When was the last time you encouraged users in your organization to post a message on Facebook or use their work computer to order some holiday gifts?

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Tags: cyberslacking, online, productivity, time management, Web

The boom in telecommuting’s being driven by soaring gas prices and a sinking economy, and now there’s data that’s showing just how big an impact the practice is having.

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Tags: lower costs, productivity, security, survey, telecommute, training, upgrades, virtualization, VPN

It’s no secret that employees often stray from their work to goof off online. But is there a bigger impact from cyberslacking, beyond all the lost productivity?

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Tags: bandwidth, Palo Alto Networks, productivity, streaming audio, TV

Small businesses are getting increasingly concerned about one important process: payroll management.

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Tags: accuracy, management, payroll, process, productivity, small business

In the 2008 economy, IT might not suffer as much as most departments. But suffering’s relative.

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Tags: budgets, economic downturn, IT, productivity, salary

Chances are, your office has one: The worker who’s cell phone volume is set at its highest level all day. And that’s just one of the many workplace annoyances that have become commonplace since consumer tech gadgets hit the office.

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Tags: cell phone, e-mail, etiquette, Gadgets, manners, productivity, tech toys

You might think some of your workers have their Blackberry physically attached to their hands. Forget about calling a surgeon, your firm may need to call a lawyer.

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Tags: exempt, lawsuits, overtime, productivity, smartphones

With all the ways technology can help make a workforce more productive, here’s one you might not have thought of:

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Tags: big monitors, computer displays, productivity

With any luck — and lots of document imaging — you’ve got a lot fewer filing cabinets in your Finance department these days.

If you haven’t gone paperless, it might be time to consider it. Plenty of organizations are getting rid of hard copy records and not only do they save trees, they boost productivity and get better organized in the process.

Of course, the first step is actually getting organized. If your paper filing system’s a mess, you’ll want to get that under control before you start scanning.

The following five steps can help ensure a successful paperless conversion:

1. Don’t look back. Forget about converting old files — start with your largest customers or vendors and your newest ones as well.
2. Stay away from temps. Scanning’s a boring, low-value task that’s perfect for a temp, right? Wrong! You want someone in your department who knows your data and your policies — someone who’ll be around to help others learn the new system and how it’s organized.
3. Stick close to home. You’ve going to devote a lot of time to the conversion process, so the last thing you want is for staffers to have to walk halfway across the building because the scanner’s so far from files. Remember logistics in your planning process.
4. Be generous with the hardware. High-end scanners can be pricey, but go for the best quality you can afford. You’ll recoup the money in fewer do-overs and productivity losses that come with a lousy machine.
5. Get the training you’re entitled to. Imaging vendors don’t make much on training, so they’re not going to go out of their way to offer you much of it. Press them for all you can get, even if you have to supplement it from other sources if you have to.

Tags: conversion, files, imaging, organization, paperless, productivity, records, scanning