The Quiet Admin Problems That Software Can Help You Fix

Admin problems usually don’t show themselves as major issues. Instead, they appear as small loose threads that get caught up in the course of your day. Software alone will never simplify a business. However, if you utilize the appropriate tools, you can cut down on redundant tasks, keep better track of records, and make routine administrative tasks less hectic.

When Information Is Spread Across Multiple Platforms 

There’s one very clear sign that you’re needing additional help with your admin; when basic info is all over the map. A customer’s contact info is stored on your cell phone. Their quote is in an email. And, their payment note is in a spreadsheet. One employee has the shipping instructions saved in a WhatsApp chat. All parties are probably attempting to do their best; however, none have a complete view of the customer information in one location.

And that is where errors occur. A customer management system, a shared project board, a scheduling/booking tool, a cloud folder, etc., can help streamline your day. You should be able to enter a customer’s name and then easily see what has been done so far, what still requires attention, and who is responsible for it.

It isn’t about becoming more “digitized” just to say you are digital. It is about avoiding wasted effort searching for information that you already possess.

The Little Mistakes That Keep Happening 

There are some admin problems that seem insignificant enough to ignore. You missed sending a follow-up. You accidentally type a date incorrectly. You sent a quote with an old price. You require customers to provide the same piece of information multiple times. You update a delivery note in one place and forget to update it in another. While each individual error seems minor, collectively they create doubt within customers. Customers may not express concern with each instance. However, they definitely take note when a business is chaotic.

Using software helps ensure consistent use of the same process by using all the same steps each time. For instance, using quote templates will allow you to automatically send an invoice reminder, using required form fields in your contact form will help you capture more information about clients, the team can also be on the same page with shared task lists, and client notes are saved as part of the related document(s). This is true across many different types of businesses. Companies in the waste industry would need to keep track of collection day schedules, their own site notes (if they have multiple locations), customer service history, manage any changes to their customers’ service levels, and collect and save all payment information without losing anything between phone calls or paperwork.

When Your Memory Stores Too Much

For a while, being able to recall every detail can seem normal. You remember who prefers morning calls. You remember which suppliers require advance notice. You remember who has made payments, who still requires a call, and which job was rescheduled to Friday.

However, once your business grows beyond a certain size:

Your memory becomes a hazardous repository for important work. When you are fatigued, distracted, or interrupted by an emergency situation, pieces of information can fall through the cracks. If others must assist you at some later time, they will likely be unaware of what transpired.

A suitable system can alleviate some of this burden upon you. Using calendar notifications for appointments and due dates, storing customer notes, tracking inventory levels via spreadsheets or other means, and providing access to team members via shared folders or simple task software moves valuable knowledge out of your mind and into accessible locations.

Wasted Time Due to Repetitive Actions 

The use of repetition is a subtle method that an administrator uses to waste time. An administrator can spend hours typing the same thing over and over again. They will need to retype the same quote they used last week. The administrator will continue to copy and paste the same number from one document into another. Each Monday morning, they will send the same “weekly payment reminder” email. 

Although it appears that this is a part of their job duties, using this repetitive function could potentially eat up a lot of time that could be better spent making decisions, giving good customer service, and having less stress when they go home at the end of the day.

Repeating tasks creates a series of common ways to complete work through software. A few examples are: pre-configure responses; auto-invoices; sending automatic confirmation emails after booking appointments; checklists for standard processes, or creating workflow automation to show the administrator what comes next.

Not everything has to be automated. To the extent possible, however, an administrator does not want to retype the exact same steps every time something repeats itself.

Selecting the Correct Tools 

Incorrectly selected solutions can lead to as many frustrations for employees as they do for customers. A solution that is overcomplicated, too expensive, or does not operate in accordance with your current workflow can be avoided by all users.

Rather than start by selecting a potential solution, begin by identifying the problems you are currently experiencing. What areas cause the most hindrances to your ability to complete tasks? Are you struggling with employee scheduling? With billing? With tracking customer interactions? With communicating with employees? Are you having trouble managing inventory? Are you running out of space for storing documents? Begin with one area and find a way to solve that problem first.

A well-designed system that is used frequently is better than a poorly designed system that has never been used.

A Steadier Way to Operate

Admin will always be present when managing a business. There will always be phone calls to return. Bills to mail. Notes to review. Pieces of information to organize.

However, these pieces of information do not have to float freely among notebooks, email inboxes, cell phones, and memories.

When using software correctly, you create a defined structure around your work. Information is more readily available. Repeated mistakes decrease in frequency. And you give yourself a bit more mental room to think.

Your desk will continue to be active. The telephone will continue to ring. Yet loose ends will be easier to grasp, and therefore your entire day will feel more solidified.