【會議成本】時間就是金錢！Shopify推出會議成本計算機 Time is money! Shopify launches Meeting Cost Calculator

加拿大電商公司Shopify近日在內部推出的「會議成本計算機」，為求讓員工了解開會相對於發送電子郵件而言，真正花費了公司多少錢。Shopify不斷努力鼓勵減少開會，而這個工具是一個Google日曆的Chrome擴展程序。計算機根據平均薪酬、會議參與人數和會議時長的數據，讓全球11,000多名員工知道他們會議的估計成本。

平均30分鐘的會議，三個參與者的成本可能在700至1600美元之間（約5,460至12,480港元）；如果有1名高級員工參與，成本甚至超過2,000美元（約15,600港元）。Shopify估計，如果每個人每週取消三次會議，公司整體成本將減少15%。Shopify希望讓其他企業能夠清楚地看到毫無意義的會議對他們造成了多少損失，因此推出了Shopify Meeting Cost Calculator的Chrome擴展程序。

Shopify在今年1月已經減少了不必要會議的措施，包括取消先前安排的所有三人或以上的例行會議。此外，他們還強制安排逢週三不開會，並將參與人數超過50人的大型會議限制在週四的六小時內。

然而，Shopify表示這些初步努力並不足夠。「我們發現會議又再次不斷蔓延，我們需要立即採取行動，」該公司本週在內部備忘錄中寫道。「時間就是金錢，它應該花在幫助我們的商家取得成功上，或是用來玩樂，而會議通常都不會達到這兩者。」

Canadian e-commerce company Shopify recently launched an internal "Meeting Cost Calculator" to help employees understand how much money meetings actually cost the company compared to sending emails. Shopify is actively encouraging a reduction in meetings, and this tool is a Chrome extension for Google Calendar. The calculator uses data such as average salaries, number of meeting participants, and meeting duration to provide estimates of the cost of meetings for over 11,000 employees worldwide.

For an average 30-minute meeting with three participants, the cost can range from $700 to $1600 (approximately HKD 5,460 to 12,480); if a senior employee is involved, the cost can exceed $2000 (approximately HKD 15,600). Shopify estimates that if each person cancels three meetings per week, the company's overall costs would decrease by 15%. Shopify aims to make other companies aware of the losses caused by meaningless meetings and has therefore launched the Shopify Meeting Cost Calculator Chrome extension.

In January of this year, Shopify implemented measures to reduce unnecessary meetings, including canceling all routine meetings with three or more participants. Additionally, they enforced a "no meeting" policy on Wednesdays and limited large meetings with over 50 participants to six hours on Thursdays.

However, Shopify acknowledges that these initial efforts are not enough. "We have found that meetings are once again spreading, and we need to take immediate action," the company wrote in an internal memo this week. "Time is money, and it should be spent on helping our merchants succeed or for leisure, neither of which meetings often achieve."