Mismanagement starts on the executive floor: communication technology is no guarantee for productivity {Trend! study}

In many companies, far too much time is spent unproductively Meetings wasted, too many Employees verlieren itself in technical details, despite the beautiful new means of communication is in Companys talked too little. Result: By the time not useful used for productive work, the total damage for Germany amounts to more than 170 billion euros per year Economy. What should I do?

Water on the mills of the chief haters

She has in the opinion of Dagmar Deckstein of the Süddeutschen The newspaper is already almost a bit of cult status, the annual, worldwide productivity study by the American consulting firm Proudfoot Consulting:

"Even the newest - now the sixth since 2001 - can again be seen as water for those who have secretly clenched their fists in their pockets for a long time when talking about their bosses," comments Deckstein.

Manager: Unable to delegate!

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That might also be the charm of the annual Proudfoot studies that they come to the same quintessence again and again with beautiful regularity: “The managers do not have enough time to take care of the actual management tasks.

They do too much work themselves instead of delegating it. ” They also rarely went to work to speak to their employees. “How many of these employees don't applaud enthusiastically, according to the motto: finally there is someone up there in writing that they are never seen here, but know everything better,” says Deckstein.

Wasted working hours

Not only the German management could know better that far too much time is being used unproductively in the company. The Proudfoot report of July 2006 confirms slight signs of improvement compared to previous years, but billions are still wasted through too much administration, duplication and endless conferences.

According to analyzes by Proudfoot, however, it is surprising that almost a quarter of the Executives for 2006 none Objective as regards the increase of labor productivity. It cannot be due to a lack of need for change. According to this, 30 percent of the working time is used unproductively worldwide, in German companies every employee wastes an average of 32,5 days per year with activities that Company bring absolutely nothing.

170 billion euros hurt

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From this, a total damage of more than 170 billion euros per year for the German economy can be derived - which corresponds to almost eight percent of the gross domestic product. But curbing unproductive work is not just that Problem a specific nation or industry, but a challenge for all.

"One thing is certain: the company management has to take on the role of the driving force in these initiatives," demands Proudfoot-Executive Luiz Carvalho. Investments that could contribute to increasing efficiency are investments in information and communication technology, provided that such programs are implemented with suitable employees and the necessary behavioral and organizational changes.

Do not leave the IT department in the rain

“The Conference Board results confirm this, but from our survey we know that many companies have yet to accept this fact. Ironically, businesses have more communications technologies at their disposal than ever before, while internal communications problems are still ranked as the greatest barrier to productivity. Maybe it's about time that Technology sometimes in favor of personal ones Conversation negligible,” recommends Carvalho.

In the experience of Mehdi Schröder, Mehdi Schröder, Vice President Enterprise at Ericsson Germany, would be highly negligent. “One must not exclude the other. The Investment in modern communication technology, however, must be seen as a task for the entire management. You should ITdepartment is not left out in the rain," says Schröder.

Technology on the advance

Especially because of the growing mobility requirements for companies, there is no way around the introduction of powerful, location-independent communication systems. “The integration of voice and data, the migration of communication systems over the Internet Protocol, the merging of extensions of the classic TC system and IP telephony with mobile Communication must be declared a top priority, ”said Schröder.

Bernhard Steimel, spokesman for the industry initiative Voice Business and managing director of the Düsseldorf company Mind Business Consultants, is not surprised by the results of the study. “Proudfoot's finding puts a finger on a sore point: top management is not aware that labor productivity is important not only in industrial production, but also for the provision of services.

Inefficient workflows

An example: Although today the procedures are organized in many call centers according to efficiency criteria, but in the administrative unit behind it is often still manufactured as in the old-established manufactory business. Productivity gains can be achieved by redesigning the service processes. It is only gradually that companies begin to integrate their call centers into the overall structure of the rest of the company.

This inclusion can Revolution in the processing of customer processes," says Steimel. This also poses new challenges for the service providers in the call center industry, because they have to increase their process competence and promote the integration of their clients' back office systems into their own customer processes and rely on the right mix: "Call pre-qualification as early as possible and already in the intelligent network, automation of simple, recurring services and high-quality consulting and sales talks with specialized agents for valuable customers”, continues Steimel.

Is modern technology more productive?

Modern technology alone cannot make companies more productive, believes Michael Sander from Lindauer's consulting firm Terra Consulting Partners: “To put it bluntly, eMails only make communication faster, not necessarily better or more correct. However, large companies in particular are involved Strategy, Implementation and Guide enormous problems that cannot be solved with technology, since these problems usually lie with the people involved. Incorrect market assessments and corporate misjudgments are not due to the ERP software used or the architecture of the intranet ”.

Information technology and telecommunications is a "communicative lubricant" in companies - no more and no less. “In a global Welt However, the technical level is so high that one light tempted to equate the high complexity and the high technological demands with an influence on productivity. But that is not the case at all. In modern competition, every company needs the most modern possible Technologyto keep up with the best competitors. However, the best competitors are not the best because they have the best technology, but the best minds - in the sense of strategists, implementers and company leaders," sums up Sander.

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