Executive Summary
- Implementing office management software systems is becoming imperative to compete. These products increase workplace productivity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness while ensuring impeccable experiences for both employees and visitors.
- Every office needs effective solutions to support the management of visitors, access, assets, mailroom, and projects.
- To select the office management system that best fits your business needs, you should make sure that the software is user-friendly, easily integrates with other solutions, and offers features that meet your specific requirements.
Technology has dramatically altered the way modern businesses operate. It doesn’t come as a surprise that almost all respondents in a 2020 Statista survey reported considerable acceleration of digital transformation in their organizations. The Gartner CIO Agenda 2021 indicates that 69% of businesses have intensified their digitalization efforts due to COVID-19.
What’s more, 2022 is expected to see $1.8 trillion spent on digital transformation globally. Why do businesses need to increase their investments in office management software systems?
Because technology can streamline every aspect of business processes and services – from data storage and processing to process automation, to office management.
To help you navigate the saturated software landscape, we’ll highlight five office management systems that can help your company seamlessly transition to a digital mode of operation. We’ll walk you through the ways to benefit from this cutting-edge technology. We’ll also discuss the most important features to look for when selecting your solution.
Let’s get started by defining the very concept of modern office management.
What Is Office Management Software?
Office management solutions are software programs and applications that aim to streamline the various functions of an office manager, such as planning, organizing, coordinating, controlling, staffing, and supervising. Ensuring effective office operations is essential for achieving your overall business goals.
How can office management software boost efficiency for you and your team?
- It establishes smooth workflows and transparency.
- An office management system keeps everyone in the company on the same page through enhanced coordination and communication.
- It helps minimize costs by optimizing the use of resources.
- It increases time efficiency through the automation of tedious repetitive tasks.
- A modern cloud-based office management solution provides scalability so that you can effectively grow your business and operations.
- It improves security and compliance and makes your workplace a safer and more productive environment.
- Revamping your office management with a digital solution can help you create a brand image of innovation and efficiency.
Empowered with all these advantages, you can stay abreast with modern trends and on top of the competition.
Office Management Software All Workplaces Should Adopt
Office management software offers a whole range of systems and features designed to streamline different aspects of your operations. Here are the solutions every business needs to boost efficiency:
Visitor Management Software
Visitor management systems focus on providing seamless experiences to your guests. It’s well-known that you have only seven seconds to build an outstanding first impression, and by implementing such software, you can make the most of the short time span you have. Using visitor management solutions, businesses gain access to features like contactless self-service for their guests, host notifications, visitor data collection, and analytics. The best visitor management systems can accommodate complex workflows that perfectly fit your various reception needs.
The benefits of implementing such software, however, go far beyond simply ensuring fast and effortless visitor sign-in. Visitor management systems can enhance safety and security and help you maintain regulatory compliance. They increase the efficiency of your reception and minimize health risks for your staff and guests.
And here’s our favorite in this category: Greetly
OK, we may be biased. But that's because our award-winning visitor management platform comes with touchless visitor sign-in, visitor badges, preregistration with a QR code, and a digital signature option. All these features are designed to ensure fast check-in, data security, and compliance.
The virtual receptionist brings a fast, frictionless, and efficient reception process by performing the primary functions of a live front-desk specialist. This reduces the workload of your front-desk team and can cut down staffing costs.
Greetly offers different options for automatically alerting employees on their visitor’s arrival. You can opt for instant voice, text, email, Slack, Microsoft Teams notifications, and more. Your workers stay focused and productive, and your visitors feel welcome without having to wait unattended in your lobby.
You can utilize Greetly’s cloud-based solution as desktop software, a digital receptionist app for Android devices, and a digital receptionist iPad system. It doesn’t require any specific hardware to run. Visitor data is automatically collected and securely stored in the cloud.
Some lobby tracking software solutions like Greetly feature an integrated watchlist functionality enabling users to control access to their offices and improve physical and data security.
Access Control Systems
Workplace physical and data security is an issue of primary importance. Reportedly, workplace violence is a threat that affects individuals and costs businesses $130 billion yearly. In an alarming 79% of instances, these occurrences involve unauthorized entry into the building. On the other hand, IBM reported a worrying rise of 10% in the average cost of a data breach reaching a peak of $4.24 million in 2021.
Technology can go a long way in providing the safety of your employees, data, and facilities.
Physical security access control software facilitates the control of movement around your premises. It determines the areas where staff can and cannot enter. Industry-leading solutions come with reliable lockdown functionalities and offer event filtering and exporting.
Access control systems boost safety and security through real-time alerts of suspicious occurrences. Furthermore, you can benefit from detailed logs, advanced analytics, and reports on all the comings and goings within a space.
In addition, network access control software enables IT managers to create and manage secure access policies across business facilities. These solutions primarily focus on ensuring the security of access through remote units and systems outside the immediate company network, such as web-enabled apps, mobile devices, etc.
We’ve picked some of the most effective tools you can integrate into your workplace management:
- Kisi provides access restrictions, mobile access, remote management, lockdown features, and automation. It offers video surveillance integrations. The door access control system features a key card, remote dashboard unlocks, or a mobile phone.
- Genetec’s cloud-based services, software, and hardware focus on improving physical security. The Security Center is an end-to-end platform that integrates access control, automatic license plate recognition, and IP-based video surveillance.
- Johnson Controls is a scalable solution that is particularly suitable for businesses with multiple locations. It features access control, including door lock schedules, alarm monitoring, and permission management. The software can provide temporary access for visitors and offers video surveillance.
- Cisco Identity Service Engine enhances network security management of wireless and wired networks. It provides visibility into all users that access the company network.
- Citrix Gateway offers a robust process featuring cascading authentication that enables users to create multiple authentication servers.
Asset Management Software
Asset management systems also referred to as space management software, provide businesses, government agencies, and other workplaces with reliable meeting room management, wayfinding, mobile scheduling, hot-desking, and workplace analytics. They can streamline office operations by:
- Enabling staff members to use the remote meeting room booking functionality through mobile devices or desktop PCs
- Showing interactive floor plans and making upcoming meetings and bookings visible
- Optimizing shared workspaces by giving employees the opportunity to book workstations remotely and in advance
- Conference room scheduling, which is particularly important for larger companies with multiple buildings
- Providing real-time information on the status of all assets. So, you and your employees can know which rooms and facilities are available at any time
- Offering historical reports on the use of your facilities so you can accurately predict the peak and off-peak times of their utilization
- Allowing managers to monitor the use of their meeting rooms in real-time through a virtual dashboard or meeting room app. These show scheduled meetings as well as who has booked rooms at particular times
- Ensuring easy integration with third-party calendar systems like Google Workspace, Microsoft Exchange, or Office 365.
Thus, asset management tools can reduce workplace stress and contribute to a healthy and productive atmosphere. They also provide detailed insights into asset utilization trends and patterns. This allows you to consider ways to optimize efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Here are some viable options you may find suitable for your business needs:
- Meetio offers a smart and easy-to-use software solution to help visualize and schedule your facilities, meeting rooms, and all office spaces. With the cloud-based hot-desking tool, users can book desks using QR codes and their mobiles.
- OfficeSpace Software is an intuitive platform suitable for enterprise moves and staff relocations. The software enables office managers to track the status and usage of cubicles and rooms along with related equipment, such as PCs, phones, scanners, copying machines, and more.
- Robin is another cloud-based scheduling and hot-desking system featuring real-time workspace maps and insights. The online meeting room booking system allows for attendee management and reporting.
Mailroom Management
Mailroom management solutions can streamline the supervision of deliveries to your premises. Implementing such software helps ensure the packages will be well-received by their intended recipients. It also provides a detailed log, arrival notifications sent to the recipient, and adequate storage of the deliveries.
Mailroom management systems automate workflows, thus saving time and labor costs.
By promptly notifying employees of their delivery and arranging the pickup, this technology can improve your overall productivity.
- Accelerated mail intake
- Instant mailroom notifications are sent to employees as voice calls, text messages, emails, or instant messages through Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, or Slack.
- Cloud-based detailed log and reporting functionalities
- Easy integration and synchronization with the digital receptionist software. This enables you to use your employee database, including their contact details and notification preferences
- Automation of processes through an iOS or Android smartphone app (no additional hardware and installations required)
Implementing Greetly’s solution can relieve administration staff from tedious and time-consuming tasks. It also simplifies the process of mail retrieval. This is an effective way to avoid any errors and misdelivered packages that could potentially cause complications and inconveniences.
Project Management Software
To increase your operational efficiency, you need to make sure everyone in your office is aware of the projects and tasks they are responsible for and the set timeline and budget. Project management software is a great way to keep all employees and departments on the same page by providing visibility across your organization.
Project management software enhances team communication and collaboration. It allows for easy and fast task assignments and reassignments.
You can easily track project status and progress and know who is working on a particular task, how many hours they’ve been working, and how much work they have completed. This promotes accountability and transparency, which in turn are essential for building a productive and motivating environment.
Project and task management tools can automatically send reminders for tasks and events. In this way, your staff can be updated on everything on the project agenda including details such as the place, time, and budgeting.
Our top picks in this category of office management solutions are:
- Trello – a user-friendly tool that streamlines team collaboration and boosts efficiency by providing boards, lists, and cards. With its Kanban view, it ensures clear visualization of project organization, task assigning, and budget planning.
- Asana – a tool for complex multi-team operations and collaboration through convenient information sharing, communications, and task assignment functionalities. The Kanban dashboard provides clear task visualization and handling.
- Basecamp – real-time communication, task scheduling, file-sharing, and to-do lists, facilitating team collaboration. The dedicated mobile app is compatible with iOS and Android.
Now that you know some of the best options on the market, let’s discuss another issue that is just as important as the details above: How can you choose the right tools for your specific needs?
What Features to Look for When Choosing Lobby Tracking Software
Before you invest in new technology, you have to clearly identify your requirements and desired outcomes. What are the distinctive characteristics of your office operations? What aspects can and need to be optimized? What are your legacy or existing systems?
In addition, there are particular features you have to opt for when selecting a lobby tracking solution:
- User-friendly interface and no additional hardware required, which will ensure the fast and smooth adoption of the system for everyone in your office
- Cloud-based visitor logbook ensuring detailed and reliable records of your visitors’ information securely stored and easily accessible in the cloud
- Visitor photo capture, instant visitor badge printing, and a watchlist will enhance your workplace security
- Touchless sign-in and temperature screening, which will make your office a healthier and safer place to work and visit
- Preregistration and repeat visitor features help ensure seamless experiences for your guests
- Legal document eSignature capture to stay compliant and manage documentation easily
- Diverse notification options to match the preferences of your employees
- Access control and ID scanning, which will prevent unauthorized entering into your spaces
- Easy integrations with legacy and third-party software. This can be direct integrations or you can often achieve the same objectives through Zapier.
Make sure that the sign-in solution you’re considering offers all the features that are important for your organization. In such a way, you’ll be able to make the right choice without the risk of later regrets.
Conclusion - Ready - Set - Win!
Optimizing office management using a dedicated software system can be a game-changer for you and your business. All you need to do is set up the office management system you’ve selected and enjoy the multiple benefits that it will bring.
A modern visitor management solution can combine the functionalities of all the five systems we discussed. Not only will it create outstanding visitor experiences, but it can also drive higher productivity, cost-effectiveness, and improved security.
In addition, choosing the option that readily integrates with third-party solutions will enable you to take advantage of a huge range of features.
The outcomes? Hassle-free implementation and taking your business to the next level of innovation and efficiency.