Doing more with less is one of the major benefits of using technology for business and there are plenty of different parts of a business that it can help address. This month, we thought we would discuss some ways the SMB can advance their business with the use of technology.
Before we get into how small businesses can prioritize the integration of new technology, we have to address the fact that more people today are more connected than ever. It isn’t like the old days where there were large numbers of people who weren’t proficient with computers. Today, almost everyone has a smartphone and does a lot of the things that they do online. This has to be a consideration for businesses when choosing new technology.
Then we come to the customers. These people are also proficient with the use of technology and will typically choose a more tech-centric company to do business with than one that goes about things in an old-fashioned way. Since consumers in the information age have more information to make purchasing decisions at their disposal, a business has to integrate technology that supports that reality. Let’s take a look at three this month:
Customer Relationship Management
The CRM is a must-have for nearly every service provider out there and you can tell just how important it is by the number of CRM-integrated products there are to choose from. For a technology that is pretty sophisticated, you can get one that pretty much fits the needs of your business, regardless of what industry you serve.
One of the reasons you will want to find a CRM that fits your business is how beneficial it is to cultivate positive customer relationships. The CRM allows businesses to automate a lot of the things that have been traditionally accomplished by multiple employees and for that reason is an essential small business tool to have. You can handle all types of business processes aside from customer interactions as well, including scheduling, accounts receivable, time tracking, payroll, and more. This creates the efficiency that business owners, employees, and customers all want to see.
Supply Chain Management
Since most customers are proficient with their digital life, the demands on a business from the customer have never been greater. With this, the supply chain moves faster and is more important to effectively manage than ever before. A supply chain management platform has to optimize procurement, development or manufacturing, fulfillment, and distribution. By getting a system that streamlines these processes, an organization can mitigate risk, build business agility, and do it all digitally so it can be monitored and managed remotely.
Edge AI
Companies are using artificial intelligence for a lot of different business processes nowadays, but edge AI platforms bring the benefits directly to the customers. Edge computing is the act of storing and processing data as close to the point of request as possible. This is in an effort to preserve bandwidth and significantly reduce latency to get requests working faster. With AI systems integrated, companies can now lean on technology that learns over time, and reduces the need for workers to get involved. By eliminating costs and computing latency, customers will have requests fulfilled quicker.
Businesses need to establish technology that provides value to the customer. The IT professionals at Grove Networks can help. Reach out to our knowledgeable IT consultants with your questions about how to use technology to improve your business today at (305) 448-6126.
