Filling Out the Forms

And playing with the pencils

We have to deal with some bureaucracy, some paperwork, some record-keeping.

But many of us know how, over time, it can get out-of-hand.

Take a look at the systems your company and your team use. Is there a way to streamline what people are doing? This might save a lot of time and money.

Some suggestions:

• If anything is still being done on paper forms (expense reimbursement forms, timesheets, onboarding paperwork, etc.) and then being transferred into a computer system, update that system so that people can enter info into a form directly. If that’s not an option with that software, consider using a Google doc/sheet or a survey form like SurveyMonkey to allow people to enter data in a form that allows quick transfer.

• If you provide a QR code that links to an online form instead of (or in addition to) paper forms for customers, people can enter the info from their phones.

• Ask your staffers for streamlining ideas—they may have to do data-entry or use other forms that you don’t. They may also have some great ideas or workarounds.

• Consider the reports and surveys used in performance reviews, as well. This can be a tedious, repetitive task for managers who have multiple direct reports.

• Look at processes that require multiple steps, such as “filling out the form in triplicate” or getting signatures from multiple people in multiple branch offices. There is usually a simpler way, such as online document signing.

• Sometimes, you still need the paper. A great example is in brainstorming meetings—using flip charts or white boards aids collaboration. Make sure you capture the results with a scanning app, rather than having someone have to hand-type it all in.

(Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash)
Earworm that inspired the title of today’s post: