Many businesses are now facing a new kind of normal. All over the world, and especially in the United States, the global pandemic has completely upended the way we do business. If you were lucky enough to keep your business afloat during these turbulent times, then you know how difficult some of the challenges you were facing are.
Fortunately, with a few IT improvements, you can adjust your business to this new reality and help it flourish. Below are a few IT ideas you may want to incorporate into your business to help it thrive in the foreseeable future.
Update Your Existing Tools
The first thing you should do is update your existing tools. You likely have some hardware and software you’ve been using in your business for some time now. The problem is that tools can become obsolete over time. That innovative new tool you purchased a few years ago may no longer be effective and could actually be holding your business back.
Start by going through each of your applications and see if there is a newer tool you could upgrade to. This process is called legacy app modernization and it’s a critical function during even the best of times. But in a world where you’re going to rely even more heavily on your IT tools, it has become even more essential.
Control the Office Density
As you know modern problems require modern solutions, and the worldwide pandemic is no exception. The safety of the workers comes as a high priority for everyone nowadays and the best way to control the density in the rooms is to rely on the newest technology which makes our lives easier. Using the space sensors will help the managers to make well-weighted decisions based on real-time data without interfering with anyone’s privacy.
Sensors like this can serve as a great investment into the future, as they help not only to anonymously track the movement in the office, but also help to identify the inefficient points of the used space. In some cases, they can even help to save thousands of dollars by helping you to get rid of inefficiently utilized space.
Video Conferencing
Once you have your current tools up to date, you can then begin to look at what new tools you might need. A popular option lately has been video conferencing software. Since your employees may no longer be able to work in an office together, you’ll need something that will allow them to communicate face-to-face.
This is where video conferencing software comes in. With video conferencing, you can set up virtual team meeting rooms for your team members to talk. Many of these software options also allow you to communicate via text, share your screen, and send files. If you’re looking for some video conferencing options to get you started,this list contains some of the more popular choices.
Keep in mind that in order for video conferencing to work, your employees will all need the proper equipment. This means a laptop or computer with a video camera and a high-speed internet connection. If your employees do not have the necessary equipment yet, you should work on getting that first.
Project Management
For your team to effectively work remotely, they’ll need to be able to do more than just share files, however. They’ll need something to keep them organized and lets them know who is working on what. This is where project management software comes in.
Project management software is useful whether your business is working remotely or in-person. It keeps track of all those little details in a project, ensuring everyone is in line with their responsibilities. This improves your team’s efficiency and helps to cut back on mistakes. When your team is working remotely, this sort of tool becomes even more important, as communication can be difficult when you’re not in the same place.
Look for project management software that allows you to set goals, offers plenty of customization options, and comes at a reasonable price. This will allow you to get the most out of your software without breaking your budget. To get started, you can find a list of the best project management software tools here.
File Sharing
Next, you’ll need a reliable way to share files with one another. When you’re working in the same office, you could print things out and hand-deliver them, copy the files to a USB stick or share them across your local internet network. If everyone at your business is going to be working from home, these things are no longer practical solutions.
You’ll want to find file-sharing software that comes with a few features. First, look for software that doesn’t limit the size of the files you can send. This is especially important if your business works with larger ones. Besides that, try to find software that will allow your team to work on files simultaneously. This will prevent anyone from overwriting someone else’s work and can help to keep everyone on the same page.
This guide contains some of the best file-sharing software options on the market if you need a place to start your search.
Improve Your eCommerce Experience
Finally, you may need to improve your eCommerce experience. If your business primarily relied on in-person sales a few months ago, this may no longer be an option. You’ll have to provide a reliable way for your customers to continue purchasing things from the comfort of their own homes. This is where eCommerce comes in.
To implement an eCommerce solution, you’ll first need an eCommerce feature on your website. Your customers should be able to add items to a digital shopping cart, then check out using online payment options. This means you’ll need a database of all your products and an eCommerce site that can list them and process the sales.
After that, you’ll need to figure out an efficient system for shipping. Despite the new normal, customers will still expect to receive their orders in a timely fashion. You’ll need to calculate the cost of shipping, plus adding this feature to your business before you can implement it. Luckily, eCommerce is only growing more popular, so even after this new normal ends, you can continue to reap the benefits of your eCommerce investments for years to come.
Use IT Solutions to Adapt to the New Normal
This new normal looks like it is going to be around for a while. It’s important that your business takes steps to allow your employees to work remotely and to allow your customers to shop online. This will help to ensure that your business is able to survive during difficult times, and will hopefully position it to be even stronger than ever once the new normal ends.
