4 Ways to Leverage Tech in Your Business | Whether you’re starting a new business or running an already established enterprise, using the best technological solutions available is critical for efficient operations and service. Many businesses are already getting left behind by sticking to legacy systems that just don’t work anymore in a rapidly evolving and always-connected digital world. The best way to adapt and stay ahead of your competition is to embrace digital transformation.
Modern technology can help you process information better, improve the safety of your workplace, help you provide better customer service, and much more. Here are just four great ways to use technology to your advantage.
- Data Virtualization
Traditionally, the bulk of an organization’s data would be stored in a data warehouse or server room, and it would be collected through several disparate data sources. The only way to share the data between data sources was to manually transfer data from one system to another. This process is inefficient, costs money, and is even prone to human error. This involved a lengthy extract, transform, load (ETL) process, but data virtuality makes it obsolete.
You may be wondering, what is data virtualization? Put simply, data virtualization software provides a reliable way to bridge across different data sources to bring all the data together in one single source of truth. With a single-source system, you’ll have near real-time access to data across your entire organization, including big data sources and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Virtualization also largely renders legacy data warehouses obsolete, since you’ll be able to store everything on virtual servers. You may wish to keep legacy backups, but your primary business model will rely on data virtualization.
- Business Intelligence
Having all of your organization’s data in a single database makes analytics easier than ever before. You’ll get real-time data updates for master data (data shared between multiple data sources) and metadata that business users can consult to find actionable insights into how to improve the business.
Business intelligence tools can make accurate financial forecasts, scour primary and secondary data sources for information on the market and competitors, instantly compile reports for stakeholders, and much more. Without data-driven analytics, business leaders will have no way to make properly informed decisions, and your business is sure to suffer.
- Environmental Safety
The importance of keeping your workplace secure and free of contaminants can’t be overstated, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. While there, unfortunately, aren’t sensors that can detect viral infections, there are many other ways an environmental sensor can help protect your business, equipment, and employees.
Modern sensors are able to detect a wide variety of potential hazards to an organization including motion in off-limits areas, unusual temperatures, humidity, smoke and vapor, noise, air quality, and more. Naturally, poor indoor air quality is a hazard for any business, and humidity can be a serious threat to electronic devices, not to mention that it can produce mold.
Vaping incidents have become common in schools, but good sensors can detect the vapor and send alerts. This is also useful for any business that keeps sensitive products on hand.
- Customer Relationship Management
Your customers are your most important resource, and it’s always easier to retain existing customers than to attract new ones. If you want to inspire customer loyalty, then you’ll have to provide exceptional service compared to your competitors. Even if you can’t offer the best prices, this can often be the deciding factor in your favor.
To get started, you’ll need to invest in a good customer relationship management (CRM) system. This is a great tool for both your contact center agents and your customers. Modern systems allow customers to contact your agents via their preferred communication channel, whether that’s a voice call, text, SMS, live chat, and more.
An omnichannel system will even let customers switch seamlessly between channels, all while retaining contact with the same agent, which provides a memorable experience and saves everyone’s time.
Agents will also be able to easily pull up customer data to see what issues customers have had in the past and to even make special offers based on customer history. Providing personalized, memorable customer service experiences is key for retention.
