Collaboration app helps reduce work absences

With the mobile platform from the manufacturer Beekeeper, employees in service, sales and production have access to all tools and communication channels in a central app. But is it even worth installing such a collaboration app? Beekeeper has had the return on investment (ROI) confirmed by a study.

70 percent fewer absences thanks to collaboration app

One thing in advance: The acquisition of a collaboration app probably costs less than absences due to accidents and employee illness. Because according to the According to the FOPH, 75 percent of all absences in Switzerland are due to accidents or illness.. In 2020, things were different, with the largest item being short-time work. 75 percent means one and a half to two weeks of absence per year per employee.

In Switzerland, one day of absence costs the employer 600 to 1000 francs per day. Particularly in sectors such as construction or healthcare, where occupational accidents and sickness-related absences are commonplace, consistent employee involvement can 70 percent of absences can be avoided, as Beekeeper's research has now shown. This is possible because the safety information actually reaches the employees - because collaboration apps are intuitive, interactive and, in contrast to info sheets or information on the intranet, are heeded much more often.

Appreciation improves working atmosphere

Experience has shown that employee involvement and feedback options or surveys in the tool also give employees a feeling of appreciation and, quite incidentally, show management potential for improvement. Employee satisfaction increases enormously, and staff turnover decreases by up to 40 percent the study continues.

The communication features of employee apps were a big value-add for many companies during Corona, but it was the combination of digitizing processes and digital communication that brought huge savings, the study concluded.

More than a digital coffee party

Executives who expect more from an app than just a digital coffee chat must nevertheless think carefully about which digital tools they invest in. The current survey on ROI thanks to digital tools among Beekeeper's customers shows: it takes more than just a chat:

1. Simply publishing information on a mobile intranet is not enough to achieve a high ROI. To profit from the shift to a digital workplace, it must be used as an operational tool. Top-down content then benefits from a large and active readership, which improves operational agility and promotes employee engagement.
2. Operational utility is the secret ingredient that amplifies the impact of other app features: digital operations, for example, promote employee engagement, and employee engagement promotes safety.
3. A mobile app for commercial employees can indeed be the most impactful investment a company can make right now, provided the needs are met by the right solution and the technology is implemented properly.

Here's how a collaboration app brings savings

• It increases productivity for commercial teams and admin staff alike
• Teams become more agile
• Costly errors and hazards are reduced
• Physical processes, such as waiting in line to clock in, are eliminated
• Paper and printing costs are reduced
• Output of daily production is increased
• Employee retention and engagement are improved (thereby reducing costly employee turnover)

So, to sum up, it can be said that a digital solution for collaboration can bring huge savings within the company, provided that various points such as the selection process of tools on the market, the definition of the areas of use, interactivity and intuitiveness, and the careful introduction of the app into the company culture are taken into account.

Source: Beekeeper