So much has changed in the way that we do business over the course of the last eighteen months. The normal that we knew may be slowly coming back as vaccines roll out and places of business reopen, but it seems fair to assume that many of the innovations and changes that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic will be sticking around.
Post-Lockdown Reality
It may have been fantastically gruelling trying to figure out how we were going to keep our companies afloat during that time, but the technology that made life easier will continue to play a part in our lives, especially during post-lockdown times.
Video Calls Are Not Going Anywhere
Right at the start of the pandemic, when we were getting used to the idea that our home was not only going to be our office for the foreseeable future but also the place where we would do all of our (remote) socialising, you couldn’t move for jokes about Zoom and how difficult we were all finding it.
Now, it’s second nature to fire over a quick meeting link and jump on a call.
But it’s not just the morning meetings that have cemented video conferencing’s status in the new normal. We are seeing more events offering a remote option.
We are seeing universities and higher learning institutions offer virtual courses.
The opportunity to provide flexibility and reach a broader audience is too big to be ignored for businesses both big and small.
Business Software Keeps Getting Easier To Use
One of the biggest worries when working from home began was that communication would be lost.
That’s why we saw so many group message chains spring up, and why so many of us panicked and scheduled team video calls at the start and the end of the day (with a post-lunch one pencilled in just in case).
And we would be lying if we said that it has been a breeze.
But over those eighteen months we have seen software development continue to fine-tune their products to make life easier for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
There is project management software out there for everyone, whether you want to keep track of every little detail or you just want someone to green a task when it’s done.
We are also seeing the emergence of improved platforms that can remove some of the worry when you’re working remotely, such as employee benefit platforms.
Companies that use employee benefit technology can create an accessible hub for their team to see what they’re working towards, access information and manage their profiles.
The platform controls costs, automates administration and elevates employee engagement.
AI Technology Is Only Getting More Advanced
For a lot of smaller businesses, the phrase “AI technology” would once have seemed like something out of their price range.
We’re used to seeing it banded about when people are talking about the next generation of an electric car, or a ground-breaking development in medical technology.
But over the last few years, we have all gained a greater understanding of and appreciation for what AI tech can do for our business.
We know that there’s AI tech in everything from our takeaway food apps to our online banking, and many businesses are reaping the rewards of implementing it themselves.
It can be harnessed to comb through your customer data to give your digital marketing campaign the best chance of finding the right audience.
We are seeing a huge number of websites use AI chatbots to keep us on the page and direct us to where we need to go.
This technology is only going to get more intuitive and more effective. With the pandemic continuing to drive instability and staff shortages, the use of AI across businesses will only grow.
Photos: Shutterstock
Read more about post-lockdown life.
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