Every innovation changes the world drastically. Today’s Technology Revolution is no different. Most shops near you have probably been affected in some way by modern technology. Technology is evolving at an exponential rate right now, quickly transforming the face of business. But how has technology already changed business? Let’s find out:
Cloud Computing Allows Proper Working Anywhere
In the past, bosses were reluctant to let employees go home with work files and folders if scams and hacking meant that information could get leaked.
Even in the most mundane industries, you don’t want information falling into the hands of competitors.
It was also challenging to work efficiently and keep everything organised if you had to keep re-installing the same software and tools on multiple computers with different operating systems or using a RAM-heavy remote desktop.
However, now cloud computing makes remote working more accessible. With cloud computing, all workers get access to shared files in shared folders. It’s easy to see who has made which change to a file, and it’s simple to amend changes you don’t want. Only the people who you want to have access can access that file.
Business is Going Mobile
Think of just about any business – where before, a large, immobile point of sale would have slowed things down, for example, in a restaurant, today, portable mobile devices allow working with ease from anywhere.
Think of working from home! You can sell, ship, buy, shop and manage from wherever you want as long as you have the right software.
Then, after setting up your device in the office, you can go out and keep going.
It isn’t just workers who are going mobile, either. Customers on social media post public reviews and shout-outs of their satisfaction – or dissatisfaction.
Communication is Changing
Sharing information effectively is imperative for any business. Therefore, keeping communication fast, simple and efficient is crucial for business.
Thankfully, communication methods today are now more plentiful than ever.
Apps like Teams, Zoom and Slack, paired with social media, chatbot technologies, and more, help us talk about what we need to with whoever we need to when we need to.
Remote Working Options are Here to Stay
Sure, tools to enable remote working were growing gradually with the internet and home PCs.
However, Covid-19 has undoubtedly forced all industries to transition to offering effective remote working options right away.
Workers not only needed the ability to log in remotely but also project management tools so they could keep working together with their team and have the bandwidth to deal with video meetings. No longer able to measure employee output traditionally, leaders quickly had to begin using software output tools or just ask workers for an update.
Though physically being in the office is a better option for some workers, remote working undoubtedly has its benefits. Decreased time spent commuting and lower overhead costs are a plus, but people who are immunocompromised now have better work options, too.
More Collaboration
Ok, so there has been less opportunity to simply stroll down to your colleague’s office for a chat or catch up in the break room. During lockdowns, you couldn’t even gather for a meeting. But with people reporting more than half of their work time is spent replying to emails and having meetings before the pandemic, it’s clear that more efficient methods for working together were needed.
Now, with brilliant collaboration tools like OneDrive, Google Drive, Slack, and Monday.com, working together and having productive team discussions has never been so simple or efficient!
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Yes, it’s a bit of a buzzword. However, you can’t ignore how artificial intelligence is changing the world. Not only can AI carry out machine learning on your business data, but it can also boost your security, track and predict what your buyers will do next, and even help out the real estate and financial sectors.
There is a constant fear that the latest technology will force everyone out of their jobs, so it’s not surprising that people also feel this way about AI. However, AI may help people get certain parts of their job done more quickly rather than taking over the role. Therefore, artificial intelligence will certainly have a significant impact in the future.
We’re Always Working
Many people noticed while working from home that phones and laptops always make us accessible. This availability can make it impossible to take a break from your work properly. Even if you take a vacation, the business phone is always there, pinging with emails, text messages and other work alerts. As a result, you can end up working unpaid overtime!
Of course, as this constant access to our private lives increases, other tools try to keep pace. Out-of-office reply settings, do not disturb or silent mode, and usage-reducing apps have been around for a while. It’s up to us to find these tools and set boundaries to achieve the optimum work/life balance.
