Sometimes fate steps in and forces change. Changes like technology. The last few months have been especially challenging as social distancing and “contactless” became the new reality. Even as things return to a somewhat normal mode of business, regulations have modified policies and procedures. Consumers are now quite adept at shopping online. They are using apps to have food delivered and avoiding lines at the bank. The idea of doing business through technology has become the new norm for many customers. Workers may in some cases be required to wear buzzers when they get too close to one another. Technology has changed almost everything when it comes to business, especially in the last few months.
New workplaces emerging
As operations begin to reopen, some are providing new safety procedures to protect employees. Procedures that will likely change worker behaviors. According to the New York Times, “When more than 100 workers return next week to Newlab, a technology hub in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, they will have the option of wearing a device that buzzes every time two colleagues get too close to each other — a high-tech way to enforce social distancing.”
Forehead temperatures are now being taken before employees and customers are allowed into the building with touchless technology. Ultraviolet hand held sanitizers are being used to disinfect surfaces. And there’s more to come. Technological solutions to continue to mitigate Covid-19’s impact are underway. “Personal-symptom trackers, digital contact-tracing and exposure-notification tools are under development in the United States and around the world.”
Some businesses are also incorporating wait list apps and/or online reservation software to book advance appointments. The idea is to accommodate the reduction in usable space while minimizing the longer lines at barbers, restaurants, amusement parks, and more.
Technology tools to handle business
Not meeting in person means using technology platforms to exchange ideas and information. Due to the pandemic, the medical industry is now providing telemedicine options for patients to meet online. This provides “an attractive, effective, and affordable option” and “is of critical importance in keeping healthcare providers safe.” Until a vaccine is in place, the telemedicine option may continue and maybe become permanent in some situations.
There are lots of meeting software options including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and others for the rest of us. Not to mention project management, organizational tools, and many other ways to keep busy.
The work-from-home workforce
Some workplaces who shifted to offer work-at-home options during the past few months are continuing the trend by offering more opportunities. During the pandemic, there was a huge demand “to enable millions of employees to work from home” according to a CRN survey. This “created a massive spike in technology purchases from IT decision-makers.” The surge was confirmed in interviews with CRN of top executives from Dell Technologies, Lenovo, and HP Inc.
And now that employees have tasted the work-at-home experience, half of them would rather continue to work from home. According to Gallup, “that if it were up to them, they would continue to work from home because they prefer it.” Some may even go so far as to choose not to return to the office and look for other work-at-home options.
Some companies are committed to considerably moving jobs remotely on a permanent basis. Mark Zuckerberg told the Wall Street Journal of his 10-year plan to shift Facebook employees substantially to remote work. In essence, “reconfiguring the tech giant’s operations around the dispersed structure” was forced upon it by the coronavirus pandemic.
More tech-savvy consumers
And with all that increased at-home technology, it’s no surprise that online purchasing rose, and continues to rise, at phenomenal rates. According to at least one study, “one-third of shoppers bought food online during the early phase of pandemic shopping (week ending March 13). Of those shoppers, 41% said it was their first time.” Walmart, who stepped up its technology investments before the pandemic, reaped the benefits with over half of these first-time shoppers buying from them.
Where do we go from here?
With all the advantages and savings generated from technology and software, it may be safe to say that there is no turning back. As things become easier to accomplish, safer to adopt, and friendlier to our personal life styles, the faster we’ll run to what technology has to offer.
As a bigger bonus, technology moves fast and produces solutions at record speeds. Regardless of the type of business or industry, there are technological solutions to match every challenge. And if it doesn’t exist now, it will be here in no time.
Bitbean.com is ready to help you with your plans for more technology. Contact us today.
