There’s a lot that technology can do for us. In fact, people are now talking about technology doing it all for us. From automated cars, to robots working in factories – the age of automation is upon us! You need to keep abreast of the best technology to be exploring right now — and in the future.
But not right just yet. Tech is still a tool for us to utilize in the workplace right now. Think about the uses you get out of technology. Think about what life in your business would be like without it. Certainly, some things might be a lot easier – but the vast majority of work tasks have been made a lot simpler and easier with digital tech.
Best technology currently in common use
Let’s have a look at what we can do to simplify work. Let’s explore the possibilities that technology is opening up for us. From business event processing to automating pivot tables and cloud storage, there’s plenty that our computers can do for us with the aid of software.
The cloud
Cloud storage is an excellent way to move forward with computers beyond word processing and emails. The data on your computers can be backed up to remote servers meaning that it is safe in the event of a system failure or any other event that will handicap your business. Cloud storage allows your business to be mobile and if the worst does happen, you can operate off-site. You should still be backing up to hard drives, but don’t ignore the benefits of the cloud. Cloud storage can also sort you out with a suite of software, so you don’t need to buy expensive versions. Word processors and spreadsheets are built into Google Drive, and you can edit your work with employees simultaneously instead of sending attachment after attachment.
Customer relations via social
What about customer service? Are you still relying on phones and emails to deal with customers? Offer them the avenue of social media. Using social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook can ensure that you can solve customer issues, virtually face to face, in the public domain that Twitter and FB provide. You can set virtual ‘hours of operation’ just like a physical presence, and you can answer queries from wherever you can access your social media accounts. This could be from anywhere in the world!
Automate accounting
Accounting software like QuickBooks can automate your invoicing and accounting. You can balance the books automatically if you link Quickbooks to your business bank accounts. You don’t need to worry about working out your tax returns either as it will do the hard work for you.
Remote collaboration
Skype can allow you to video conference and attend meetings from anywhere in the world. You can also replace slow email chains with instant messaging applications like Discourse and Slack. These allow for constant and immediate collaboration on work and company business no matter the distance.
What will be the best technology types in the future? 9 trends
Without a doubt, innovation is the vector of progress for best technology. And when we talk about Digital Transformation, we are talking precisely about that: betting on innovation as a means for the daily life of companies to evolve. Therefore, technology manufacturers are aware and committed to impacting every small part of the processes. In this way, it is possible to create an entire ecosystem of solutions that will optimize the execution of each task.
More efficiency with the use of CRMs
The modern world demands more and more organization in the management of companies, especially when dealing with customers and leads. In fact, having a structured and integrated process is the key to conducting communication with clarity, transparency and efficiency. In other words, it is the perfect bottleneck for using a cutting-edge CRM, such as Salesforce, the world’s leading software in the segment.
It is not new that this solution is adopted by companies. However, with technological evolution, more features are added to programs every day. Salesforce, for example, has a full range of features. Automation of repetitive tasks, personalized marketing and the in-depth reading of each contact’s behavior data are all part of the package.
Therefore, by using a reliable CRM, it is possible to conduct a 360º management, capable of revolutionizing your customer relationship management.
Strengthening Information Security
In other words, public decrees that oblige companies to reinforce their information security guidelines, in order to prevent the capture or leakage of sensitive personal data. The measure is also a protection for companies, so that they remain aligned with the latest in security and avoid losses.
Therefore, it is only natural that this type of investment is one of the focuses of companies in the coming years. No wonder, the expected spending on cybersecurity alone, until 2022, could reach the incredible figures of US$133.7 billion.
Solutions such as antivirus and antimalware are highlighted. In addition, companies that provide PaaS or SaaS services also reinforce their infrastructures, using technologies such as cloud computing. The race is now on for every company to comply with the new law, raising the level of data protection.
Big Data and Analytics Dissemination
The use of Analytics is not unanimous. It lacks technical and contextualized knowledge of its potential… Something that Big Data can change. Data is becoming the most important business asset. Every company collects an immeasurable amount of data. Between structured and unstructured, there are answers to questions relevant to the future of the business.
How to put it all together? Through Big Data. The term refers to exactly this amount of data, with its particular divisions and formats. It is up to companies to invest in solutions that centralize this information and have enough know-how to carry out its analysis — analytics.
An organized and in-depth analytics process is able to delve into the data to find patterns and directions. From there, the mission is to compile all this into objective reports that show the dimension of the company’s challenges in relation to its objectives.
In the end, with Big Data and Analytics technologies, you have a true arsenal of business intelligence on hand. Thus, it is possible to read and understand the market, its customers, its leads and its competitors.
That way, you and your management team can design and drive much more assertive business strategies. It’s a chance to exchange the holistic knowledge that has always permeated the corporate world and put into practice precise and scientific execution.
Solutions of this type are already present in companies, but over time they gained substance and offer many more possibilities. Salesforce is an example, with full analytics capabilities for you to understand the behavior of your customers.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning as protagonists
After all, what can technologies like IA and Machine Learning do for a company? These are resources capable of predicting situations and acting with maximum precision to solve problems — all automatically. Furthermore, they are technologies that learn from the environment, capturing patterns and developing immediate responses to each situation.
That’s the case with many chatbots — a topic we’ll explore later — but which, for sure, you’ve already seen when browsing company or e-commerce sites on the Internet. In the corporate context, this applies to countless solutions. For example, the factory floor of an automobile manufacturer tends to be completely automated, with machines performing all the vehicle assembly.
Much more than a sequence of movements, we are talking about algorithms built into each machine that allow them to perform their service much more efficiently. In addition to practical effects, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning can be incorporated into Big Data and Analytics solutions, boosting their performance.
In other words, an immense amount of information can be read in seconds and, through technology, serve as a trigger for automated actions that positively impact the company’s core business.
Rise of IoT and Edge Computing solutions
IoT gained popularity with the spread of smart devices (with internet connection): refrigerators, TVs, cameras, lighting systems, personal assistants and so on. It turns out that these gadgets, an essential part of the Internet of Things (Internet of Things), represent a small portion of the segment. For companies, IoT means a way to connect to countless points across the company, collecting data about every productive day: cameras, sensors, measurement devices, etc.
Edge Computing is another emerging technology and is an alternative to Cloud Computing. It works like this: a system of micro data centers located at the edge or edge of a network, which allows for better processing of critical data and also closer to the source. For the IoT, Edge Computing is an almost necessary add-on.
Imagine an industrial plant entirely connected by productivity sensors. All of them have an Internet connection and are integrated with each other and with your server, sending new information every second. Now, imagine the weight of this data traffic on your connection.
A lot, right? Edge Computing avoids just that, interconnecting IoT solutions independently, enabling a smooth and impact-free data exchange over your conventional connection.
The popularization of multi-cloud
A study found that 70% of American companies would use multi-cloud technologies by last year, in 2019. This number represents a huge leap, as in 2017 this index reached only 10% of companies. But what are multi-cloud technologies?
It’s about using several services from different clouds, usually with different providers. That is, as a design, think of an ecosystem where everything works — even if it has different origins.
Until a few years ago, the notion of centralizing a cloud was very strong. Therefore, companies stuck to solutions from only one provider. Now, the demand and expectations are much higher — and you need to take advantage of what each cloud has to offer.
Therefore, the multi-cloud became popular and is gaining more and more followers.
In your company, it is worth thinking about joining the club: why not gather effective services from different providers in your solutions portfolio? Thus, you concentrate what is best for your needs, without the shackles of a monolithic infrastructure.
UX consolidation as one of the business pillars
User Experience or User Experience, a concept commonly applied to design that has been guiding the way companies develop their products and solutions.The UX itself is not a technology, but a development philosophy that seeks to develop solutions whose interface suits its user’s needs.
In other words, the usability of a software must be as intuitive and objective as possible, facilitating the user’s work. He is one of the protagonists behind a similar concept, the Customer Experience, one of the pillars of Digital Transformation.
For companies, investing in UX means making their products and solutions even more personalized according to the needs of customers. In other words, you actively resolve your pain, facilitating your process.
Bots and chatbots to help companies in their daily lives
As mentioned above, you’ve certainly come across chatbots on websites across the Internet. These are resources that, increasingly, are gaining space in the market for fulfilling functions with extreme efficiency. Among the highlights are service (as you can see in an e-commerce) and support (with help desk solutions).
It is possible to customize them, with answers that fit in different contexts and establish a conversation with the leads without having a person there. All done automatically, based on AI and Machine Learning. Definitely one of the most promising technologies for companies that want to cut costs and optimize processes.
Investment in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Speaking of process automation, another technology that has been gaining ground is RPA, Robotic Process Automation. An RPA software can be embedded in an infrastructure that uses Artificial Intelligence behind a company’s back-office. Therefore, the solution acts automatically when reading data, adapting its execution as the scenario requires. The RPA serves to streamline processes both in the back-office and also in the middle-office, enabling the operation teams to strategically focus on the business.
Conclusion
There’s plenty that tech, computers and software can do for us, but far too many companies are happy with the basics. Push yourself and see what you can improve when you turn to technology! It’s time to move forwards.
