Every business can benefit from technology – but that doesn’t mean you need every piece of software out there. But how can you tell the must-haves from the nice-to-haves?
Part two of our exploration of tomorrow’s essential technology builds on from the first.
With a safe, stable connection, you can move to the Cloud – and then it’s time to consider automation and enrich your customer experience.
Must-have technology #4: CRM
Customers have never expected more from businesses.
It’s a one-tap, instant gratification world, and any organization that doesn’t deliver is likely to lose ground.
Building a great customer experience is about more than great UX on your website. It means every interaction – from online shopping to making a complaint – is personal and easy.
This is where Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, software can be invaluable – if it’s done right.
Using all the data it can gather about preferences, purchase habits and so on, this broad set of software can automate follow up communications, flag unhappy customers, and give insight into how people are experiencing your business.
It’s an old adage, but it’s still so relevant: put the customer first.
A CTO KNOWS: Investing in your customer experience always pays off
Must-have technology #5: Automation
Automation. It makes us picture robots handling the heavy lifting on a factory floor, but it isn’t all about futuristic technology. But it’s actually about reducing the number of repetitive, day-to-day tasks that slow your team down.
HR and payroll are two primary examples. Software can help do the important checks and balances for leave, salaries, and payouts, with a human supervisor conducting a final approval.
That means there’s almost no risk of human error, and staff assigned to those functions can focus their attention on dealing with irregularities and conflicts.
The best part of these systems is that they can “learn”, and just like a human worker, become more efficient as they are fed more information.
Whether it’s a production line or process – automation is a huge competitive advantage.
A CTO KNOWS: Automating the day to day frees up your team to focus on the extraordinary
Must-have technology #6: Extended Reality
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology is no longer reserved for creating immersive gaming and entertainment experiences.
Collectively called Extended Reality, these new technologies have a host of applications. Virtual Reality is now a powerful tool for offsite training, while Augmented Reality has been used to help maximize production efficiency for almost 5 years already.
With the price of the technology falling rapidly, it is well worth thinking about the way that these new tools can help make your business more efficient.
A CTO KNOWS: Tomorrow’s reality has arrived early – and can give you an edge today.
The Last Word
Building on solid digital foundations sets the precedent to explore data-driven solutions like CRM, automation, and extended reality – all of which allow for a better customer and employee experience.