How Well Do Your Technology Solutions Allow You to Compete in the New Digital Age?
The rapid development and near-universal spread of digital technology has changed the world in many ways. Not only can we communicate with people all around the world instantly, but we can conduct business meetings in high definition video and audio from anywhere, receive and share news at a moment’s notice, automate dull processes that used to take employees hours, more accurately predict things like customer behavior, weather and traffic patterns, and so much more. If your business isn’t on the leading edge with the right solutions, you might get run over by your competition in the new realities of the digital landscape.
If there was ever any doubt that the digital era is here and here to stay, the COVID-19 pandemic put all existing arguments to rest. In order to survive today, businesses worldwide have been forced to adopt technology solutions that allow their employees to continue working productively. Thanks to the rapid evolution of workplace technology, many businesses that might have otherwise been forced to close permanently have been able to adapt and continue serving their customers - and with no end yet in sight, it appears that this is how businesses will continue to operate going forward.
Digital technology has transformed the business world for the better, allowing organizations to improve productivity and efficiency like never before. Businesses that have successfully leveraged these technological advancements have been able to compete in ways never before possible, using technology as a major competitive advantage.
The technology you decide to put into use can shape the future of your business and unlock exciting new opportunities that never would not have been possible previously. It’s not enough for your business to simply observe and accept that change is happening - you need to embrace innovations in order to get ahead in this increasingly competitive world. Failure to act quickly and effectively can mean being replaced in the hearts and minds of customers.
Understand that everything is constantly changing
The world of technology is one that never stops evolving - new solutions and groundbreaking innovations are released regularly, with each offering unique benefits, drawbacks and potential competitive advantages. It’s important to understand that because of the neverending nature of these advancements, your industry, and most importantly, your competitors, are also constantly learning, growing, and evolving. With this revelation, you can quickly start to see why becoming complacent is one of the most dangerous things your business can do.
It’s easy to continue using the same solutions for many years because it’s comfortable and doesn’t pose the risks that adopting new digital technologies can. This is a mistake your business can’t afford to make - without taking risks and adopting new technologies, you will never be able to compete in any meaningful way. Gone are the days of total complacency and comfort - by failing to consider what technology can continue to do for your business, and how your employees and customers might be able to leverage it, you’re giving up ground to your competitors. Competing in the digital age can be time consuming, expensive, and often carries a decent amount of risk, but it’s necessary to ensure your business’s survival.
Set your employees up for long term success
Employees desire opportunities for growth and learning in the workplace - taking the time to train staff on new technology sets them up for success in the future, and satisfies their need for improvement and growth. Effective training offers employees a chance to become comfortable with changing technology, ensures that they understand the unique features and benefits of digital technology, and increases the likelihood that they will continue using new technology going forward.
An employee well-trained in new workplace technologies will be far more willing to adopt new technologies in the future, and will have a much better understanding of how to use these solutions as a game-changing competitive advantage that aims to improve productivity and efficiency, and enhance the overall experience of customers. Employers with concerns about adoption of technology can use business intelligence to ensure that employees are using technology as directed, and offer training if not.
Increase employee efficiency and improve the customer experience
Many modern workplace solutions focus on increasing employee productivity and efficiency. This is often done by streamlining communication and allowing for a seamless collaborative experience, enabling your employees to work freely and communicate along the way, no matter where they’re working from or what device they prefer to use.
This saves your employees valuable time that was previously spent exchanging emails, sending files back and forth, and holding meetings where little value was accomplished. Cloud technologies have enabled businesses to continue working remotely, giving employees intelligent and responsive apps and tools needed to work in the most productive manner possible.
The collection of customer data has been another major innovation in the digital age - using digital technology to collect valuable data from customers can completely transform the role of your sales staff, giving them critical information that allows them to sell more effectively and be better equipped to solve customer problems. Customer data can be automatically sent from your website’s lead forms to your cloud CRM solution, allowing employees to create and foster positive customer relationships.
Not only can data be used for smarter selling, but it can also be used to personalize a customer’s experience and enhance the way customers interact with your brand. Focusing on improving a customer’s experience will increase loyalty and improve the chances that customers leave positive reviews, recommend your brand to friends and family, and continue to use your services. Data can be used to streamline their experience, ensuring that they get what they’re looking for faster than ever before, and that their problems are solved quickly and effectively.
Productivity intelligence for distributed teams: Prodoscore
The new reality of a distributed workforce has come with challenges that make old-school and modern managers sweat in equal measure: a lack of employee oversight. Prodoscore is here to change that in a non-invasive way that lets you see how productive your staff is, collecting data on the various cloud solutions they are using and how they are using them. Prodoscore isn’t just a boring old Business Intelligence solution - it’s productivity intelligence that tells you exactly how much concrete work your employees are getting done.
We do it without the use of screenshots, screen recordings, or any other invasive techniques, and since the start of COVID-19 our solution has been deployed in the digital hallways all through corporate America. Simply put, we take a manager’s pain out of the equation and leave them focused on what they do best - running the show.
Adopting digital technologies not only secures the future of your business, but allows you to unlock new opportunities that were previously impossible. In order to stay ahead of the curve, your business should always be on the lookout for new digital solutions that can improve the way you do business, even if the initial risk seems high. Whether it’s improving employee productivity, streamlining collaboration and communication, collecting critical data, or enhancing the customer experience, digital technology allows your business to compete and succeed in an increasingly digital world.
