Success in business services depends heavily on the knowledge, skills, and dedication of the company’s employees. Any variation in employee productivity can profoundly affect an organization's bottom line. This makes it essential for organizations to develop a coherent approach to managing and enhancing employee productivity.

However, employee productivity has stagnated even while labour costs have continued to rise. Historically, these two factors have aligned in that when one goes up or down, the other matches it. This is no longer the case, leading to widespread frustration in the business services sector.

So how can companies increase productivity and, by doing so, improve their profitability? There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this challenge. Each company must tailor its approach to its specific business needs, goals, and opportunities. However, certain strategies are often successful across all types of business service companies.

Recognizing that employees are the cornerstone of productivity, organizations should invest in their development and training. Providing opportunities for skill enhancement, continuous learning, and career growth not only boosts productivity but also enhances employee satisfaction and retention.

In addition, worker productivity can be significantly increased through the strategic implementation of technology.

Investing in productivity-enhancing tools and software can streamline operations, reduce manual work, and improve accuracy. For example, technology solutions can optimize routes for field services or formulate maintenance programs for facilities services.

Many companies are embracing digital transformation and data analysis to enhance productivity. Upgrading to more advanced platforms can speed up projects. Utilizing more relevant and precise data can minimize costly mistakes. Digital tools can solve problems and accelerate the company’s overall growth.

Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions are particularly powerful for boosting productivity. These solutions replace repetitive, time-consuming tasks with efficient, technology-driven processes. This approach reduces labour costs and enhances overall productivity by freeing employees to focus on higher-value tasks that require human skills, creativity, and decision-making. For example, experienced employees are irreplaceable when researching and developing new products or services. And building customer relationships or offering remediation are highly human-centric duties. There are certain tasks that a computer cannot do, and for those, businesses need well-trained, talented, and motivated workers.

Another way for organizations to alleviate pressure on profit margins is to outsource operational functions. By delegating non-core functions to third-party providers, businesses can reorientate their internal staff to focus on the tasks that really matter to the organization. For example, a managed service provider can handle back-office functions such as IT support, human resources, and financial accounting. Companies that work with managed services providers also gain access to specialized expertise and achieve a level of scalability that is difficult to realize otherwise.

Finally, when faced with tight profit margins, some companies simply pass these increased costs on to their customers. However, this is not always a viable solution, as it can lead to customer dissatisfaction and a loss of market share, particularly in competitive markets.