In the modern world, we depend on technology more and more with each passing day. It permeates every field of life and everything that we do. Business is no different. Technology has irreversibly changed how modern businesses operate in several key ways.
Plugged In
Gone are the days when a weekend away from the office meant 48 hours without work. With the advent of email, telecommuting, and mobile electronics, it has become easier than ever to stay connected to your job even if you’re halfway around the world! Centralized email servers can be checked anywhere, the world wide web enables instantaneous video and voice conferencing, and smartphones and tablets are bringing these technologies and more right to our pockets.
Instant Access
Filing cabinets are great for storing information in a neat, categorized way. What they are not good for is quickly accessing that information right when you need it. Many businesses are turning to digital file storage more and more, opting for flexible systems that can be accessed instantaneously from a multitude of workstations. Databases can be stored on machines in secure facilities while still providing access to integral information whenever it is needed.
Global Flexibility
Global business can be a nightmare, both for large companies and for individuals looking to conduct business with customers across many timezones, currency markets, and the like. Electronically acceptable payments from things like credit cards, online credit services, and international banks, have enabled seamless transactions across continents and oceans. There are even services like this debt collection merchant account that agencies can use to charge credit cards without hassle. This form of payment is more and more common with raising technological advances and availability skyrocketing. We live in a time when it is just as easy for a customer in the United States to purchase a product or service from a company or individual in China as it is to purchase it from a city away.
Working Smarter
Just as the Industrial Revolution changed the demand for workers in industry, the technological revolution has done the same for businesses. Automated phone systems eliminate the need for many workers to be available to answer, expandable and searchable databases replace the jobs of many clerical workers, and spreadsheets and accounting software helps ease the burden on accountants and financial workers. Businesses that would have once been severely limited by the number of employees they could hire are now able to grow and flourish thanks to new technologies
As time moves forward, newer and greater technologies will emerge. Innovation will continue to shape how we interact, how we live, and especially how we do business.