Integrating technology into your business can improve your organization’s quality control, supply chain, and other logistical concerns.
The process of aligning tech and your business must align with your overall business philosophy and practices. Your devices should benefit your systems and make them more efficient rather than become a hindrance to your organization.
Changing hardware and software within an established business can lead to various difficulties and challenges for employees.
From new systems and processes taking longer to adapt, to disgruntled employees souring the use of the latest tech, be prepared that rolling out new tech into your organization may be more challenging than you may think.
However, the benefits of implementing new tech into your business can far outweigh the headaches.
For example, new technologies in the workplace that can be interconnected with other things, known as the Internet of Things or IoT, is a phenomenon that is expected to include over 70% of all devices in the home and office.
With IoT becoming so pervasive, having a strategy to implement new tech and creating the best strategies to roll it out to your team will help with the transition and adoption needed to integrate those new technologies into your business entirely.
The IoT will streamline a lot of procedures along the chain.
For example, IoT will provide for better coordination between production, supply, and logistics.
Some other benefits of IoT in your business;
- Improved efficiencies, safety, and security
- Optimization of assets, maintenance, and usage
- Reduced costs and other overhead expenses
- Better communication between departments and customers
- Increased engagement between all parties involved
When integrating new technologies into your organization, the first thing to consider is just how beneficial that tech will be for your organization as a whole.
In some cases, the benefits of integrating new technologies far outweigh the inconvenience of learning about the new processes and systems.
However, without strategic implementation, adding new tech simply to upgrade or change the way your organization functions, or without considering that one department’s improvement may not be an overall improvement to your business, can lead to costly mistakes.
For example, if you’re running a restaurant and integrating a new POS system that will help you track inventory and table reservations but has communication problems between the front of the house and back of the house, it may make your bookkeeping easier but slow down order speeds.
Additionally, if your new POS makes contactless payments easier but takes longer to process payments, is that one feature worth a complete overhaul to your business?
When you begin to incorporate new technologies, there are some strategies you can take to maximize their impact while minimizing those changes from becoming negative.
There are three main things to consider in your roll-out of new technology.
First, be upfront and transparent about the new tech and the reasons behind the decision. Then, if you don’t have time or space to hold an all-hands meeting, consider virtual meetings and audience response software tools that help you get the information out and feedback to your administration that is looking to implement that new technology.
With some roll-outs, you can have polls asking for feedback and concerns before implementation.
Second, get some early adaptors to praise and promote the new technology within your organization.
Third, provide training for your team and others interacting with the new technologies to help them understand and become more efficient in their usage.
When you’re providing your training for employees, consider that people learn differently. For example, some prefer passive learning, such as watching videos or listening to presentations, while others learn best by performing an action.
Tailor your pieces of training to accommodate every type of learner and how the tech will be applied for each department and role within the organization.
By taking the time to personalize the learning and training and the different ways the information can be disseminated, your teams will be better able to adopt and implement the new technology as it rolls out.
Effectively rolling out new tech into your workplace and business can provide your business with an increased boost in productivity, sales, and customer satisfaction.
But, if not strategically implemented, new technology can become cumbersome within your organization and negatively impact both customers and employees. Therefore, being strategic about the implementation is almost as important as what type of tech you plan to roll out.
Founder Dinis Guarda
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