Technology can be certainly helpful for a business in a variety of ways.
We now expect a lot more from what we use and pay for, so here’s how technology can benefit a business and hopefully bring with it more success down the line.
Better Collaboration With Teams
One of the things that a lot of organizations can lack is communication.
Often teams and departments don’t communicate efficiently, and therefore mistakes are made. There can, however, be a solution to this problem by using project schedule software.
This allows multiple team members to work together, utilizing time and allowing everyone to understand what needs to be done.
Companies now don’t need to save multiple documents but instead can use platforms like Google Docs which allows multiple team members to view and edit the same document.
It also gives the opportunity to make comments, which helps with better communication. This cuts down so much time and that way, more time can be spent in other areas that need it.
Read also: 25 Helpful Google Calendar Hacks You’re Probably Not Using
Monitor Productivity Levels
Workplace productivity is something that’s not always easy to keep track of. However, like project schedules, you do have
Although this might seem intrusive, it’s a good way of helping pinpoint where productivity levels are dipping and what you can do in order to get them back up.
There’s plenty of benefits to monitoring productivity, from reducing wasted time to a better delegation of work.
This can help managers figure out where to lift the workload and where to apply it, which can hopefully improve employee’s wellbeing by noticing when someone is taking on more than their fair share.
Analyze Data More Effectively
Traditionally, before we had the advanced technology that we have today, analyzing data wasn’t as accurate or detailed. Now, mobile development services and platforms like Google Analytics are making it easier to streamline data so that’s it’s manageable and understandable.
Analyzing data on Google Analytics is useful for knowing what type of traffic is going to the website. It covers the demographic details such as location, age
It also delves deeper into the engagement of certain content or pages and how long they remain on the site.
Social media platforms are also incorporating this type of analytics within their own platforms. So when companies are marketing and advertising their product or service, they can get more detailed information on whether they’re hitting their target audience.
If they don’t then they’ve got more information of who they are reaching and that makes it possible for them to tailor their next campaign more successfully.
Read also: How to Install Google Analytics to Your WordPress Site
Build a Social Media Presence
For a business nowadays, building a social media presence is important as most customers tend to be online.
Social media platforms all offer something different, and therefore it’s useful to experiment with each one to figure out which one works best.
Instagram is a great platform for visual content, whereas Facebook and Twitter allow for more long-form content.
Social media also helps with communication between the company and the customer. It’s another way of being able to get in touch and offer customer support in return, which is very satisfying as a customer to know that there are plenty of options to contact a business.
With social media, there are more opportunities for global recognition. With the chance of campaigns going ‘viral’, there’s no end to what you can achieve through the power of social media, and that’s why it’s growing so rapidly.
Read also: How I Grew My Blog Traffic Using Pinterest and Tailwind
Flexible Work-Life Balance
With improved network and wireless capabilities, businesses are now able to offer a flexible work-life balance for employees.
This is great for the overall wellbeing of staff especially when there are moments in life where flexibility is needed.
Remote access means staff can work at home but still have access to all the work files they need, and with company laptops, employees can travel and work on the go.
By offering flexible working, it also means that businesses could potentially save money. With less staff in the office, savings can be made on printing, energy supplies
There’s also features like video conferencing now available so there’s plenty of ways that communication can be made outside of the office.
Bonus: 3 Technology Trends for Businesses
We have all seen how the Internet Of Things is progressively changing the world and the way we interact. Introducing new methods of communication, reducing distances even more, and leading to a completely interlinked society.
Eventually in the near future printing machines will build cities and orbital space stations. And robots linked to external servers on the Cloud will take over many of the jobs humans will not be able to do.
The technologies available today surpass in greatness all prior expectations and self-driving cars/planes/trains, AI assistants, robotic waiters, receptionists and even citizens (see Sophia the first robot made citizen of Saudi Arabia) are already a reality.
The use of AI/VR technology coupled with Cloud Computing applications has also benefitted both users and the business world.
They have helped small businesses gain leverage in an ever-increasing and competitive market that is so saturated with vendors and in which customers and users struggle to navigate to find a solution for their individual needs.
So given these considerations, what are the technology trends that are going to affect businesses in 2018? And how will they affect big/small business and entrepreneurs in general?
No longer are employees confined to a physical office environment.
The work environment will be drastically affected as the rise in popularity of ‘mobile offices’ increases thanks to the many new AI/IT/Cloud tech applications entering the market.
Many people are now able to work from anywhere. They like using their smartphone or other multimedia device—whether from the comfort of their own home or while on vacation getting a tan. This is a trend that is already being encouraged by many CEOs, managers and employees.
Not only will it save on office space rent and energy costs. But also add to the benefits of using Cloud servers which help save on expensive hardware like multiple laptops and cables while reducing bureaucracy, increasing productivity and enhancing collaboration and sharing of ideas among all company levels.
AI is Making Big and Important Changes to Different Aspects of Business.
Processes like Machine Learning and Natural Language Programming (NLP) use Emotional Intelligence, Text Mining, Semantics Technology and Cognitive Intelligence in order to process and make sense of human language, speech and behaviour.
Meaning the capabilities of AI within a business are massive, and can save companies a lot of time and money, as well as preventing simple errors from occurring.
AI Virtual Assistants are able to utilize these processes in order to more accurately gather vital business information and data from conversations with clients or customers.
They can then use this information to find quick and easy solutions to problems without information being lost or sent to the wrong departments. They can also anticipate future crises, determine future fluctuations in customer demand or satisfaction and rearrange the supply chain accordingly.
Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri and even Google Assistant are all examples of a virtual assistant that can sift through the whole gamut of data on the internet and process and filter the appropriate solutions for customer queries or business needs.
Thanks to Targeted Marketing, companies can now use the tools of social media outlets like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to send posts along a programmed timeline or in feedback to the choices of clients/customers.
This can then increase a company’s presence and visibility of a product or service. The Cloud/AI partnership has extended to include VR tech. It is already gaining popularity among some businesses, which use virtual conferences to interact in real time without having to travel to business meetings overseas.
HR departments are also using Skype or apps like Facetime more frequently along with VR conference rooms to interview potential job seekers.
This is only some of the technology and apps available which continuously enter the market at an increasing pace.
It is vital for companies to keep up to date with the emerging trends and determine beforehand what specific solutions they are looking for. Maintaining a trained team of IT/Cloud computing experts that can understand and implement the new tech is always a good strategy to help keep ahead of the competition and increase productivity.
Technology is constantly evolving. As it does, businesses need to adapt to it as it continues to be a key feature of today’s society that isn’t going anywhere soon.
About The Author
This article was written by Emily Jones.
Stock Photo from Dejan Dundjerski @ Shutterstock
