5 Advanced Technology Examples to Improve Your Business

Advanced technology is a valuable asset to growing companies of all sizes.

Whether it’s a more efficient workflow or automated customer service, virtually every aspect of a business can be positively affected by improving technology in an organization.

Its importance is such that 85% of decision makers say they have two years to have moved forward significantly with their digital transformation strategies or risk falling behind competitors

Fortunately, the following digital technology in business examples are more affordable now for small businesses than they’ve ever been, and organizations are pursuing them more fervently in order to stay competitive—across all industries.

Two-thirds of SMBs state that technology is a primary factor in achieving their business aims, and SMBs will spend nearly $700 billion worldwide on IT tech by 2021.

Naturally, different businesses have different needs.

When we work with clients, the roadmap we build for them will vary depending on their priorities, their budget, and the implementation timeline.

Advanced Technology Examples for Business Use

Let’s take a look at five technology innovations in business examples that are keeping SMBs competitive in their digital transformations.

1. Robotic Process Automation

Robotic process automation (RPA) is an excellent example of an advanced technology solution for SMBs.

Automated bots are excellent at carrying out repetitive jobs much faster and with much more precision than their human counterparts.

Related: 7 Uses of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in SMBs

Bots are pieces of software specifically configured to perform particular tasks, like data entry; supply chain management; and data gathering.

Bots can operate these complex functions 24/7 without assistance and make fewer mistakes than humans.

Alleviated workers can then instead focus their energies on projects away from these types of repetitive tasks.

With 80 million jobs in the US considered good candidates for automation, it’s no surprise people are scrambling to implement automation solutions in their organizations

Such is its current rate of adoption that the worldwide market for RPA will grow from $846 million in 2018 to an estimated $4 billion by 2025.

RPA is the quickest-growing segment of the enterprise software market, with SMBs having more access to automation solutions after several years of use by large corporations.

Our RPA partner, Kofax, for example, has seen substantial growth over the last two years alone—mostly in response to its ease of use for small businesses.

2. Document Data Extraction

Intelligent methods for extracting data and processing them are another example of a modern technology solution that can be a huge benefit to a modern business.

Workers have for many years become accustomed to transcribing data from a document and manually entering it into a system of record.

Document data extraction, the process of automatically transcribing data digitally can save countless hours of time for employees

Purchase orders; client documents; customer records; invoices—all and more can be quickly and easily scanned for information in an accurate manner, improving data validation.

Combined with machine learning, its capabilities of handling data improve the more the system is used.

This is especially useful when dealing with unstructured documents.

Vendors like DocuWare are increasingly able to provide these functions to SMBs in full with affordability in mind.

The other benefit of having a data extraction system in place is the ability to store your data exactly where you need it.

Processed document information can be output into multiple systems and be associated with existing data for easy integration.

According to a study by McKinsey Digital, CEOs spend almost 20% of their time on work that could be automated (like analyzing operational data and reviewing status reports).

Document data extraction in action

Document data extraction is a common competitive application of automation in business.

Consider a business processing applications for its services manually, requiring employees to pdf documents and then input the data they see into their work computer.

This takes many hours and decision-makers are dissatisfied with how slowly it takes for them to respond, so they implement a document data extraction solution to help.

Now, using the solution, PDFs are automatically parsed, scanning each field and reporting the information to a repository, where an RPA bot can then take over the process.

Extracting data from documents like this means workers can spend their time doing more valuable operational work, while they’ve saved time and quickened the process.

When advanced technology like this is used strategically, data document streamlining can present an extremely valuable use case for businesses today.

3. Workflow Tools

One of the chief concerns of a business undergoing a digital transformation is improving data workflow within the organization—fortunately, new advances in computer technology in business offer ample opportunity for streamlining workflows.

With modern technology examples and solutions like Enterprise Content Management, digitized data can now be efficiently processed and stored.

From here, it’s a relatively simple step to get that data downstream to the right people at the right time, regardless of department.

Related: Understanding Workflow Automation (eBook)

Workflow tools, specifically cloud-based systems, are excellent at proving platforms for organizing work processes and projects within teams.

The functionality of these tools extends to management best practices, such as approval routing, data validation, and ensuring the integrity of data before it goes into your ERP system.

Use case

We had a client, WaterTech, come to us with concerns about their document management. They relied heavily on paper-based processes and felt that their system was significantly slowing down their operations, particularly with regard to the sales order process.

To address this issue, we audited their systems and built a strategy for digitizing their document workflow, implementing it ahead of schedule.

With the new system, we were able to streamline their workflows by significantly digitizing their paper processes, centralizing document data for easy access, and reducing the reliance on manual tasks while improving workflows.

Because of the system we implemented, they were able to cut costs on paper and storage materials by $500 a month, improve their productivity, and have a cloud infrastructure that can be scaled in the future if necessary.

This is a great advanced technology example that shows the impact of technology on businesses to make a difference in their day-to-day processes while saving money at the same time—an example of the role of technology in business growth.

“We can press a button and get information on our customers and clients that speed up our processes much faster. It’s a press of a button instead of 10,000 pieces of paper.” – Jackie Clark-Edwards, Chicagoland Fat Loss Camps CEO

Download the case study free here!

 

4. AI Assistants

With increased spending on automation, tech comes a larger number of AI assets being implemented into the systems of many SMBs; another advanced technology example in business.

One of the most common technology examples of automated tech in business is the use of chatbots.

People engage with bots for customer service more than ever, and businesses are more frequently utilizing chatbots in their organizations.

Per Business Insider, 80% of businesses will be using chatbots by 2020.

They are excellent at solving simple issues, while more complex problems can be sent on to the right people to take care of.

This means a lighter load for staff who far less regularly have to deal with simple customer queries.

In the past, it was common for people to have an aversion to dealing with AI assistants, but new technology means a litany of improved functions such as AI-assisted voice recognition and sentiment analysis of messages and emails.

As a result, customers feel more comfortable than ever interacting with AI technology.

For businesses, the goal of this is to get the relevant people involved as soon as possible while streamlining engagement with the client.

AI assistants in action

A business is consistently being swarmed by customer queries about its products and service. Customer support staff are replying as fast as they can, but it’s not enough, and customers are bouncing, losing them business.

They decide to implement a chatbot that can answer the most frequent questions quickly to site visitors, alleviating staff from repetitive questions and allowing them to spend more time on other queries that need their time.

They are able to respond quickly and handle multiple requests simultaneously using the chatbot.

Chatbots are also scalable, meaning that, if there’s an influx of users, they can be scaled up to accommodate demand and then scaled down during less busy periods.

5. Low-Code Applications

The current rate of expansion for the managed services market is a result of SMBs increasing their expectations for what platforms they use in every aspect of their business; from their CRM to their mobile platform.

The gap between off-the-shelf software capabilities and the needs of workers on the ground is growing.

Companies want customized solutions for unique processes, and when they don’t have the correct procedures, users take matters into their own hands, inventing ad-hoc methods to fill the gaps.

This will typically lead to tribal knowledge and siloed organizations, making onboarding, for example, difficult for new hires.

Related: What is Low Code?

Fortunately, industry-leading low-code platforms like Mendix are readily available to SMBs of any size and offer the opportunity to address needs an off-the-shelf solution cannot.

Low-code development means app-building tools which can tackle or optimize complex and specific tasks—it’s as simple as dragging and dropping and takes less time than regular development.

In North America, nearly 60% of all custom apps are now built outside the IT department by professionals who have little or no IT coding experience

Whether it improves customer engagement or operational efficiencies, low-code platforms can offer enterprise-level apps for a fraction of the price for SMBs.

Use case

Our client, a business in the logistics industry, wanted a personalized app that could quote and match carriers and customers for oversized or specialized freight. There wasn’t a tool that did that, so we used low-code to build a custom app that provided an experience all the way from quoting to booking.

“It’s been a true collaboration to do this, which is what I wanted. When Impact said ‘low-code’, it felt like a buzzword at first, but now we’ve seen the results there’s just no way it could’ve been done without it compared to our previous experiences with software development. Customers can order a freight now through the app without even calling, so we’re getting business without having to solicit as much because the tool is drawing more people to it. – Matt Ziegler, ZMac Transportation President & Co-Founder

To learn more about Impact’s low-code work with ZMac, download our webinar, Simplify Digital Transformation Initiatives with Low Code here!

Takeaways

• Incorporating modern technology solutions into business processes is the primary strategy for SMBs undergoing digital transformation
• With improvements in cost, efficiency, and customer experience, SMBs will continue to heavily invest in new tech solutions
• IT solutions which use automation are more popular than ever among small businesses as the cost of implementation continues to become more affordable

Find out how these advanced technology examples can benefit your business today:

Advanced technology solutions help companies achieve and maintain a competitive advantage in their industry. By leveraging the tools available, you can increase staff productivity and decrease costs—your business can enjoy higher operating capacity and deliver a superior customer experience.

For more information about how tech solutions can help your SMB, download our free eBook, Fast-Tracking Your Digital Transformation, featuring information on data backup and business continuity, document workflow solutions, cybersecurity, and more.