Technology and business have relied on each other since the dawn of commerce. Put simply, technology firms rely on organizations to purchase their products by creating solutions and applications that gives businesses a competitive advantage or improves their productivity.
Businesses seek to maintain and develop their market position by harnessing the latest technologies and are constantly looking for new IT solutions that improve their competitive edge. In recent years, the pace of technological advancements has grown rapidly, to the extent that many working practices that were once considered to be the norm are now starting to become outdated.
Corporate working practices for many staff only a few decades ago would have revolved around being in a shared physical workspace and undertaking routine tasks and activities. Today, this may not be the case. In this article, three examples of how business technology is supporting new working practices will be discussed.
Specialist IT teams via outsourcing
Modern corporations rely on highly sophisticated IT systems to support their workforce. In recent decades there has been a mass migration of applications and software systems from physical locations (such as on in-house servers) to cloud computing that relies on the internet and remote storage of IT assets.
As these systems become more complicated and more powerful, there is a need for highly specialized staff to deploy, monitor, and upgrade this technology. Many companies now seek the help of specialist IT teams instead of employing their own staff for this function by outsourcing their IT needs. However, with the rise of outsourced IT providers, it is vital that a company understands how to recognize a good IT service provider versus a bad one.
Outsourcing of this critical corporate function needs to be given to a specialist team that can offer a bespoke range of IT solutions that support the business and allow it to function more efficiently. The third party must be able to provide a level of expertise and knowledge that is superior to what could be achieved in-house. When outsourcing of complex IT functions is effectively undertaken it can allow businesses to lower their staffing costs whilst having access to the latest systems and expert knowledge.
The rise of remote working
From 2020 onwards, remote working and hybrid models of work became a reality for millions of employees. This was largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic which made remote working a necessity for businesses that sought to keep functioning whilst lockdowns and restrictions on movement were taking place. However, it is important to recognize that several forms of technology played a vital role in this new working practice.
A remote workforce still needs to be able to communicate and collaborate effectively to ensure that tasks are completed to the same high standards when not present in a shared physical working environment. A wide range of collaborative software tools were developed to allow a remote workforce to stay connected and remote meetings were facilitated with the use of online-based video conferencing platforms. Today, remote working and hybrid models of work are still popular with both employers and staff even as the most severe effects of the pandemic seem to have receded. Technology continues to support these working practices and ensures that communication and productivity levels remain high.
