Count your steps and calories. It's January! Fifty percent of us will proclaim our New Year's resolutions this month. Given less than 10 percent will keep them, maybe the rest of us are simply realists. But goal-setting theorists (yes, that's a thing) have proven over the years that "working toward a goal is a major source of motivation, which, in turn, improves performance." That's why so many of us adopt them in the workplace.
Business goals are resolutions themselves. Only they can't afford to fail. You can increase the odds of success by remaining true to the purpose and pursuing realistic tactics. Here's a fresh approach to business goals and objectives for IT inspired by the top New Year's resolutions:
1. Exercise more.
IT disaster recovery planning is vital to business continuity, but a rusty plan can fail in a crisis. Run tests regularly to work out the kinks and gain assurance it will perform if needed.
2. Eat healthier.
Businesses consume tremendous amounts of data. Where does it all go? If you don't have a data strategy, start forming a plan around consolidation and real-time accessibility. Then, apply data analytics to produce fresh insights.
3. Spend more time with family/friends.
No one wants work to follow them, but sometimes it's unavoidable. Mobile ERP applications enable managers to address tasks quickly then get on with the rest of their day. They empower employees with self-service features alleviating administrative tasks for managers too.
4. Lose weight.
If you're responsible for IT security, you carry the weight of a potential breach on your shoulders. Initiate quarterly vulnerability scans and routine penetration tests to ensure your system is secure. A managed security provider can lighten the burden too. They have the knowledge and resources to monitor workstations and servers—even while you sleep.
5. Live more economically.
Only 18 percent of companies consider themselves paperless. That means the vast majority have ample opportunity to generate cost savings by reducing printing and mailing. For example, calculate the potential ROI of preparing and delivering pay stubs or W2s electronically instead.
6. Improve job performance.
The more you know, the better equipped you are to make informed decisions. Learn how to build orchestrations to integrate your ERP with IoT devices. Tools like JD Edwards Orchestrator Studio simplify development. Monitor vehicles, shop floor machinery, and more to improve communication and enable proactive problem-solving.
7. Reduce stress on the job.
Workload is the number one cause of job stress, according to the American Institute of Stress. And job stress has been associated with heart attack, hypertension, and other conditions. It's imperative to work smarter, not harder. Consolidate steps with process automation. Solutions like barcode scanning and modern optical character recognition (OCR), for instance, eliminate manual data entry. They lower the risk of error, too.
Declare and achieve your business resolutions in 2021. We’re here to help if you need us. ERP Suites provides comprehensive technology solutions to help companies not just identify IT’s potential but realize IT. Learn more at erpsuites.com
