What do you do if your remote team in process automation is struggling to stay productive?

1 Set clear goals and expectations

One of the key factors for remote team productivity is having clear and realistic goals and expectations. You need to define the scope, timeline, and deliverables of each project, and communicate them to your team members. You also need to establish the roles and responsibilities of each team member, and how they will coordinate and report their progress. Make sure your team understands the purpose and value of each process automation project, and how it aligns with the overall business objectives.

2 Use the right tools and platforms

For remote team productivity, it’s important to choose the right tools and platforms to facilitate communication, collaboration, and automation. This means providing your team with the necessary training and support for the tools and platforms they need. Cloud-based process automation software, such as Zapier or IFTTT, can be used to create and manage workflows across different applications and devices. Project management tools, like Asana or Trello, enable tracking and managing tasks, deadlines, and dependencies. Communication tools such as Slack or Zoom allow chatting, calling, and video conferencing with team members. Collaboration tools like Google Workspace or Dropbox enable sharing and editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Feedback tools like Loom or SurveyMonkey can be used to collect and analyze feedback from team members and customers.

3 Build trust and engagement

A third important factor for remote team productivity is building trust and engagement among your team members. You need to foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and recognition, and encourage your team members to share their ideas, challenges, and achievements. You also need to provide regular and constructive feedback, and celebrate the milestones and successes of your team. Additionally, you need to create opportunities for social interaction and fun, such as virtual coffee breaks, games, or quizzes, to strengthen the team spirit and morale.

4 Encourage learning and development

A fourth crucial factor for remote team productivity is encouraging learning and development among your team members. You need to provide them with the resources and opportunities to learn new skills, improve their existing skills, and explore new trends and technologies in process automation. You can also create a learning community within your team, where your team members can share their knowledge, insights, and best practices with each other. Moreover, you need to support your team members' career growth and aspirations, and help them identify and pursue their goals.

5 Monitor and evaluate results

Monitoring and evaluating the results of your process automation projects is a fifth vital factor for remote team productivity. You should measure the impact and value of your automation projects, as well as how they contribute to business outcomes. Additionally, you should assess the performance and satisfaction of your team members, and identify their strengths and areas for improvement. To do this, you can use various metrics and indicators such as process efficiency, team productivity, and team engagement. Process efficiency metrics include time, cost, and error reduction, as well as customer satisfaction improvement. Team productivity metrics include task completion, quality, and innovation. Team engagement metrics include communication, collaboration, and feedback frequency and quality.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?