7 Ways checklists can save your company

During the pandemic lockdown, in our neighbourhood, only one household representative was allowed to go shopping. For us, it was my husband. 

When he went grocery shopping for the first time, he came back with Cheetos, wiper fluid, and spaghetti sauce.

He’d forgotten about the grocery list, so he just tried to remember what we really needed. He’d overlooked a lot of things, so he had to rush back to the store, this time armed with a long list.

With everyone’s current hectic lifestyle, checklists keep us sane and on top of our responsibilities at home and at work. A checklist can help everyone, from the CEO to the intern.

A 2015 study published in the American Economic Journal included the use of checklists for mechanics at an automobile company.

According to the study, the firm’s revenue increased by 20% after using the checklist, and the checklists increased productivity by serving as a memory aid and a way to monitor task completion.

As the manager or business owner, you can cultivate a culture of consistency and accuracy with the use of checklists in your company. Here are some of the reasons why you should make lists part of your SOP:

Checklists promote organization

Checklists help people organise the tasks they need to complete throughout the day. These also serve as a reminder of what needs to be prioritized.

When you write tasks on paper or any note-taking device, you can easily group similar tasks, allowing you to work on them more efficiently.

Checklists are visual reminders

Checklists serve as visual reminders when they are pinned in your workplace where they can be easily seen. This reduces the chances of you forgetting tasks. A checklist can also help you remember everything that needs to be done during the day or within a certain time frame.

Checklists reduce mistakes

You may not be perfect, but you can ensure that your work is error-free. Because a checklist follows a pattern and sets expectations for a specific deliverable, you can easily refer to it before submitting the project.

Additionally, checklists can list all of the tools, materials, or ingredients required to complete the project. When errors are reduced, the employee can work confidently without as much back and forth.

Checklists keep people motivated

Don’t you just love it when you can cross everything off your list? You feel satisfied and confident that you’ve made the most of your day. 

A completed checklist makes a worker feel fulfilled, especially if the tasks involved are time-consuming and difficult.

In hindsight, checklists can motivate us to complete life’s duties and responsibilities because we have already completed a similar task and know we can do it again.

Checklists improve productivity

With the use of a checklist, previously complex tasks become easier over time.

Because an employee has documented the proper sequence for completing a task, their colleagues will not have to start from scratch if they need to do something similar in the future.

Because of this documentation, productivity in the organization has increased without the need for time-consuming training and hand-holding. This level of efficiency propels the company ahead of its competitors.

Checklists foster collaboration

Shared checklists in digital documents are ideal for project monitoring that requires collaboration. This is a great practice, especially for design tasks, which is why all Deer Designers use checklists.

You can tick off what you’ve completed in your chosen collaboration app, and your colleagues can get to work on it right away. The manager or business owner does not need to micromanage because others can see everyone’s progress in real-time.

Checklists improve processes

Aside from increasing productivity, checklists can also accelerate progress.

All of the employees’ tasks are transparent thanks to common and collaborative checklists. There is no doubt about who is in charge of what or which tasks must be assigned to whom.

Managers can easily refer to the checklist if there is a client complaint or a roadblock in the process. There is no need for employees to point fingers because every task is documented.

With fewer office politics, everyone can contribute or suggest if they believe a step should be revised or removed to improve the process’s efficiency.

Your company needs checklists

Successful businesses are well-organized and efficient. A checklist is one of the most effective ways to keep a business running smoothly.

Deer Designer can attest to this because it is part of our processes that allow us to produce excellent designs.

A checklist can be used to ensure that each member of your team completes their tasks. 

This list is more than just a list of words to check off, but is also a set of steps to ensure consistent quality. To improve their efficiency, encourage your employees to keep and follow a checklist.