A holistic, tech-driven, integrated business is about being able to run a business efficiently using the available technology. Furthermore, being able to integrate this technology is the number one tech aim in the future in the modern era. There is no point in having the latest technology if it is not able to communicate and work together to improve your business options.
Modern business tech
Cloud technology and the ability to access industry or sector-specific software of the highest caliber has made modern business a thing done in virtual rooms on platforms and in a worldwide manner. Businesses also have access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and hardware. The technology is thus available for any business in any sector, and the secret will be in how your business uses the tools at your disposal.
How tech needs to be integrated
From your human resources outsourcing to supply chain management, it all needs to be linked and can be linked using modern technology. At first glance, the idea to link all the business technology that you have working may seem pointless. Many businesses ask why and how their tech should be integrated. The answer is simply that if you want smarter decisions to be made, it is essential to allow the tech you have working in the various business sections to communicate and integrate in a shorter period. A great example is supply chain technology and software that is able to link the business supply needs to production requirements, sales projections, and marketing. The availability of big data and unified operating systems combined with cloud computing makes for seamless integration of business technology.
It is thus vital to ensure that whoever implements new business technology does so with an understanding that this tech must be able to communicate and be integrated with existing business tech, with an eye on the future tech requirements as well, and be accessible to the necessary staff.
The future of integrated business tech
- Multi-cloud setups are sometimes a conscious strategy by businesses, and other times happen by chance as some businesses are not aware that multiple providers are offering their cloud services. Rather than leave your cloud set up to chance, make sure you are strategic and deliberate about who hosts your cloud services and why. Research shows that more than 80% of those in the sector take advantage of multi-cloud strategies, and it is increasingly the most popular pattern for cloud services amongst business users. This entails having several cloud offerings and linking these together to provide a business hub of information and technology. It is one of the critical use questions to ask when setting up your company’s cloud computing. You must ensure that all your cloud computing can be linked and integrated, allowing the business to make use of all the information at your disposal for decision making.
- Blockchain is a way of recording information that makes it difficult to change and especially hack. If you are integrating business operations and tasks, ensuring that the data is decentralized and distributed and that if one block in the chain was tampered with, it would be immediately visible and highlighted. While the concept may seem challenging to grasp, you can quickly identify ways to integrate it into your holistic business strategy once you understand the basics. It can be thought about as an additional layer on top of the internet, and if we consider that not many people understood the internet when it was first established, so too blockchain is thought to soon impact on society in the same way that the internet has.
- Artificial intelligence for business is still in the early phases of development. However, it has already been hailed by business leaders and managers as a new technology route that will create a myriad of other related opportunities. In tandem with machine learning, artificial intelligence is expected to revolutionize the way that marketing is performed. Customers can be automatically sorted based on their usage and needs, and automated emails sent to them based on their browsing preferences. When used with big data, AI can also use chat bots to create real-time communication with customers and clients that is specific to the client, all geared towards improving customer retention. This is but one aspect of modern business that AI can positively influence. There are further positive business changes expected in sales, research and development, and IT operations to come on the back of AI, and it is pertinent to keep an eye on the sector in terms of what it can do for your specific business.
- The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of devices that are connected, interactive, and exchange data through the use of software and hardware. Whether this is the way your smartphone communicates with your smart home or the way your wearable devices can tell you about your health and wellness. Being able to integrate IoT is not only becoming easier but also more essential. This means capturing data from separate devices, whether large or small and using these to ensure optimized business applications.
The key to the integration of any technology or platform is making sure that it fits a purpose and fills a gap. An additional advantage of real integration is that it should allow you to collect data and information that can help any business improve productivity, efficiency, and profitability. There is no value in investing heavily in technology that is not fit for purpose. Instead, identify the gaps and weaknesses in your current systems and think about how you can leverage innovative technology that not only fills those gaps but also integrates with your current business functions to bolster and grow your business.
Final Words
Technology moves fast, and it is imperative to remain informed and know what is available for your business. Once informed, it is pertinent to ensure that the various business technology needs can be linked and seen as a holistic package rather than separate software and infrastructure for specific, unrelated purposes.
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