Perhaps you have never thought of your enterprise as a particularly tech-centric one. Even in that case, it’s smart to begin investigating how you could use technology to help the business technology grow. You can start small, see what works for your goals, then gradually scale up as your resources allow.
Explore How You Could Assist Customers Better
Excellent customer service is crucial to most successful businesses. If people feel that a company’s representatives do not genuinely care about meeting their needs and solving their problems, they’ll likely spend their money elsewhere.
There are plenty of ways that business technology could fit into your efforts to enhance customer service. For example, you might invest in a chatbot so that people can get help even outside of normal operating hours.
Another option is to consider launching an app. If you have an e-commerce company or a food delivery business, for example, people might appreciate being able to order things from their smartphones rather than using a computer.
The main thing to consider is how technology could address any frustrations your customers feel or aspects they wish your company would offer. You want to give the impression that you’re committed to continually learning and growing for the benefit of your target audience. Don’t merely use technology because the option is there. Spend the time necessary to figure out how tech could help you close existing gaps in customer service.
Determine What Your Employees Need or Want
It’s easy to find plenty of tips about how you should communicate with employees. However, some experts say that conveying respect with communication is the single most important thing you can do to keep workers engaged in interested in helping the company thrive in the marketplace. One practical way to get started is to listen to feedback from employees.
If workers continually bring matters to your attention that never get taken into account, they’ll likely start feeling resentful and believe that it’s useless to speak up at all. Even if you cannot solve the issues they mention, the fact that you’re listening goes a tremendously long way in letting them know you respect them and value what they say.
You can also ask them for input on which work processes are most time-consuming or otherwise in need of improvement. Could automated software cut down on the number of steps to complete a task? Could a specialized app reduce the minutes spent doing manual, detail-oriented tasks? Once you learn from your workers about their typical days, you’ll be in a better position to assess whether technology could fix some of the known downsides of time spent at work.
Extract Value From Your Company’s Data
Be sure not to overlook the fact that you may have an abundance of data within your company already that could aid in better decision-making. A common problem in today’s businesses is that the internal information stays in a siloed structure. Then, many people that need the data and could benefit don’t know that the content exists or how to go about finding it.
Learning about knowledge graphs is an excellent way to break free from silos. A knowledge graph lets you manage all your data as a connected whole. Moreover, you can see data in a visual format that makes it easier to digest and interpret.
One way to get started with tapping into data is to pose a question and see if the businesses’ compiled information can answer it for you. Try not to begin the exercise with any preconceived notions about the expected conclusion. Approach the task with an open mind.
These ideas show that business technology could take your enterprise to the next level. Discover what it might do for you by identifying issues you’d like to solve, then seeing what kinds of technological solutions are available to help you succeed.
