ICT: the secret to empowering business operations & teams

As our organisations continue to operate into the future, we can expect to see the relationships our team members have with our companies evolve. This includes all types of relationships: colleague to colleague, employee to business processes, technology to staff, and so on.

In this space, information and communication technology (ICT) is revolutionising the way our businesses operate, enabling us to work smarter and become more agile and adaptive to ever-changing customer needs. If we adopt ICT solutions now, we can obtain the means to reach our goals faster.

However, like with all technologies in the workplace, we have to prioritise our people. They are the catalysts that transform our businesses into dynamic institutions with an intrinsic ability to stay ahead of the pack; they cannot do this without ICT.

What is ICT?

ICT is the marriage of information technology (IT) solutions and communication tools. It covers everything from hardware devices to software applications. It is used by organisations to leverage their data, streamline how employees communicate in the workplace, and strengthen the bonds that exist between businesses and the technology-driven world around them.?

ICT effectively serves as the bridge between the individual components of our work environments (processes, ethos, etc.) and our staff.?92% of workers?base their workplace satisfaction on the technology we provide them. The idea that robust technology equates to streamlined business process improvement is a tale as old as time.?

But, what the corporate leaders of days past may not have anticipated is the depth of technology integration we get to experience as human beings of the 21st century.??

ICT has already arrived

Advancements in technology occur every day, and they follow us no matter where we are. From surfing the internet on our mobile phones to deploying full-scale solutions to manage processes in our offices, ICT solutions have settled within our workplace cultures. And with a prediction that the world will spend?“$4.6 trillion [on IT] in 2023”, the ties we share with ICT will only grow stronger and more numerous.

Cloud computing: from tech giants to companies everywhere

A term on everyone’s mind, cloud computing is a type of ICT that allows organisations to store data and run applications on hardware that connects to the internet. This means that individual solutions and business-supporting processes can scale up or down when necessary, granting us more control over our operations and information.

Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are the trio that defines an industry with a market worth?“projected to hit around US$ 1,614.10 billion by 2030”.??The chances of us already using cloud-based tools (whether they come from one of the aforementioned companies or elsewhere) within our operational processes are extremely high – it is not a tool that is exclusive to the IT industry.???

Instead, the cloud’s nimble and adaptable nature means that it can be leveraged in various industries – from retail to healthcare – to keep business goals achievable and employees engaged throughout the working year.

Websites for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)

Over the years, the humble website has grown from being a revolutionary tool for exchanging information into a business staple for all companies, especially SMBs. In 2021,?“71% of small businesses had websites”, giving them a distinct advantage in an era of e-commerce and internet-powered marketing.??

A website serves as the gate to a company’s services, a glimpse into the business functions that enable organisations to deliver their products and services to the public. Though it may not seem as significant for our team members when compared to tangible technological solutions, a website effectively keeps us operational.?

It helps us attract new customers, maintain loyalty with current ones, and keep our business processes profitable for the financial, social, mental, and physical wellbeing of our employees.

Mobile phones are widening the scope of business

In today’s society, we share the world with mobile phones. Everywhere we look, it seems like someone has their attention focused on a screen in their hands, and with?“90.72% of people in the world”?owning a mobile phone, it was just a matter of time before companies set their sights on this new avenue of business.?

Mobile phones (especially smartphones) come with various features – voice search, cloud storage, augmented reality (in certain cases), and more – that make it easier for us to access data, stay in touch with colleagues and customers, and complete tasks on the go. They break down the traditional geographic boundaries that previously restricted our business processes to the confines of the office building.????

Nowadays,?remote and hybrid work is commonplace, and while there are certainly various technical reasons why this is the case, business owners can bet their bottom dollar that mobile phones (and other such devices) are one of those reasons.?

People before technology, always

The topic of ICT’s presence in our business operations can be long and complex. And if there are any words we ought to use to describe our companies’ processes, ‘long’ and ‘complex’ should not even be considered for the list. To see the true value of ICT and its role in improving our processes, we need to humanise the technology and approach it from a people-first perspective.?

After all, an organisation is nothing without its people. Without staff to support them, business leaders are only leaders in titles. Without employees to carry them out, operations are just processes, not the value-driving procedures that enrich peoples’ lives and spur economies to greatness.

ICT amplifies communication between staff and procedures

Communication is vital for success in business. It does not matter whether someone is a C-suite executive in a major company in the CBD, a small business owner working out of their home, or a teenage part-timer starting their first job at a café, being able to communicate effectively (face to face and digitally) will serve as the tracks, the wheels, and the engine their entire career (and the company they work for) runs on.?

More than 90% of SMBs deploy technology for their communication initiatives, inclusive of internal and external correspondences. As such, the need for effective workplace communication binds ICT, staff, and procedures into a symbiotic web that results in all three parties being more innovative and streamlined when coordinating business functions.?

When employees use technology to communicate in the workplace, exchanges?can be more efficient and less stressful, helping to build trust and turn organisations into paragons of business excellence.

Teams are the suns technology should revolve around

No one can (or should) undermine the benefits that technology has given the business landscape. From streamlining business operations management to exposing us to new ways of working, information and communication technology will continue to grow more sophisticated and convenient, ushering humanity into a new age of business that we may not be able to fathom at this point in time.?

But to stop us from falling into the realm of science fiction, we need to see the realities of our world. According to a study that examined people from across the world, 24% of respondents said?“they just don’t understand computers and new technology”. While this number may have fluctuated since then (particularly when we consider how technology has ingrained itself into our lives), we still need to acknowledge the contradiction that is technology.

It can be intuitive but challenging to use; it can be helpful but overwhelming; it can speed up our business processes but slow them down at the slightest roadblock. All this to say, not everyone would label themselves tech-savvy. But despite this, we as business leaders and owners need to understand the importance of technology in our operations and make our company’s tools as user-friendly as possible.?

Thankfully, procuring ICT solutions that fit this description is achievable. To prioritise our employees and adopt the right technology solutions, we need to do the following:??

●??????Define our needs:?we need to identify the type of technology we require, the number of users, the budget, the deployment timeline, and other specific requirements that relate to our team members.?

●??????Research the market:?we need to investigate the necessary solutions and compare them to each other. We can read reviews, ask questions, and check out product demos to gain a sense of what the tools are and what they offer.?

●??????Consider user experience:?if we keep our employees in our thoughts, we will be able to answer questions such as, ‘What user-friendly features does the technology have?’ or ‘How will this benefit our staff?’?

●??????Gather feedback:?we ought to reach out to our teams and ask for their opinions on certain products.?

●??????Determine if training is available:?we need to support our employees every step of the way. Training will make them feel confident in their abilities and new digital tools.

●??????Review and seek team approval:?after finding the right tools, we need to review them before officially sourcing them. We need to communicate any developments with our employees and keep them updated on upcoming changes.

Information and communication technology will drive operations and people for years to come

As our teams grow and change, there is one thing that remains constant – their necessity in our workplace. We need to make our employees feel supported when at work, and while there are a variety of ways to do this, demystifying technology will give us a head start. ICT solutions may sound intimidating, but they already have a place in our organisations. We just may not have taken the time to notice them.

By slowly bringing awareness to them (or investing in them if we do not have an ICT solution at present), we give our employees permission to embrace new tools, ultimately empowering them to be more productive and make their jobs easier. And if our teams feel energised at work, that enthusiasm will translate into happier organisations and better market performance.

Would you agree??