Employee retention is an important initiative for any company, but especially large organizations that operate with extensive staff, such as distribution centers or manufacturing facilities. Training takes time and money, and if turnover is common, the facility becomes inefficient and unprofitable. There are many aspects to retention, but the type and amount of work an employee is asked to do as a daily task plays a big part.
According to Business 2 Community, data collection software solutions are a great employee retention tool because they allow workers to use their skills more often and improve communication. This is all achieved by simply removing paper systems and replacing them with digital ones, the website says.
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How Automated and Mobile Data Collection Help Employees
Employees who are required to spend a good portion of their day on mundane and unrewarding tasks such as paper-based data collection are less happy with their jobs. Arming employees with data collection devices such as barcode scanners allows them to quickly complete repetitive tasks that require little thought, and instead focus on the more engaging responsibilities of their job.
Field workers also benefit greatly from mobile data collection. Workers out in the field will already feel removed from the company, and without ways to quickly communicate with managers back at the company, errors will compound. Employees in the field need to be able to send data back to the facility in real-time so they can get accurate updates regarding their work.
With paper-based data collection, it can take much longer to identify errors in an employee’s work. While frustrating for the organization, an employee also becomes stressed when he or she finds out he or she has been performing a task incorrectly for days or longer with no feedback. With a mobile enterprise application platform, it is possible to provide employees in the field with the same software and tools that employees working in the facility have.
Data Collection Solutions Are Affordable
Employee retention is really just a side effect of data collection software. The true benefit will come in the ability to analyze all parts of the supply chain in real-time. Inventory control will be easier and the organization will be better able to track merchandise and orders, in and outside of the warehouse. More control, happier employees and improved connectivity helps any organizations run more effectively.
