Make routine tasks easy. And the easy things easier. Editors are more than journalists - you are also managers. Be problem solvers. Review your internal processes.
Short chains make for strong chains.
Time is precious - you and your staff should be focusing on the job, not looking for a pencil. Use wire or other press services. Better yet, take a wire story and localize it. Use disk submission or e-mail submissions to free staff from the tedious. Budget stand-alone photos.