How Has Technology Changed the Way We Work?

Can you imagine a life without GPS on your smartphone, 4G internet, Uber, Airbnb, or Instagram? 10 years ago, these technologies didn’t exist. Our society is rapidly evolving with new advancements in technology that have forever changed the way we live and work. The growth of cloud computing, mobile apps, and team collaboration software have also made businesses more flexible, productive and connected than ever before.   

Rise of The Cloud 

Cloud technologies such as Azure Cloud desktop, SharePoint and Cloud PBX, enable remote access to work resources by any authorized party. This gives huge advantages to businesses and their employees alike.  Work can be done from anywhere that has an internet connection. Research shows that the greater flexibility of working remotely leads to increased productivity and efficiency. Employees are willing to put in longer hours when they can enjoy the benefits of working from home.  In addition, it is becoming more affordable to scale up your data capacity since it’s much cheaper to increase cloud storage compared to on-site server space.     

An App for Everything 

Today there are thousands of mobile apps out there built for almost every purpose you can think of.  The mobile app Inspection Manager, for example, is designed to reduce the time and effort it takes to complete property inspections and conditions reports. Apps like this streamline your work flow allowing you to produce high quality work in a shorter amount of time. The everyday use of mobile apps is also redefining office hours. According to one survey, 51% of respondents begin their work day during their morning commutes (by responding to emails and work-related messages via an app). This allows 39% of them to spend less time in the office.    

Also read: How To Use Technology To Maintain Your Work-Life Balance

Collaborate and Communicate 

Almost every business nowadays, regardless of size, are using video conferencing and other communication technologies to support remote work practices. Video conferencing has dramatically reduced work-travel time and costs. Studies indicate that 59% of knowledge workers prefer video conferencing over working in the office. Project management and collaboration tools such as Asana, Slack, Monday and Trello, have further enabled the growth of virtual teams. Work is no longer limited by physical location and set operating hours.  

We’ve only just scratched the surface of how technology has transformed businesses. There are many more programs and tools available that are designed to optimize your business operations. Insight IT specializes in building and executing an IT strategy that will enable your business to perform at its best. Talk to us today to get started with a free IT health check.