3 Easy Productivity Hacks to Double your Company’s Revenue

3 Tips to be more Productive

Even if you have no idea what their brand does, you probably have used one of Freshening’s products the last time you visited a restaurant. In fact, our TSL team popped by Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice at River Valley for lunch a few days ago and were pleasantly surprised to find out that its wet towels were supplied by Freshening. Exporting to more than 33 countries, Freshening commands a strong customer base of 5000 restaurants, major airlines and hotel chains. Chances are, you probably have crossed paths with the brand.

‘Productivity’ is the buzzword not just among Singaporeans, but people all across the world. 77% of employers also said in a recent WDA survey that productivity has increased after sending workers for training. Unions in Singapore want employers to give workers time off during office hours, to pursue a second skill, and are asking the Government to expand training incentives and funding for PMEs.

We spoke with Jonathan Phoon, Executive Director of Freshening, who shared with us how his company doubled its revenue with the help of these 3 productivity tips.

1. It pays to be organized

We probably have had experienced the frustration of searching for a year-old document buried within a pile of paper. Efficient and competent workers belong to a category of being super-organised. So how can we revamp our workspace and be more productive?

When I first entered Freshening’s office, I was greeted with neatly arranged shelves coupled with bright labels – everything makes sense in a glance. For example, all drawers and cabinets were labelled with their exact contents, making it easy to look for things. Basic instructions for operating certain machinery were also stuck on the wall next to it so that unfamiliar employees would be able to pick them up easily. 

Freshening’s highly organized office space is the result of the 5S organization framework, that is, Sorting, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. I immediately felt a tinge of shame when I thought about how untidy my room, which I clean up once a year during Chinese New Year, is.

This picture is basically the story of my life.

Jonathan shared that he applies a “three months rule” to both his office and home. When doing clean-ups, he asks himself “have I used this in the last three months?” This rule has helped Jonathan and his employees organize things in the office in a much more efficient manner.

Following the successful implementation of the 5S system, each of Freshening’s employees received $500 as the company’s way of saying thanks. It pays to be organized. Literally.

2. Garner the help of technologies

And by technologies, I do not mean Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and what-not. This is basically me whenever I try to be productive:

Source: Tumblr

A productive workplace is not about working longer or harder with the same outcome. According to NTUC Chief Lim Swee Say, it’s about making the workplace “easier, safer and smarter” for workers. 

Good thing for Freshening, they tapped on NTUC’s Inclusive Growth Programme and SPRING Singapore’s Productivity and Innovation Credit, allowing them to resolve hair-pulling tasks with technology. For example, Navision helped with the calculation of raw materials, easing off pressure from the purchasing department. ZAP, a business intelligence software, has also helped to churn out automated reports, and staff no longer have to key in data manually. Salaries are also computed accurately and efficiently with a finger print clocking system integrated with a HR payroll software, resolving issues regarding late salaries.

“I think it is a common mindset among employees, especially the older workers, that these technologies will cause them to be jobless. It is important to reinforce that the systems are to enhance and value-add, and not to take away their jobs. Whatever they are doing is very significant and cannot be replaced,” Jonathan explained.

For the average folks, here are some free/cheap tools to help improve your daily productivity. Technology is a double-edged sword so choose wisely!

3. Break it down

If you ever found yourself ripping off 5 packets of bite-sized Snickers bar within half an hour, you probably have no issue improving your productivity. Because it is much easier to consume multiple tiny packets of Snickers as compared to a whole big bar of Snickers, increasing your productivity is a lot like that: break your complex task down into a number of smaller tasks which are easier to complete.

Shermaine Tay, Marketing Executive of Freshening, added that she typically starts her day by writing down all her broken down tasks, assigns times to each task, and sticks to this to-do list.

I don’t know about you, but to me, one of the best feelings in the world is striking off an item on a to-do list. Even if ‘nothing’ is on the to-do list:

Source: Wallpaperrose

Jonathan also said that breaking these tasks down makes it easier to measure improvements. Freshening’s ZAP intelligence software helps the company to monitor productivity progress and link pay to employee performance.

“Being measurable is key. Seeing tangible changes and outcomes motivate one to be even more productive,” said Jonathan.

There are a multitude of bodies and schemes that local start-ups and SMEs can take advantage of to push productivity and to take the business forward, such as the Skills Development Fund. 

The next time you pick up a piece of wet tissue, remind yourself of these productivity tips.