Even though high performance and maximum productivity of all work processes is a goal of any business striving for success, it is probably safe to say that today’s companies are obsessing about efficiency more than ever. A new generation of technologies that are part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) enabled businesses and the economy in general to achieve a previously unseen level of effectiveness, and this bar keeps shifting higher every year. 

As new technologies can play a crucial business role by providing a company with an edge over its competition, it’s no wonder that organizations today are struggling to save time and maximize the efficiency of all processes and resources. Tackling time and money leaks of various kinds is especially relevant to IT departments. Over the last several years, IT department specialists working in organizations across industries have reported growing workloads and resource constraints, leading to frequent failures to meet project deadlines. But new technologies, such as AI, mixed with innovative approaches, like low code development, can and should be utilized to address this problem of overburdened IT departments.

Here are several ideas and recommendations on saving time, achieving greater process efficiency, and reducing resource constraints for organizations with IT departments. 

1. Make use of automation tools

We live in the automation era, and utilizing innovative technologies to automate work processes and operations of all kinds shouldn’t be underestimated. You can adopt various tools and technologies to automate repetitive tasks in IT departments. Doing so would make the software development process easier and more cost-efficient.

Whether you are working on a pool service app or an e-commerce website, automation tools can save you time and resources by eliminating the need for manual labor. Plus, it can also minimize human error and increase efficiency.

Adopting automation and other technologies that enable these solutions, such as cloud computing, truly has no limits in modern-day IT operations. Robust software development and testing automation tools allow organizations to build and implement their business applications even with a small IT team. Modern-day automation platforms, such as LANSA, offer pre-built features, components, and integrations that allow the developers to focus on core elements of the application, such as design and architecture. 

2. Streamline work communication channels

Overcommunication is a significant cause of time and resource wastage among organizations in general and IT departments specifically. Companies tend to use different channels for communication, such as email, third-party instant messengers, video conferencing apps, or internal messaging platforms. These communication channels can overlap or become overused in some cases, resulting in wasted time and energy. So streamlining internal communications within one platform is something to look at if you want to minimize time lost due to overcommunication. 

Many companies use third-party solutions for this purpose, with Slack as the most popular example. Others choose niche solutions or create apps customized for the organization’s specific needs. Considering that third-party solutions typically have multiple disadvantages, developing individual communication apps could be the most beneficial to a company in terms of time savings.

Businesses are also using Microsoft services to improve communication within the workforce. Obtaining a Windows Server license can provide access to multiple communication and collaboration tools, such as Microsoft Teams, Yammer, Skype for Business, and SharePoint. These tools can integrate seamlessly with each other, providing a more efficient way of communicating and collaborating within the organization.

3. Outsource repetitive, time-consuming processes

Outsourcing as a business practice has long been mainstream. IT tasks and services are among the main kinds of processes outsourced by companies across industries today. And for a good reason: outsourcing can be a valuable business instrument, allowing companies to deliver products faster and with lower costs. Outsourcing would be a great solution for completing parts of the most mundane and time-consuming job at lower costs or finding niche expertise that your team lacks for specific tasks. Outsourcing also allows companies to reduce expenses on hiring and training new employees and reduce the risks of project failure or delay. 

4. Increase employees’ time management skills

Apart from the innovative technologies and approaches, in many ways, everything still boils down to each employee’s skills and attitude. Time management is one skill that is crucial to how effective employees are at work. The good news is that any staff member can learn this skill. 

Studies have shown that people trained in time management felt more in control of their time and less stressed than their untrained peers. This is why it may be a good idea to allocate a budget for time management training for company workers or introduce some helpful courses. According to experts, modern-day time management techniques have roots in the three main components. These components are: clarifying priorities instead of prioritizing specific tasks, attention management instead of time management, and implementing robust workflow management systems. 

5. Use time tracking apps

The key to effective time management is knowing where the time goes and how much of it is consumed by different tasks. And this is where time tracking apps can be of use. Even though introducing time trackers as a mandatory requirement may not suit all roles, such apps are great tools to measure how much time employees spend on various tasks and projects. You can then analyze the data to develop insights and new solutions to improve workflows, minimizing the waste of time and resources. 

6. Enable effective collaboration between employees

Effective collaboration between employees is another critical principle for improving productivity. You can improve collaboration by introducing new software solutions that make it easier for team members to work on projects together and on the physical level. Also, consider creating an open and collaborative working environment within the company. 

7. Make use of more APIs for effective integration

The usage of APIs has exploded over the last decade. APIs are powerful technologies that interconnect various services and layers of your IT system, allowing them to exchange data and empower your apps with various third-party features and technologies. There are already over 24,000 public APIs available today, not counting hundreds of thousands of private APIs applied by enterprises to interconnect layers of their IT systems. APIs are among the core technologies in app development today, helping businesses to create feature-rich apps and integrate them into their existing systems. 

8. Embrace the power of low-code development

Low-code platforms are another critica -l time-saving method, quickly becoming mainstream in software development. Utilizing low-code solutions allows organizations suffering from the lack of qualified developers and financial resources to implement new technologies and modernize outdated parts of their IT infrastructure to achieve higher productivity and cost-efficiency. 

Low-code platforms typically incorporate multiple templates, layouts, and styles, allowing organizations to build products with great user experience using a selection of customization options, ready-made templates, and components. Low-code enables communication solutions and other instruments to save time and improve efficiency. The modernization of legacy solutions and integration of outdated enterprise systems with the latest technologies is another area where low-code platforms can be indispensable. Doing so provides businesses with the technical capabilities for easy integration with obsolete systems and modernization without hiring developers experienced in legacy programming languages, such as RPG and COBOL.

One example of an enterprise low-code platform is Visual LANSA. This solution allows organizations to modernize their legacy tools and build new enterprise-grade mobile, web and desktop applications with ease. LANSA incorporates several tools and services that enable companies to streamline software development processes and minimize the resources needed to implement and maintain new apps. Specifically, it includes several instruments for simple IBM i modernization. This solution helps companies develop new apps, modernize old ones, or create an entire ERP without hiring developers with expertise in IBM i systems and RPG programming language. Visual LANSA utilizes a hybrid low-code approach that allows developers to integrate easily without creating time-consuming workarounds. It also supports deployment across all major platforms, including IBM i, Windows, the Cloud, and Linux. 

Are you ready to get started maximizing your time?

A wide variety of approaches and solutions exist for a company to implement as it pursues the highest cost-efficiency and maximum productivity in all processes. Along with using the new-tech solutions, you should not forget about more banal measures, for example, eliminating paper-based systems, organization of work environment, or turning off unnecessary lighting. But when it comes to dealing with overburdened IT departments, the introduction of modern technologies and approaches will most certainly be the key. Creating and implementing new applications that incorporate artificial intelligence, automation, Big Data, and other features can boost efficiency, save IT departments from the excessive workload and transform all operational processes.