While technology isn’t the only way to get things done in business, it certainly does simplify many tasks. Additionally, it provides a new framework from which you can develop different processes from. Think about the ways that technology is used in the supply chain.
Instead of papers needing to go from one part of the business to another, as each step is completed, it automatically moves digitally. Orders can come in online, go into the system, and get picked and shipped seamlessly. And the client can track it in real-time. The technology to do each step so elegantly didn’t exist 50 years ago, let alone the technology to flow from one step to the next.
When you’re talking about business, improving processes, the customer experience, and even training, it’s clear that technology can help. If you used any of these technologies, it would certainly help drive your business forward, create better safety protocols, and more.
VOIP Services
Want to let employees work from home? Want to record phone calls for training purposes? Want to easily scale your customer service team? VOIP services can help. Voice over internet protocol is a different way to take phone calls. You can create infinite lines with getting busy signals, you can automatically put customers in queue without needing more lines, and you can create automated phone services to help them perform simple and common tasks. Since the implementation of this type of phone service, businesses have never been the same. If you’re still running on a handful of phone lines that come in directly to your office, maybe it’s time to make a change.
Cloud-Based Technologies
When computers first came out, you needed a floppy disc to install anything. This evolved into CD’s, and then you could eventually download the programs from the internet. But the idea of subscribing to a company and then using their software only while the subscription is active is a newer model.
Leveraging updates the company makes in real-time to ensure your programs are always up-to-date means that you no longer need to run software that’s 18 years old. Instead, you can always have the latest program because cloud-based technology makes it possible. This also means that your business no longer needs to have servers on-site to manage and upgrade when the time comes.
Robotics To Create Safer Workplaces
While you might be thinking of iRobot when it comes to robotics, the truth is much more useful. Robotic devices can improve the safety of workplaces in many ways. In industrial applications robots are used in situations that are more dangerous for humans. Using a guided dexterous robot means that your hands can get a break from detailed work that requires concentration and a steady hand.
This is helpful in industrial applications and in medical environments. In medicine, robots can be used in conjunction with medical professionals to ease fatigue and create better health outcomes for patients. Plus, it’s easier to sterilize robotic equipment than it is to sterilize hands.
VR/AR for Training Purposes
Businesses are looking for creative ways to use technology that didn’t exist 50 years ago. Training used to require in-person and live examples. Now, using VR/AR technologies, employees can receive training in new ways. Instead of going from the book to the floor, VR/AR provides an in-between stage.
The opportunity to practice skills, especially in dangerous situations without actually being in any danger is a game-changer. For businesses who want to create safer workplaces, who want to ensure all their staff are properly trained, and to implement new processes, VR/AR technology is changing things up.
Smartphones and Apps
It was unheard of 50 years ago for employees to discuss work after hours. That type of behavior was relegated to the executives at the top who may need to attend last-minute meetings. But smartphones and apps allow employees now to do a lot of their work on the go. Businesses can send emails and get answers very quickly, versus waiting until someone arrives at a business meeting or at work the following Monday.
Business apps that used to be only on a computer can be accessed on phones and this is making it easier to do business. Learn how to use this technology now, and you’ll be able to run your business more efficiently and move your initiatives forward with greater speed and precision.