“There’s An App for That”: Overcoming Business Technology Challenges in 2019

It wasn’t long ago when all you needed to run a business was a notebook, phone, and access to your email. If you were really tech-savvy you might have an online calendar or task manager, but you could get things done pretty low-tech on a daily basis without any problems.

Needless to say, times have changed.

At first, the change was gradual. Email took over as a primary means of business communication. Then, online project management tools became essential for tracking progress on important initiatives. Soon after, online customer relationship management (CRM) tools became a daily necessity across most industries. As we know now, this first tech wave was just the tip of the iceberg.

In today’s world, it seems like new applications rise and fall faster than they can develop a user base, and the power and intelligence of cloud-based tools presents opportunities for growth and productivity that are unprecedented.

Your users can now have access to their entire customer base across multiple devices, as well as gain access to critical tools that assist with research, productivity, project management, unified communication—just to name a few.

Never before in the history of business have company leaders and employees had such access to the massive amounts of information and support that are now available from just a smartphone or handheld device.

The effect of this grow is a double-edged sword, though.

Companies without a strategic approach on how to leverage this technology could actually see decreases in productivity—or even worse, loss of market-share to competitors who actively embrace the opportunities presented by cloud-based applications.

Common mistakes business make when adopting new tech

The first mistake we see companies commonly make is a lack of strategies and processes around new technologies. If end-users don’t have a process or plan to follow, then it’s easy to end up with a lot of different approaches when using the same new tool. Information can go missing, confusion can ensue, and the benefits that could’ve have been gained quickly turn into an obstacle.

Along with a process on how to use and implement new applications, businesses need to make sure supporting technology is in place for the full utilization of that tool.

If end-users experience a slow-lagging interface or don’t have consistent access to the tool, then they may not end up not using it all. The proper infrastructure, processes, hardware, and support all need to be in place in order to support a successful deployment.

The second mistake is to try to continue doing business like you’ve always done. Maintaining the status quo is the enemy of business success. Anybody with a background in business already knows that if you aren’t growing, you’re dying. Refusing to embrace new technologies is a sure-fire way to lose market share to your competitors.

Not only do modern applications enable your team to grow your business exponentially and be more productive, but there are also huge improvements to be made in the area of customer experience. Customers today have high expectations for how they do business with vendors. Failing to provide a customer experience that’s easy to use, fast, convenient, and reliable will inevitably push your customers into searching for other options.

Take your business to the next level

When it comes to overcoming the many challenges that modern businesses face, it can almost always be said that an application already exists to help solve the problem you’re dealing. But does your team have the necessary tools and personnel in place to take advantage of those applications and continue growing your business in innovative ways that weren’t possible 10 years ago?

Our advice: Embrace the cloud, and let it take your business to the next level.

If you need help, feel free to contact Wired Networks to learn more about how we can help.

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