Getting ahead in today’s business world doesn’t necessarily mean being the biggest company or adopting the latest, most cutting-edge technology, but it does mean choosing the right technology equipment to profoundly impact your business’ daily operations. Here’s 5 benefits of technology you should try to achieve from any IT changes in your business.
Automation and Productivity
Smaller businesses can compete with large businesses by being more swift and agile, and responding to change faster. Information technology can improve your company's efficiency and decrease human error by developing automated processes. With software applications like Quickbooks and contact management sites like SalesForce, company bookkeeping and sales tracking can be automated. In turn, small business owners can focus on their overall business strategy and their employees are free to work on other things while the computer runs their reports, creates queries, and tracks projects. This leads to one of the biggest benefits of automation and technology in businesses: productivity.
Communication and Collaboration
Communication is essential in the business world and one of the main benefits of technology for business is the wealth of resources available to communicate quickly and effectively. With the increasing business adoption of mobile computing devices (laptops, tablets, etc) and software like Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), cloud systems, and skype conference calls, employees are able to collaborate effectively, even across great distances, and work almost anywhere. Doing so reduces travel costs and the time it takes to start a meeting, improving efficiencies.
Reliable Storage
Some technologies, such as cloud computing, provide easy and reliable data storage that protect the company’s valuable records while minimising the need for server upkeep. Because you are distributing the load across several powerful servers, it can do the heavy lifting, meaning you don’t need to worry much individual computer specifications or server crashes. With most cloud plans, you only pay for the data you use, which could easily reduce the IT costs for your business.
Information Protection
Unsecured data can ruin companies’ competitive position and reputation, and cost them thousands – if not millions. Storage systems such as virtual vaults or cloud storage like Drop Box can keep company information safe by only allowing certain users within your company to access, withdraw, add or change the documents. This reduces the potential for hacks, sabotage, and espionage.
Financial Savings
The biggest benefit of technology in business, which should arise in some way from all the benefits above, is the financial savings it affords small businesses and global corporations alike. Increases in productivity allow companies to do more with fewer workers, reducing payroll costs normally spent. Advances in communication can reduce travel costs. Data storage can reduce warehousing or server maintenance costs. By using the best technology for your business you should be reducing the financial costs to the company and setting your company up for success.
How to Choose Company Technology
In order to reap the benefits of technology in your business, you first need to review the company’s current technology in relation to your current and future business requirements.
Ask yourself:
• Who is using your existing IT systems, and what are they doing?
• How efficient are your current operations?
• Are there any bottlenecks which cause problems?
• Are staff getting stuck on less important tasks?
• Are you duplicating effort between different departments?• Are there ways of working faster or tasks that could be automated?
• Is your current technology going out of date or causing compatibility issues?
• Are your business needs or processes likely to change in the near future?
Once you have considered these questions, you should have a clear picture of any issues that could be solved by introducing new technology into your workplace.