You don’t need us to tell you that technology has changed the world. If you’re above a certain age — as I am, you can remember a time before technology was so ubiquitous — then that’ll be obvious.
Still, it’s sometimes worth reflecting on just how transformative technology and the internet has been. It has touched virtually every element of modern life, in nearly all ways for the better. That’s certainly the case with the working world, which has been revolutionized by technological advancement, especially in the past decade or so. And it’s not as if tech progress has come to an end, either — in the years to come, all the benefits it has provided will become even more pronounced.
With that in mind, we thought we’d put together a blog that outlines just how technology has changed the working world. Though technology isn’t perfect, you’re probably pretty happy that it offers all the advantages outlined below!
How Technology Changed Everything At Work
It Reduced Human Error
The vast majority of minor and major issues that occur in the workplace are due to human error. One estimate found that up to 90% of cyber attacks were due to human error, rather than malfunctions in the defense network. You can’t blame employees for making mistakes, since, well, they’re only human — and as we’ve seen time and time again, humans make mistakes.
Still, if you’re a business owner, then you probably wish they didn’t, since it tends to cost money to clean up the mess. Technology does its job every single time, without getting tired. And if a human does make a mistake, tech is usually there to bring it to your attention.
It Opened Up Remote Work
It’s fascinating to think about now, but it wasn’t all that long ago that virtually every employee for every company had to be in the office. There just wasn’t a viable alternative available for the vast majority of jobs.
Today, that’s no longer the case. A huge chunk of employees are free to work from wherever they please, be it at home, in the office, at a cafe, or even at the beach. The commute used to be one of the great complaints of working life, but technology essentially solved that issue, for a big percentage of workers, anyway.
It Made It Easier to Reach Customers
Businesses have always wanted to reach as many customers as possible. Alas, in the old days, that was pretty difficult. To reach a mass audience, you’d probably have to invest in a billboard or a TV or radio advertisement. Not only were they expensive, but they were also only questionably effective. In any case, though they were most definitely not an effective way to spend a marketing budget, they were all that was available.
Technology makes it much easier and cheaper for businesses to reach their customers. Not only that, they can ensure that their marketing materials are seen by people who are likely to become customers.
It Helps Prevent Problems
You can’t predict the future — but technology can get pretty close. And that can be a big help to businesses, who no longer have to be blindsided by future events that could disrupt their profitability. Plus, not only does technology offer a preventative shield against potentially disruptive happenings, but it can also be used to make strategic business decisions. By using predictive analytics, businesses can identify behaviors and trends that will shape the future and can adjust their operations accordingly.
It Made Decisions Easier To Reach
All organizations have to make decisions. It could be figuring out which candidate to offer a role to, which student deserves financial aid, which sales lead is the most promising, or anything else. The impacts of these decisions can be significant and long-lasting, so it’s essential that the organization gets it right — and technology is there to help ensure that they do get it right. Whether it’s financial aid management software, lead scoring software or candidate screening software, technological tools allow organizations to have confidence that they’re making the right decision, since they’ll know that every decision has been backed by data. And that’s something that every organization in history wishes they’d had.
It Reduced Costs
You do have to spend money on technology — computers aren’t free, after all — but once you have them, you’ll find it much easier to save money at your business. The internet has removed the need for a whole range of expenses, including expensive phone bills. Additionally, technology has allowed businesses to spend their money in the right way, which decreases wasted spend.
It Made Us More Productive
We’ll probably never achieve full productivity, but technology will allow us to get pretty close. Every organization in the world wishes it could be more productive since there are simply so many things that impede productivity — and, by extension, growth, and success. Software tools have removed many of the obstacles to productivity, most notably time spent on non-value-adding tasks. By putting the right tools in place, organizations can dramatically increase the productivity of their workers, which ultimately helps to push the business forward.
It Made It Easier to Communicate
Finally, we probably feel the impact of technology in the working world most when we look at communication. Software tools have made it easier than ever before for people in the workplace to talk to one another. While offline communication does still have its place, the presence of digital ways of speaking has been revolutionary. It’s made it possible for people in separate parts of the country to talk to one another as if they’re in the same room and also provided methods for people who are less confident speaking in person to communicate with their colleagues. Mostly, it comes down to choice — in today’s world, you can speak in person, over video, over a phone call, or by written email/messages, and that’s all thanks to technological advancements.
Technology isn’t perfect, but if you’re a business owner, then you’ll be benefiting from it in all the ways we’ve mentioned above, as well as many others.
