How Technology Is Helping Businesses Survive During COVID
This article on How Technology Is Helping Businesses Survive During COVID is a guest blog written by Meggie of AMGtime. More details on her bio below.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caught the world by surprise, causing businesses and government institutions to shut down. Thankfully, companies were quick to adapt and we’re off to an encouraging start in 2021. More than half-million new businesses have opened in the past few months, according to Yelp.
A big part of this successful transition can be attributed to technology. From online collaboration tools to cloud services, technology is being developed and improved upon every day for our convenience.
Let’s see how technology is helping businesses survive the pandemic, and how it’s changing the future of commerce moving forward.
Instant Communication
Some of the major challenges that businesses faced during the pandemic have to do with communications. Since the majority of businesses transitioned to working from home, it’s inevitable for them to find ways to communicate better and quicker.
Among the most helpful tools are instant messaging platforms that allow companies to communicate with their vendors/suppliers, employees, and customers in real-time. The more advanced version, called unified communications, includes the integration of chat services, phone, video conferencing, feedback and commenting systems, and similar helpful tools for seamless collaborations.
With these tools, employees can communicate normally, as if they are working face-to-face in the office.
Distant Assistance Services
More companies are now outsourcing tedious tasks to remote workers so they can focus on the core aspects of their business. Distant Assistance has been helping businesses keep it together despite being apart during these times.
These days, it’s easy to find top talents from around the world who can perform these administrative tasks remotely. These can range from clerical work to social media management, customer service, digital marketing, creative content development, and personalized tasks.
The best thing about outsourcing work to offshore employees is it can help businesses save money. Statistics show that hiring distant assistants can lower their operating costs by up to 80% per year.
Cloud Storage
As much as 48% of businesses are likely to utilize cloud technology in the long term due to the pandemic. As companies transition to working from home, storing, managing, and protecting data has become a lot more important.
Data sharing and management are also crucial to working amidst lockdowns and restrictions. Fortunately, cloud storage services like Dropbox are helping businesses to access files within their organizations anytime and anywhere.
The major advantage of cloud storage is that it allows authorized members of the organization to share and access information in real-time, regardless of differences in time zones. Furthermore, cloud storage systems also come with data backup. Which means important company files are protected from accidental deletions and related issues.
Strong Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is no joke. Now that the majority of businesses operate online, keeping their data secure is more important than ever.
However, the reality is that many home offices are not as protected as fortified office sites that benefit from secure firewalls and IT infrastructure. This means that remote teams present opportunities for hackers to exploit employee devices and networks.
That said, it’s crucial for businesses, no matter how small, to strengthen their cybersecurity and protect their companies from things like hacking and data theft.
Workforce Scheduling
Since the pandemic started, a lot of companies had to comply with mixed work practices to maintain social distancing and other health protocols.
For businesses in the manufacturing sector, innovative time tracking solutions played an important role in ensuring the health and safety of employees who have to work on-site.
Technologies like facial recognition terminals, for example, are not only capable of tracking employees’ productivity. They can also detect employees not wearing face masks or those who have high temperatures. This groundbreaking technology made it easier for businesses to maintain health protocols amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.
Meanwhile, digital time tracking apps have been very helpful for businesses with remote teams. With a tool that can accurately track billable hours, HR departments can easily monitor work-from-home employees and process payroll automatically.
Remote Onboarding
Onboarding is an integral part of hiring new employees and getting them up to speed with their roles and responsibilities. A successful onboarding process leads to a better experience for new hires. This in turn can have bigger benefits to an organization, such as lower turnover rates.
Unfortunately, one of the major challenges that the pandemic brought to organizations has to do with onboarding new hires. Thankfully, recruitment and HR managers can utilize online onboarding software that comes complete with all the tools they need. They include applicant tracking, content and webinar libraries, performance management, feedback, and even payroll integration.
Conclusion: Technology and the Future of Commerce
The pandemic brought a “new normal” for businesses. At the same time, it made the role of technology much more profound and indispensable.
Today, as the world continues to fight the pandemic, technology continues to develop at a lightning speed to meet the new and growing demands of companies worldwide. At the same time, technological advancements are rapidly shaping how we do business in the future.
So even if the pandemic is over, businesses will continue to embrace technology to ensure growth and success in the modern world.
Author’s Bio
Meggie is an HR Manager at AMGtime and a passionate Freelance Writer with ongoing curiosity to learn new things. She is deeply convinced that valuable experience sharing is key to business success. Meggie believes in a win-win formula and utilizes it on a daily basis in staff management.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you wish to share your own views and experience on Distant Assistance, Remote Work, and other ways to make your business run efficiently, do reach out to us at [email protected], or check out our Guest Blogging Guidelines.
Do you need help with some of the mundane tasks that come with running a business? Visit bottleneck.online now to learn about all the services our distant assistants can provide!
About Jaime Jay
Meet Jaime Jay – a man who wears many hats, and wears them all admirably. He's a master connector, an entrepreneur extraordinaire, and a published author who knows how to get things done.
Before he found his way to the business world, Jaime served his country as a brave paratrooper in the U.S. Army. But that's just the beginning of his many accomplishments.
He's the founder of the renowned Bottleneck Distant Assistant Services firm, and his book "Quit Repeating Yourself" has become a must-read for entrepreneurs everywhere.
When he's not busy building his empire, you can find him on his beloved Harley Davidson, cruising through the countryside and taking in the invigorating effects of Uitwaaien – a Dutch practice that involves facing the wind to boost health and relieve stress.
He enjoys spending his free time outside building stuff with his wife, Nikita the dog and their two kittens (for now at least) Tommy and Tater.
He is ‘over-the-moon’ happily married to his wonderful wife Sara, his amazing daughter, Jessica, who is serving our country as a United States Army soldier. Jaime and Sara are the proud grand parents of two beautiful little girls.
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