Between juggling administrative tasks, meetings, training, customer service and other responsibilities, business managers often have little time left to actually supervise employees. Here’s how managers can save time by using technology:

In fact, the average retail manager spends 45 to 55 percent of their time on administrative tasks and meetings. One way to win back some of this lost time, however, is by making more efficient use of office automation. Here are some ways to do that.

Running the Books

Many small business owners say accounting is their least desirable part of running their business. One reason they find accounting such a chore is due to the lack of an automated accounting solution.

While many company HR reps still do bookkeeping by hand, others are using antiquated models like spreadsheets. A better solution is to adopt a software tool specifically designed for online accounting. Unlike spreadsheets, Sage One integrates with other financial functions, including receipt processing, invoice management and tax preparation, which can save you tons of time.

Employee Scheduling

Checking worker availability against personal time off requests and switching shifts around can get complicated — and doing it manually can create scheduling mistakes. Fortunately, there are automated scheduling solutions on the market, including Insperity’s TimeStar, which lets companies automatically manage employee schedules. Each employee is assigned an individual account, giving both the employee and their supervisor the ability to view schedules, PTO balances, time-off requests, shift changes and other essential scheduling information.

Supervisors receive notices when employees request time off or shift changes, which they can then approve or reject, while everything else is automated. Insperity also offers time and attendance management modules for ultimate efficiency.

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Payroll Management

Payroll management is another task retail managers can easily automate. Instead of manually calculating wages and deductions, and preparing and sending paychecks by hand, companies can streamline their payroll procedures by adopting automated software. Solutions like Payroll Mate allow companies to instantly prepare paychecks, as well as distribute them through direct deposit, pay cards, client-generated checks and deliverable checks. Companies can even integrate their payroll software with existing HR, scheduling and accounting software to streamline efficiencies.

Inventory Checks

Big-box retailers, including Walmart and Target, leverage the power of automated inventory solutions to accurately forecast demand and monitor supplies in order keep up with market trends. Smaller retailers can enjoy the same efficiencies by adopting inventory management solutions.

For instance, Scanco Warehouse allows for the use of Windows-based scanners, phones, tablets or desktops as an automated inventory tool. Companies can even turn to a smartphone as an inventory scanner by mounting it on an Infinite Peripherals pistol grip accessory that integrates with Scanco’s warehousing solutions.

Supply Chain Management

Accurate inventory requires good supply chain management, another function that can be easily automated. For example, Accellos’ EDI-compliant software integrates with existing inventory software solutions to automate label printing and shipping, as well as warehouse space management. Accellos’ solutions can cut shipping costs by using specified product dimensions and weight to automatically calculate outbound order carton quantity and size, integrate order fulfillment processes with labels for carriers such as UPS and FedEx, and apply routing instructions for pre-paid and collect shipments.

Taking the tedium out of everyday tasks can help managers in any industry get through their day more efficiently. By implementing these smart solutions, business owners and managers can get gain a few more hours a day, adding more to the bottom line.

Byline: Roy Rasmussen, co-author of Publishing for Publicity, is a freelance copywriter who helps small businesses get more customers and make more sales. His specialty is helping experts reach their target market with a focused sales message. His most recent projects include books on cloud computing, small-business management, sales, business coaching, social media marketing and career planning.

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