Technology has changed the way we live, build relationships and do business. Companies can’t perform using the same old fashioned processes that used to bring good results a few years ago. No business can keep its market share without technology.
From quality management systems to simple tools used in email marketing, your business needs to integrate technology in all daily activities to grow. The days of spreadsheets and manual repetitive tasks are long gone. With some simple investments in tech solutions, you can reinvent your business. You’ll improve workflows inside the company, increase productivity and provide better customer care.
Check these five simple tech updates that can take your business to the next level.
1. Cloud Computing
70 percent of all organizations have at least one app in the cloud today. Cloud computing is fast, safe and efficient. In simple words, you need to start running your apps and software on the internet, to remain competitive.
Cloud based workflows increase productivity, as your employees have access to updated information in real time. This way, you increase collaboration between your teams, while eliminating errors caused by bad communication and misunderstandings. Better than that, you and your team get to work from anywhere, by simply connecting new devices to the system.
Cloud computing can save you time and money. You reduce IT costs, as all updates are done automatically. And, if you lose or damage your device, you can still have access to your important data.
Even more, you get obvious advantages when it comes to cyber security. When you keep your sensitive data on cloud, you’re protected against viruses and hacker attacks.
2. Quality Management System
Standards allow you to deliver the best products and services for your clients. By implementing a quality management system, you make sure all processes inside your company comply to industry standards.
When you apply the ISO 9001 quality standards, you let potential customers know about your business potential. The ISO 9001 certification is a great marketing tool, which can help you keep your current partners and get you new customers.
Better than that, you can get a wide series of other benefits to grow your business:
- You improve processes inside the company;
- You increase employee retention;
- You eliminate rework and delays;
- You cut costs and increase profits.
www.9001simplified.com shows you how a quality management system can take your business to the next level and what you need to do to get an ISO 9001 certification.
3. Automation
Even small business can benefit from automation at all levels. Repetitive activities eat up a lot of time and don’t bring extra value. They only leave you and your staff with little or no energy for things that matter – finding innovative ideas to grow your business.
Automation means efficiency. From marketing to invoicing and file sharing, you can use software to improve workflows and meet deadlines. The fact is you can save important resources by letting machines do the boring things for you.
And you get to use your employees for more creative tasks. This way, you grow your company in new directions, without hiring new personnel. Technology is here to help, not replace your employees.
Automatic workflows are reliable, increase productivity and reduce costs at the same time. You can organize an entire marketing campaign to nurture your leads and increase conversion rates, for example. Or manage finances with an online accounting system.
4. Insights and Analytics
Technology gives you access to important data that allows you to see the bigger picture. New tools gather and analyze information from various sources, to give you accurate insight about your business. You can predict new trends and their effects on your business.
Most of your automatic solutions come with tracking and analytic tools. CRM software, for example, tracks all your interactions and analyzes them to predict future customer behavior. You can build relevant profiles to develop new products and services, to increase customer satisfaction.
Big data tells you everything you need to know about your customers – who they are, what they buy, what their preferences are, how your processes influence their buying decisions. In the long run, you can use data to expand your activities on new markets and target new audiences, based on your previous experiences in the industry.
5. Apps
People passed from desktop to mobile, and so should your business. Introducing apps in your daily routine can help you increase productivity, as it allows you to perform a series of tasks right from your smartphone.
There’s an app for everything: accounting and bookkeeping, creating expense reports, sending invoices online, free messaging, organizing remote meetings.
Even better, you can build your own apps to stay in touch with your customers. You can upgrade your digital marketing strategy with an easy to use app that your customers can download for free. This way you improve brand recognition and improve customer engagement.
The Takeaway
There’s no doubt technology can improve the way you do business. When you automate processes inside the company, you increase productivity and make things easier for your team.
You get to improve employee retention and reach higher quality standards in terms of quality management. Your clients are going to be more satisfied with your products and services, which eventually leads to better sales and higher revenues.
