How to make meetings more productive

Out-of-the-box thinking doesn’t happen in a box…right? In this article, we consider some different ways to help reignite the motivation for attending those weekly or monthly meetings.

Some people might say that most meetings in the workplace are often pointless and attendees feel anxious as there are always deadlines to meet and work that needs to be done. But what if the problem isn’t the actual meeting itself but more the environment and layout that it’s being held in which can sometimes be formal and uninviting…

Take a look at our tips for making meetings more inviting…

1. Only hold meetings if they’re essential

Save meetings for projects that are a necessity and for when all the team can get involved. If it can be replaced by a telephone call or an email, don’t hold it. If the meeting does need to be held, be conscious of time and try to keep it short – schedule no longer than 45 minutes per meeting so that employees recognise that you value their time and have an agenda.

2. Don’t get into a routine

If you schedule meetings for the same time every week, in the same location; eventually employee motivation and interest is going to plummet. If you want your team to find a solution to a task or you’re working on a long project, then you need to mix it up a little, try mornings and afternoons and see which time provides the best engagement and ideas. Consider carrying out some meetings outside of the office, perhaps in a coffee shop or over some lunch.

3. Is your meeting space inviting and inspiring for ideas?

If not, it might be worth considering re-decorating your meeting room and introducing some artwork to make it a more welcoming space for being creative. According to Forbes, 78% of respondents in a survey of over 800 employees working for 32 U.S companies claimed that art in the workplace helped reduce their stress.

4. Consider standing desks

Employees spend most of their working day sitting at a desk so it’s not particularly motivating to move from one rolling chair to another. It’s been mentioned time and again that sitting does you no good… yet the same is true about standing all day! What you really want to do is alternate between the two with the help of a sit-stand desk. This will ultimately help you reduce the health risks posed by both. Consider ditching the standard table and chair set up and opt for this healthier way of working. Meetings may then seem like a refreshing change of scenery.

5. Informal workspace meetings

Sometimes a formal meeting isn’t required, have you thought about introducing informal employee workspaces where ideas can be brought to life away from your desk without the need to be in a meeting room? Curious? Take a look at some ideas here or check out this brochure for inspiration.

6. Offer incentives and rewards


Competitions and mini-games can be a great way to encourage enthusiasm and attendance for meetings. After all, everyone loves a freebie. Giving away snacks and refreshments during the meeting will generate interest and depending on your budget, consider rewards for the best ideas that are brought to the table.

What is archiving and why should I be on top of it?

There’s a lot of jargon surrounding the term ‘archiving’ and you may ask, what actually is it? In fact, it’s a term that employers and businesses shouldn’t only be aware of, but completely understand.

In summary, archiving is a vital records management process and over here at Quills, we know how valuable a well organised approach can be for your business. So, take a look at this handy guide to find out more about archiving and why you should be on top of it.

What exactly is archiving?

First things first, what is archiving? Search Data Backup defines the process of archiving as “moving data that is no longer actively used to a separate storage device for long-term retention.” It’s important to note that archived data can be made active again at any point. This is a massive benefit for businesses who can therefore retrieve any necessary information at short notice.

Why should you archive your files?

As data is continuing to grow, archiving data is becoming more important than ever. If you want to save your business time and money, then having an effective archive strategy in place is necessary.

As well as adding value to your business, archiving the right data can save your business a huge amount of time and money. In the past, a number of companies stored all their data in their ‘primary storage’ system as they were afraid that their information may get misplaced or lost whilst being archived. Some employers also didn’t understand what was involved in the process of archiving data and were therefore very hesitant to do it.

Today, it is becoming more obvious that an effective archive strategy is key for businesses who handle large amounts of data. For example, they may end up losing information as a result. With an effective strategy in place, organisations can easily search for, access and maintain data that is relevant and adds value to the business.

In addition to the above, your business can also save money on expensive primary storage. Not only will you reduce the amount of data in the primary storage, you’ll also improve the overall backup performance. Therefore, you can manage your time more efficiently and deal with the documents that you need to access on a regular basis.

So, you now know what archiving is and why you should do it; but what’s involved in the archiving process?

When you archive files, they are stored and managed within optimum conditions to minimise the risk involved in the process and also to ensure that files are always protected. Likewise, scan on demand and scan back services, as well as traditional based document storage and retrieval, scan back distribution means you can access your files wherever you are, whenever you need them – quicker, cheaper and greener access to your company data.

How can Quills help me with archiving files?

Quills can provide you with a quicker, cheaper and greener way of accessing your company information. Our dedicated account supervisors can provide you with knowledge and support throughout the entire archiving process, as well as offer nationwide coverage with same/next day delivery.

Some of our key services include:

• Workflow, EDRM, digitisation and scan back
• Storage of files and boxes
• Storage of wills, deeds and original documents
• Storage of digital media
• Consultancy including best practices, Record Management policies and retention policies
• Special projects including inventory, purging, back scanning, filing audits, filing relocation and rationalisation
• Nationwide coverage offering same day/next working day delivery

If you require any more information regarding archiving and want to know how Quills can help your business, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Evolution Acquisition

We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Evolution Group Ltd on 2nd January 2019.

Andy Efstathiou, Managing Director of Quills said “For Evolution customers the acquisition will mean the same high levels of service with the additional benefit of our internal infrastructure, additional customer services and features like Live Chat to provide answers quickly to any queries or questions. We’re an organisation constantly striving to improve how we do business every day.”

The existing Evolution team will move across to Quills (Customer Services, Sales and Drivers) which will ensure a smooth and seamless transfer.

We look forward to working with Evolutions employees and customers and extending a warm welcome to all.