Why You Need Checklists in the Workplace

During World War II, when the new B-17 bomber was introduced, one of the star aviators crashed the aircraft during its demonstration flight. The U.S. Army Air Corps then went on to introduce its renowned safety checklist for crews and pilots. After doing this, the risk of fatal errors dropped immensely and checklists became a mandatory part of flying.

While that’s a pretty concrete example of the importance of checklists, let's examine why you need checklists in the workplace today - no matter the industry.

So, how do checklists in the workplace help improve performance while satisfying your customers?

1. Efficiency
2. Compliance
3. Customer experience
4. Positive reviews

Efficiency

In a busy store, restaurant or any business, there are always opportunities to find efficiencies and improve team execution. If you’re already using checklists in the workplace - that’s great, but it’s time to take it to the next level. Spend less time filling out forms and more time getting stuff done.

With a mobile checklist software, you can eliminate the delay of waiting for completed forms to be brought back to the office and dispersed amongst staff. Instead, field teams can submit forms right from their very own mobile device and instantly alert other team members when tasks have been completed. Regardless of the results of your checklists, managers have the ability to action items faster.

Compliance

Improve compliance by improving employee accountability. Easily monitor team performance and ensure that tasks are being completed by the right person, at the right time and place. View the exact time, date and geo-stamp from when a checklist was submitted. Managers or owners can add that extra level of verification by requiring e-signatures to submit a completed checklist. 

Effortlessly verify how tasks are being completed. No more time spent wondering how your locations are performing - you can see it. Managers can require that photos are included on certain questions. This means that in order to submit a checklist or mark a specific item as complete, teams need to provide photo proof.

Customer experience

A lot of what makes up a great customer experience is dependent on the execution of regular tasks that employees are required to complete throughout their shift. Everything from cleanliness to planogram compliance, these parts of your business impact how customers feel about your establishment.

Not only does this improve team performance and how smoothly operations run behind the scenes, but requiring teams to complete these regular tasks is crucial in always presenting the best version of your business to customers. Providing your customers with an excellent and memorable customer experience will keep them coming back to your business, providing you with loyal, regular customers.

Positive reviews

How do you get customers to share their positive experiences with your brand? The best way is to ensure that standards are consistently being met so that customers are more than satisfied with your business. Using checklists to keep employees aware of what and when items need to get completed is a great way to set your teams up for success and provide your customers with the incentive to leave positive reviews.

Everything that goes on behind the scenes contributes to the output that your customers see. For example, whether it’s keeping materials organized in the kitchen so that ingredients and utensils are readily available for use, or stocking coffee at the end of a shift so that it's accessible the following morning. Both of these tasks might be out of sight from customers, but the results are not. If utensils aren't stored in the right place or coffee isn't stocked, that increases wait times and could be the catalyst that prevents customers from leaving a positive review.

Conclusion

Use checklists in the workplace as a reminder to your staff to complete their regular duties, and also as a way to verify that these items are not only completed - but completed properly.

The impact of using a mobile checklist software will not only improve your team performance but have many positive effects on your business:

1. Efficiency
2. Compliance
3. Customer experience
4. Positive reviews