We slowly realize that integrating technology to our business is imperative for a future-proof venture. The harsh reality is if we don’t adapt, our business will surely perish in a few years. Here are some reminders when making the leap towards business automation.
Your competitors are a goldmine of lessons for your business. Take some time to take notes on their business operations. Do they brag on social media about their fully-automated store? Take some notes on what processes have been fully automated. Next, get an idea of their earnings per month. Compare it to your monthly sales.
If you see that your competitors are earning more monthly, then maybe the automated businesses processes are really doing wonders for them. It should be enough to tell you that you also need to integrate technology in your business.
Start Small
Still hesitant? Start small by identifying the small tasks that could use help from technology. For sure, there are tasks in your business that could be solved with inexpensive technology. For example, you are struggling with responding to emails on time. Maybe you can invest in some piece of software that would automate the process of replying to a customer inquiry.
You do not have to rethink your entire business just to get experience with technology. Start small and let it guide you through bigger things.
Integrate Human and Technology Processes
Technology is just a tool. Humans can never be replaced by technology. Sure, they might get replaced when doing manual labor. However, technology can never provide something humans could: Empathy and ingenuity.
Instead of heavily investing in technology and eliminating all human employees. Make a combination. Let your technology handle some small and objective processes. The humans will handle concerns and processes that require more complex thinking. This will allow your business to function more effectively.
Slowly Eliminate Manual Processes
Manual processes are a bottleneck when it comes to productivity. The small tasks that we do out of our way actually put us out of our zone when we are working. You should invest in technology which eases the performance of manual tasks. Better yet, invest in tools that would automatically perform manual tasks for your employees. This allows them to use their time in more complex tasks at hand.
The main point of automation is to remove manual labor which weighs down our employees. Use your people for more important and critical tasks in the business.
Build A Team Around It (And Create a Welcoming Culture)
In connection with item #3, you must establish a whole team of automation “experts”. Their main role is to ensure that the technology investment you made is contributing to the growth of the company. They will be the point person when something comes up with the system.
Since they are experts in the field, they should also be responsible for coming up with ways to improve the workflow of the business using automation solutions.
In Summary
Our point here is simple: Every business lives and dies with technology. Businesses who are not yet sold on the idea of automation may see success now. However, these successful stretches of time are limited. There will come a time where your business would suffer, simply because other competitors are so far ahead in automating their business processes.
If you want more business tech tips, read here about the benefits of investing in technology for your business. Click here to see more reasons why integrating technology into your business is important.
Opinions expressed by AsianBlurb contributors are their own.
Zakary Kelley is a technology reporter for Business Blurb covering social media and the digital products that are changing our lives.
