E-Mail is being used for a lot of communications in virtually every type of business today from the high tech companies to factories and manufacturing facilities. While E-Mail is certainly an amazing technology which has a lot of important uses, it has become a huge waste of time for many people and companies over the past several years. Many companies are using e-mail in an extremely inefficient manor which causes hours of wasted time every day. Companies which are looking to become more efficient and eliminate should take some time to review how this type of communication is being used and try to cut wasted effort as much as possible.
There are many ways to cut back on the number of emails which are sent as well as the amount of time people are spending in their email box each day. Each business will, of course, have to come up with the specifics on how it would work but virtually every company can eliminate a significant amount of waste by streamlining their E-Mail communication standards. The following are just a few great ways to cut the wasted time out of e-mail.
Set Specific E-Mail Times
Whether it is done across the corporation, by department or even leaving it up to the individual, having set times throughout the day which are dedicated to e-mail is a great way to eliminate wasted time. Rather than interrupting the flow of people’s work every time an email comes into their inbox, having scheduled periods in the day will keep people focused on the task at hand. Depending on the specific position of an individual they can typically just check their inbox two or three times per day.
Between those scheduled times it is important to completely close out the e-mail program or at least disable notifications so you are not tempted to check it every few minutes. Every corporation should have a policy that states that e-mail is not for urgent communications, and if something needs immediate attention they should call on the phone.
Accurate Subject Lines
Even when people try to work more efficiently it can be difficult when people use very vague subject line, or even leave the subject line entirely blank. A descriptive subject line can help people to sort out their email and group similar items together to save time. When properly done it is even possible to be able to decide which e-mails need a response and which ones are just informational without ever having to open the message. This is a surprisingly effective way to eliminate wasted time spent on email.
Proper Use of Carbon Copy
The carbon copy or CC field in e-mails is perhaps the most overused field in all of technology. The vast majority of people who are sent emails via the CC field do not actually read or respond to the message because it is not directed at them explicitly. Keeping this field empty unless it is actually needed is a great way to cut down on the number of emails people get throughout the day.
Additional Resources
- What is HAZCOM? (Hazard Communication Definition + OSHA Standards)– creativesafetysupply.com
- Continuous Improvement: Mail Delivery of the Future?– blog.creativesafetysupply.com
- How Unified Communications and Collaboration can Improve Your Business– blog.5stoday.com
- Communication 101– 5snews.com
- Lean Manufacturing: Streamlining Operations for Optimal Efficiency– realsafety.org
- Five Quick Hazard Communication Improvements– babelplex.com
- Virtual Signs for Visual Communication– aislemarking.com
- Hazard Communication – 1910.1200– safetyblognews.com
- Improving Safety with Visual Communication– floortape101.com