When deciding what technology to use, think about what benefits your organization is hoping to achieve. Is it more efficiency and greater productivity? Is it saving time and trimming costs? Once you identify your needs, then all you have to do to achieve your goals is find the hardware or software to make the work easier.
A small business can’t afford to waste time getting things done. Technology makes it easier to automate tedious processes so that you can focus on the vital few things that will move your business forward. Using the right technology to organize or expedite your work saves you time by maximizing the efficiency of your business operations.
For instance, it’s much easier to update your current level of cash flow using accounting software then leafing through reams of paper and using a hand calculator. The more time you free up from administration tasks, the more time you have available for marketing and sales.
Let’s take a look at three examples of tech solutions that are making small, medium, and large businesses more productive.
1. Hosted PBX
What is hosted PBX? PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange and it’s a cutting edge technology in business phones. A hosted PBX uses an internet connection with cloud computing to offer a rich selection of telecommunication solutions. Not only do you get all the features you’ve become accustomed to with a regular telephone system, but it’s also more reliable and less expensive.
Since it’s hosted by a third party, there is no need to install any equipment in your office. The whole system is managed for you so that you can focus on running your business. In essence, then, a hosted PBX is one way that your business can have all the voice solutions it needs for a fraction of the cost and with no hardware or equipment to deal with.
2. Cloud computing
When you use cloud computing, you’re seamlessly integrated with another company’s hardware and software. As far as you’re concerned, everything works as effortlessly as if you were accessing your company’s onsite network and server. A simple example is Google Docs. When you create a document, it can be done with the same ease you would experience if you were accessing a word-processing document on your local hard-drive.
However, the document you’re working on is actually running on a Google server located at one of its worldwide data centers. The advantages of cloud computing include lower infrastructure costs for your business, easy access to cutting-edge software, and the ability to scale up or scale down your usage at a very short notice.
Since you’re renting access, you’ll only pay for what you use. Since everything is managed for you — like installations, upgrades, fixes, and repairs — this results in tremendous cost savings because your business won’t need an IT department.Web Based Project Management Systems.
3. Web-based project management systems
A successful business is an organized business, and in the past staying organized was all about using paper-based files, notebooks, and ledgers to keep track of everything. Now it’s possible to be much more efficient with virtual calendars, to-do lists, and other productivity systems. While you can get the standalone software to get organized, an entire business team can share information on a web-based project management system.
A web-based project management system can be accessed from:
- · A desktop computer.
- · A laptop computer.
- · A smartphone.
- · A tablet.
And it can provide you with the following suite of tools:
- · A to-do list that can be used to delegate tasks to multiple users.
- · A calendar that can be seen by your entire team.
- · A list of projects organized by the name of clients
- · A time sheet to keep tabs of how much time you spend on each project or work with each client.
Coordinating the efforts of a project become much easier when everyone is on the same page and this can be done in a virtual way through a web-based project management system.
Efficiency vs. size
In the past, the size of a business determined profitability. The more resources you could acquire and use, the larger the revenues you could earn. It’s different now. A small or medium-sized business can make up for a lack of size by leveraging modern technology to provide customers with fast, efficient service.