a check on the behavior of your executives and officers. Professionalism is transferred from top to bottom. If you are a lazy lad yourself, no matter what you do, how strict you are, you will never get high productivity. Many business owners disregard this factor. If you are an owner plus employ then first you have to follow laws yourself and then pass it to others.

There is a lot more that can be done to increase productivity. An Office is ta main unit in any business; it functions like a head. I have presented a detailed Illustration on office management. You can apply these practices to other sections as well to get an overall maximum productivity.

(Photo credits: Pixabay)

Author Bio:

Brenda Cagara

I have been writing for websites, articles and blogs for five years now. I have had a fair share of writing on variety of niches but my main focus is business, social media and finance. Currently, I am working with Dubai business setup (Riz & Mona) which offers freezone and offshore company formation services across all states of United Arab Emirates(UAE). Our other services are products registration Dubai, visa processing, bank account opening, trade license, trade mark, local sponsors and many more.