There have never been more technological solutions available to businesses. Every area of business has a tech option available — and often more than one — to help improve efficiency and productivity.
It’s great to have so many tech-driven answers to help boost your business. However, the sheer number of choices can often lead to a case of analysis paralysis. Which tech is worth investing in? What kind of software will give you the best bang for your buck? What SaaS providers offer the greatest value to your company?
Here is a list of some of the best tech upgrades you should consider adding to your business this year.
1. New-Age WiFi
It doesn’t matter what industry you operate in. The world runs online these days. With so much activity on the cloud, it’s important to have a WiFi network that you can trust.
This extends beyond maintaining a dependable signal. A true business WiFi system should hand you the reigns. It shouldn’t operate out of a “black box” modem and router. This leaves you with little recourse and no information when something goes wrong.
A business intelligence system like Plume WorkPass can help you overcome this shortfall. For starters, the cutting-edge tech offers a strong, consistent internet connection that adapts to users. It also gives you, the business owner, key insights into how your network is being used. When are employees logging on to work? When are customers connecting to your network? How long are individuals using your WiFi?
If you want to keep up with the latest tech, it’s important that you start with WiFi that will enable you to do so.
2. Contact Center as a Service Software
Customer service is a personal experience, and you don’t want to replace all human interaction with cold, calculating computers. However, there are still areas where a little automation can do a world of good.
For instance, if your operation struggles with managing incoming calls, consider investing in a good CCaaS (contact center as a service) platform. This cloud-based tech can be an ideal way to keep your customer service humming along.
CCaaS software provides the structure of big-business customer service centers for any size enterprise. In addition, the third-party nature of purchasing a customer center “as a service” lowers overhead costs. It also removes the bulk of your customer service team’s IT and cybersecurity concerns.
3. Work From Home Tech
The coronavirus pandemic has forced a large portion of the workforce to work from home. Even as regulations start to ease, many companies are considering staying fully remote for the long term. Wherever that is the case, it’s important to enable the effort with the arsenal of work from home (WFH) technology available. Just a handful of the tech tools enabling the WFH revolution include:
Video communication: Tools like Skype and Zoom are critical for keeping remote teams in close communication.
Written communication: Text-driven options like Gmail and Slack provide a non-time-sensitive way for teams to stay in touch.
File sharing: Document sharing platforms, such as Google Suite and DropBox, allow virtual teams to seamlessly share and collaborate on documents at the same time.
Workflow platforms: Cloud-based companies like Trello and Asana provide virtual workspaces where remote teams can organize and execute projects together.
Work from home tech has taken a great leap forward in 2020. The lack of office space makes remote tech a great way to reduce operating costs and lower overhead. In addition, it continues to be a smart investment for businesses looking to guard against future pandemic-like catastrophes.
4. Mobile Payroll
Things like automated payroll and direct deposit have already transformed the accounting side of business. If you’re looking to take things even further in the coming year, consider going mobile, too.
Mobile payroll solutions, like the QuickBooks Payroll mobile app, can streamline your payment processes. They provide helpful information to employers and employees alike right on their smartphones. Things like pay stubs, reports, and employee details are all kept in one convenient location.
In a remote-first world, mobile payroll tech has become an accessible solution to paying employees.
5. Chatbots
E-commerce is another area of business that spiked during the pandemic. As brick-and-mortar stores shifted online, websites became a critical home base for many companies. Customers were still able to visit virtual storefronts where they could make purchases and find answers to their questions.
One of the best tech solutions for the latter, in particular, is the use of chatbots. These automated programs are an ideal way to maintain a timely customer service presence around the clock. A chatbot can greet visitors to your e-commerce site. It can field initial questions as well. Bots can provide simple answers to basic inquiries. They can also pass a conversation off to the correct customer service representative.
Chatbots are an accessible way for small businesses, in particular, to tap into modern tech. They can simultaneously reduce the cost of your customer service department and help you look more professional.
The tech industry is always providing new solutions to business problems. Some of these solutions are merely curious or, at the most, moderately effective. However, there are other options that can have an enormous impact on a business’s success.
Things like CCaaS software and chatbots can upgrade your customer service department overnight. Mobile payroll provides important information to everyone in your company at the touch of a button. Work from home technology keeps your team communicating and collaborating without a hitch. Even something as simple as high-quality WiFi can have a massive impact on how your business operates.
Now it’s time for you to reflect. Where has your company cashed in on the advantages that tech has to offer? Where are you still holding back? As you identify the latter, take steps to remedy the situation. If you can do that, you’ll put your company in the best position possible as you head into the oft-uncertain future.