Process isn’t a very “sexy” word, but it’s practically inescapable in any business setting. From the way you onboard and manage your teams to the steps you follow when governing projects, pretty much everything involves a process — and if it doesn’t, well, you’re probably not doing it right.
But while processes are essential to any functioning organization, they can eat up a lot of time, resources, and budget if they’re handled efficiently. If your customer support process is overly clunky or complex, for example, you’ll likely be dealing with disgruntled clients as well as overworked support agents.
Fortunately, if your business processes are slowing you down — or you’re simply looking to make them work more seamlessly — a number of software-based platforms exist that can help transform even the most cumbersome processes into slickly-oiled mechanisms, saving your business time and money while allowing you to focus on more strategic matters.
From HR to data analysis, here are 6 platforms that will help galvanize any well-worn business process.
1. Remote
Recent research suggests that roughly 9 in 10 companies have at least some of their staff working remotely, which isn’t altogether surprising when you consider the cost efficiencies this type of model can introduce — fewer overheads, no relocation costs, and so on.
Another advantage of this approach is the removal of geographical barriers from the hiring process, allowing businesses to widen the available talent pool by theoretically hiring from anywhere in the world — which is where Remote comes in.
Remote is a game-changer for any company hiring outside of their immediate location, negating the complexity often associated with location-agnostic hiring. Whether you’re based in New York and hiring in Denver (using Remote’s employer of record service in Colorado) or recruiting somewhere further afield like Mexico or Morocco, Remote helps you minimize recruitment bottlenecks and build a global team with relative ease.
To boot, Remote’s suite of global HR products includes payroll software (allowing you to pay employees in their local currencies) and a contractor management system, which enables businesses to hire and pay short-term talent compliantly and efficiently.
2. Crisp
For customer-facing businesses, one of the most important — yet often time-consuming — aspects to manage is customer communication — and remember this is a two-way street, so we’re not just talking about responding timely to customer queries.
A whopping 98% of Americans switch from at least one device to another on an average day, highlighting the importance for businesses of multichannel communication — customers interact with brands in multiple ways, making it essential to provide as many avenues for communication as possible.
Crisp enables this by centralizing all your customer-facing comms through a single platform — whether you interact with users through live chat, email, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, or even a good old-fashioned telephone, you can manage and respond to all conversations through a shared inbox.
One of the most impressive features is Crisp’s website chat widget, which empowers both proactive and reactive engagement — allowing you to respond to queries timely while also anticipating customer needs and sending pre-emptive messages.
3. Remote People
Every year, more companies are hiring globally, a trend fueled by cost savings and access to broader talent pools. International recruitment not only slashes overhead, relocation expenses and recruitment processing costs, it also gives businesses access to the best available talent.
Among the few providers that can, headhunt talent in China, the UK, Brazil, or anywhere else, Remote People streamlines the entire recruitment and hiring process. In addition to recruitment, their localized employer-of-record services cover compliance, payroll, and contracts, so you can focus on onboarding only the best talent.
4. Diligent
And now for something a little more serious. Whether you’re a fledgling startup with a handful of employees or a multinational organization with a vast global workforce, factors such as governance, risk management, and compliance cannot be overlooked.
This is particularly true for companies beholden to investors, as recent data suggests governance-related investor demands have increased by a staggering 5,000% over the past decade.
Enter Diligent. This platform “sets the standard for modern governance” according to Forrester, helping businesses small and large streamline their board-level processes and turn emerging risks into exciting opportunities.
Among Diligent’s tools is a board portal — which cuts down on meeting prep time, with features such as an agenda builder — as well as a compliance management platform, providing real-time insights to ensure businesses meet the most up-to-date regulations relevant to their industry.
5. Smartsheet
Whether it’s a fairly straightforward task that involves a couple of stakeholders, or a months-long endeavor that demands input from multiple departments, every business-related project needs to follow at least some sort of process.
Perhaps you’re redesigning your company website, for example — a project that would involve several steps and milestones, from initial research and brainstorming to the final build and development. Assigning tasks, communicating updates, and keeping track of deliverables would be nigh-on impossible without a project management platform.
Smartsheet is one such solution, helping you eliminate stakeholder siloes and collaborate on projects in real-time. The platform is fully customizable, and allows you to manage resources, budgets, and workflows all from a single location.
Smartsheet can also be integrated with multiple other tools you likely use on a daily basis, including video conferencing software like Zoom, communication platforms such as Slack, and CRM tools like Salesforce — meaning you don’t have to jump from platform-to-platform to stay on top of projects.
6. Kittl
Design is often a key component of any brand’s identity, and having the right tools to create engaging visual content quickly can give your business a competitive edge. Kittl is an online design platform that empowers businesses to create stunning logos and other visuals, even without professional design expertise.
Kittl provides a vast library of customizable logo templates and design assets that help you craft unique branding elements, all while saving time and effort. Whether you’re looking to design logos, social media posts, or marketing materials, Kittl’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it accessible for anyone.
The platform also offers an Image Generator tool powered by AI, which can create custom images based on your input. This tool makes it easy to generate visually appealing graphics tailored to your business’s needs, allowing you to enhance your visual content effortlessly.
Kittl is especially useful for businesses looking for a cost-effective yet powerful solution to maintain a strong visual identity without the need for a dedicated design team.
