7 Easy Tips To Improve your Accounting team’s Productivity

Productivity is not raking in more hours on the job, it’s rather managing your time efficiently. There are only so many hours in a day. With the EOFY just around the corner, what if you could make the most of your time? Here are 7 easy tips to improve your Accounting team’s Productivity.

1. An extra screen

A simple hardware upgrade like an extra screen can help save the time spent shuffling between applications or documents to improve your Accounting team’s Productivity. On an average, hitting alt+Tab or Windows+Tab takes 1-2 seconds every time you switch between applications, the savings on these times could be worth hours in a typical workweek. To add to the woes, constant interruption seldom helps productivity. Pausing to remember where were or left off can be a thing of the past with an extra screen.  There is no written rule that 2 screens is the limit, depending on your Accounting team’s working style and requirements the number of extra screens can have a positive impact on productivity.

2. Say NO to useless meetings

Not all meetings require your presence. If there is a meeting that can have the same outcome even in your absence, it might as well go on without you. These meetings just cost you otherwise productive time. Some meetings often add to the stress and affect employee productivity.

Saying No to these meetings could be difficult the first few times. If these are meetings that cannot be turned down, keep them short, eliminate distractions and involve only those that are absolutely necessary. Dedicate a short window to add the value you are expected to add in this meeting and politely ask to be excused to continue with the remainder of your schedule.

3. Limit the time spent on emails

Unless your next task relies on email, limiting the number of times you refresh your email inbox can help boost productivity. Most email-based tasks are simple enough to require minimal time to respond. Checking and responding to emails can be done when you are in Transit to work or other appointments.

4. Multitasking is overrated

Yes, Multitasking is over-rated, focus on one task at a time. Shuffling between jobs only serves as a distraction to what you should be doing on Priority. The interruption weighs on your focus. It takes more than a few minutes to focus back on the task at hand while constantly shuffling between applications or other obligations.

The more we shuffle around in the name of multitasking the more time we lose. Multitasking may look necessary and maybe even impossible to get rid of. When your team’s schedule is structured to perform a purposeful or customer-centric function encourage them to eliminate the interruptions.

5. Cloud Accounting

Your clients are going digital and so is the data they share with you. Adoption of user-friendly, cloud-based accounting solutions like Xero, Quickbooks and etc, can improve productivity in Accounting.  Such software can save plenty of time for you and your clients. All the time spent on AR, data entry and bookkeeping tasks could take a lot less time. The client will not only be thankful for the suggestion if they are not already into it, but this also saves you a ton of time and keeps the error rate in check.

6. Outsource

Everyone knows if you’re struggling to meet a deadline, don’t spend hours wrestling with it at your desk, enlist help from other qualified accountants to help meet the obligations on time.

Don’t spend your time on repetitive or admin functions. If you can gain more business if you devote the time to client-facing high-value business, don’t shy away from outsourcing. If the gains aren’t as immediately noticeable, this move can build capacity at the least.

Your clients receive the most value in activities that require you to face your clients and then work away at your desk behind the scenes.

7. Get enough sleep

Lack of enough sleep can make you more prone to errors and reduces efficiency. Getting enough sleep can ensure you are well-rested and set you up for a more productive day. Not only does sleep boost your mood, but it also reduces stress and improves memory. Sleep can ensure your mind and body is in a better place for a productive day at work.

Summing it up

Productivity is not the amount of time spent, but the quality of time spent on a task. If you are on tight deadlines, some of these tips can be readily applied to help with your productivity and some can be modified to fit your working style. Each of these 7 easy tips can be implemented to improve productivity, review them from time to time and make improvements to suit your schedule.