The latest Technology for Success business group saw a lively discussion on the topic of ‘what it really means to prioritise technology in your business?’
The group, which was attended by representatives from Bishop Fleming, King Recruit, Exmoor Trim, Stamp James Solicitors, Silvelea and Astley Media reflected on the past 12 months and the changes in attitude towards technology in our work and personal lives. The group discussed how Covid-19 forced most businesses to prioritise technology, as remote access and cyber security became higher priorities almost overnight.
Attendees agreed that investment in technology has never been so vital to business survival, as staff and customers expect that technology will be seamless, allowing staff to do their work, and customers to access your products and services without issues. Without the right technology in place, staff and customers will become frustrated and eventually go elsewhere.
As well as providing the tools to keep up with competitors, the group discussed how technology can help to make them more efficient, boosting productivity and ultimately enabling business growth. One member of the group shared how moving from paper to electronic documents has sped up some of their processes by days, allowing staff to complete tasks much more quickly and providing an improved service to customers.
The group discussed the many benefits technology has brought to their businesses over the past 12 months, including a reduction in paper; streamlining processes and reducing environmental impact as well as online platforms; which enable remote collaboration amongst dispersed teams. One of the attendees raised the point that the use of technology must always be used with human need in mind. For example, if you are using Microsoft Teams to liaise with staff about work, how does this impact the effectiveness of communications and personal relationships and morale. Are you also taking the time to arrange informal conversations and catch-ups to simulate an office environment? To this point, Julian Wills, Managing Director of Timewade and Founder of Technology for Success, reminded the group that technological transformation must happen with employee ‘buy-in’ and must fit the business culture and expectations of your employees.
The shift towards more technology-focused operations raised the question of how business owners can know which aspects of their business and which technology solutions they should be focusing on? Julian shared that whilst there are often multiple ways to reach a goal, technological transformation is a complex balance between investment and time available, which must be approached strategically with a continuous improvement cycle.
Often when a technology project is undertaken there is a focus on the ‘go live’ date. However, this is really just the beginning and technology projects must be constantly reviewed with feedback gathered from staff and customers to understand what is and is not working.
When starting a technology project, Julian shared three questions you should be asking yourself throughout the project:
What is your objective?
And what is the data saying?
Is the technology you’ve introduced helping you to achieve your objective?
It was clear from the group that there is a desire for businesses from a range of sectors and sizes to prioritise technology, and an agreement that this is a continuous process which involves monitoring processes, training staff, testing solutions and evaluating success, over and over again!
The next Technology for Success business group is being planned for Friday April 23 from 9.15am to 10am, and will focus on getting the most from Microsoft Teams. The session provides attendees with a chance to ask questions, share mistakes and look for ideas and wisdom from others.
Find out more and book your place here:
http://bit.ly/2ONNc3q