Business 4.0: how technology is enhancing the business of manufacturing

27 March, 2018

 Automation

To run a business is to inevitably suffer operational and administrative headaches. But while the persistence of these headaches is undeniable, some can be eliminated. Our research also revealed that 17% of professionals are actively struggling with manual data entry, 9.5% struggle with outdated spreadsheets, and 6% don’t know how to prepare for meetings adequately. These are problems that can be fixed – ideally not by your sales or marketing team, who would prefer to make better use of their time.

When they’re overburdened with these menial tasks, they’re spending less time nurturing customer relationships and enticing new prospects. Many of them can – and should – be automated. Modern software can use built-in task bots to complete data entry, reporting, and collating tasks on behalf of human employees – meaning you’ll never be anything less than fully ready for a meeting.

If you can unify these processes in a single technology platform used across the entire company, even better, as this will help to avoid information silos and break down barriers in communication. More and more tasks will be automated in future, and it’s best to prepare for this as well as you can.

Mobile and cloud computing

We often talk about mobile and cloud technology as if it’s the future, but this neglects the fact that it’s very much the present. The sooner your company can get on board with it, the better.

Mobile and cloud computing have redefined CRM, ERP, BI, and other software applications. Software-as-a-Service solutions are now widely accepted as more scalable and less costly than product-based solutions. They don’t require any significant investment in physical hardware – no setup, no installation, no maintenance fees. The off-site data centre handles all of it while your business enjoys the benefits.

We found that 11% of professionals still struggle to access information while outside the office – and 34% find it difficult to access timely information to use while selling. Cloud solutions promise to change that, allowing salespeople to gain full visibility into their history of customer interactions. Insights can be delivered near-instantaneously, and information can be updated and reviewed in real time. What’s more, they’re quite reliable: many of these solutions experience under 1% downtime each year.

Technological change in all aspects of business is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be burdensome. Take the initiative, use the right solutions, and be open to possibility, and you’ll prosper now – and in the future.

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