It’s no secret that technology is a critical component of success for modern businesses. New technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are opening the doors to the digitisation of individual processes and data aggregation. In fact, 80 per cent of Australian industry leaders believe that AI will have a transformative impact of their business.1
Technological advancements continue to reshape traditional management practices. This means that businesses must develop strategies to introduce digital technologies and meet organisational goals. One of the first things businesses should do, even before defining a clear digital strategy, is to understand how technology impacts operations. Then, they can use this information to examine their existing environment to identify gaps that digital transformation processes can improve. By doing this, organisations can decide what they want to accomplish from a digital transformation strategy and create a path to achieve those goals.
Conekt has identified five ways technology impacts management practices and employees. These are:
1. Drives better decision-making
Making decisions is one of the most important components of a manager’s role. Decision-making helps organisations step ahead of their competitors and helps to redefine visions and achieve goals. To stay competitive, modern businesses are implementing new technologies to improve the speed and quality of data collection to help management teams make decisions faster and more efficiently. What’s more, technology can help people across teams to collaborate and execute well-informed joint business decisions.
2. Automates repetitive processes
Time-consuming tasks that were previously done by employees can now be automated with the use of technology. By automating repetitive tasks, employees are free to complete more valuable tasks, which not only eliminates inefficiencies, but also saves money by reducing manual handling and consumables like electricity and paper. In addition, automating tasks provides management with greater insights from data and processes, giving businesses the oversight that they need to be as efficient as possible. Solutions such as business process automation (BPA) can help organisations streamline processes such as employee onboarding, accounts payable, and contract management.
3. Increases collaboration
Technology has completely changed the way modern businesses communicate and collaborate. Not too long ago, the formal conference room was the best way to bring employees together to discuss business matters. However, remote and hybrid workforces have completely changed the way companies collaborate. It’s now possible for management and employees to collaborate even when they’re not in the same room. Now, workplaces can hold meetings remotely with video-conferencing technology and work on shared documents with cloud-based file-sharing tools that sync in real time to keep track of changes. For example, real-time collaborative software such as Microsoft Teams and Slack streamlines business tools into one centralised place, letting businesses connect and achieve more together.
4. Intelligently stores, organises, and manages content
For many years, businesses battled with disorganised documents, with employees spending extended time tracking their whereabouts and wasting company resources. Now, technology has helped businesses effectively manage, retrieve, and organise documents, not only increasing productivity, but also reducing storage and operational costs. Enterprise content management (ECM) is a system designed to manage the complete lifecycle of information, streamline business processes, and make day-to-day operations more efficient.
5. Improves efficiency of employees
Recurring and monotonous tasks performed manually by employees can increase the chance of human error, lower employee morale, and reduce workplace productivity. Having the right technology in the workplace can increase employee engagement and, as a result, achieve business goals and help drive the organisation forward.
Digital transformation: a roadmap to success
Strategy, not technology, drives digital transformation and maturity. A good digital strategy starts with identifying the gaps that exist within the organisation. Then, businesses should explore technologies available and map out a manageable path for transformation.
At Conekt, we help businesses tackle specific challenges by providing a custom-designed plan for a seamless digital transformation. Some of the solutions we offer, including ECM and BPA, can help businesses systematically govern the flow of information across their organisation and accelerate how work gets done with technology to automate repeatable, day-to-day tasks.
As a technology innovator, Conekt can deliver inspiring solutions to transform your business environment now and in the future. To measure and upgrade your business’s digital capacity, submit your free business analysis form here.
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[1] https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/australias-artificial-intelligence-action-plan/focus-1-developing-and-adopting-ai-to-transform-australian-businesses