This afternoon we are launching what we’ve been referring to as “Productivity Suite” – a software product (currently in beta) from our new company called RD2 Labs. Productivity Suite is a productivity application that is unlike anything that has been done before.
There is always a push to be more productive. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in the nonfarm business sector:
- During the first quarter of 2008, productivity (work output per employee per hour) rose 2.6% since the last quarter
- From the first quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008, output per hour increased 3.3% – the largest four-quarter change in 4 years
Productivity is taking a front seat in business, in technology, and in our busy lives.
Right now the new product is code named “Productivity Suite,” but a new name is going to be assigned soon. The big idea is to ignite awareness in team environments around productivity and spur teams to hold each other to a new level of accountability that is fun and exciting, but also that has very serious consequences on productivity in the work place. This system has a rewards/points system where people can earn points for positive actions in the workplace related to various categories of work productivity. There is a blog at the core of the software that only focuses on content that fits the context of categories such as: meeting productivity, time management, tools for productivity, and so on… The blog sets the guidelines and feeds content dynamically to the application to help employees learn how to be more effective. The goal is to get more out of an 8 hour work day than they have been doing in a 12 hour day…. and to go home and have time to relax.
We all know that cultural change generally happens slowly, but as we have been testing this internally we have seen a significant turn around in the way people think about productivity. This change has happened fast because the change is happening from within the organization – we designed a system in which team members can file an offense or offer a kudo to fellow employees. At first this seems a bit shocking, in concept, but the interface and usability of the application makes it competitive and we have found that the general office culture is quickly shifting to a more productive place. More than ever, our team has been focusing on conducting meetings that start on time, have agendas, focus on objectives, and end when they are supposed to end.
This product may not be for everyone, but it has quickly made an affect on our team and their eagerness to learn how to be more effective. People get points for adding great content to the system that fits the context. They also get dinged if they file too many offenses…. File too many in a row and lose points yourself. This system encourages users to post a balance of positive reinforcement and constructive criticism.
Also, we are building a set of reports (our next beta release) that will help us to understand who’s strong at what category and who needs help in which categories. We will offer training to those who need the help. And, we are tying our reports to utilization and realization in the company so that we can offer real data on potential impacts of this on our bottom line.
We’re really excited about all the hard work the team has done on this project. Check out the RD2 Productivity Suite at http://productivity.rd2inc.com!
[...] The Productivity Suite is an application that was developed within our labs here at RD2. Productivity as it applies in our lives and in our work life has become more and more important, and the Productivity Suite is our attempt at finding a better way for people to become productive in their lives. The application centers around user-submitted blog posts, and also adds a collaborative element where users can submit kudos or offenses of their fellow teammates to encourage productive behavior. If you want to know more read our launch post. [...]
how do i get to see it? I’m super interested, but it asks me for a password, etc.
any chance to check it out?