We’re deep into a tech boom that has been going on for decades. A number of well established businesses and corporations have adapted in ways that make them unrecognizable from 20 years ago. Not to mention, a slew of businesses exist today that we never would have imagined would be a thing. Everything from entertainment to health care, even in sectors of hard sciences, are utilizing practices and technologies to reinvent themselves.
That being said, the idea of a smart office is not new. Many have adapted, and those who have did so at varying levels of technological progress. Some stores and businesses feel like they’re lightyears ahead of others, yet both could still be thriving. The spread of dedicated businesses who have, to different levels, adapted to the smart office mentality is so wide, it begs the all important question: do smart office solutions matter in 2019?
In order to understand the answer to this question, it’s important to understand the nature of smart office solutions, where they are utilized best, and whether or not they still have influence in a businesses’ success in 2019.
What are Smart Office Solutions?
Companies like Ebix and Comcast have made quite a killing in the smart office solutions market. Everyone from small store fronts in tiny main street marketplaces to large companies working with thousands of customers and clients a day utilize smart office solutions. So what exactly is a smart office solution, and what does it do?
In a word, smart office solutions are an answer to the problem an increasingly technological world. With every new app, mobile device, and computer that gets made, the ways in which customers seek to use them in their purchasing and lifestyle habits changes. Smart office solutions, in a sense, keep up with the trends and allow business to offer a variety of features to their customer base. But it’s not all about who’s buying.
Companies also utilize smart office solutions to manage their actual workspace more efficiently. Everything from security cameras, WiFi management, and heating and lighting are utilizing smart office solutions to stay dynamic and as mobile as possible. Look; things aren’t going to move away from the traditional desktop computer completely, but offering mobile solutions for your smart office is nearly as common as office spaces themselves.
Take a company just starting out in 2019. Do you think they’d think twice about offering WiFi to their customers, or allowing them to make appointments for their consultation on a mobile device rather than calling in? Not for one second. Smart office solutions, no matter how user friendly and dynamic they increasingly become, are as commonplace to new businesses as any of the standard business planning steps like market research and cost-profit analysis.
So, knowing what smart office solutions do for a business in terms of customer relations and employee accessibility, another question arises.
Are Smart Office Solutions Necessary?
With some office spaces still not utilizing things like SmartOffice by Ebix or video conferencing from Comcast, the lack of complete permeation of these smart office solutions begs the question of whether or not they’re necessary. To be honest, the answer to that question might be entirely subjective, but one thing is for sure. To be a successful business, you need to accommodate your offerings as a business to your customer base.
Let’s take an insurance broker for instance; if you know people are increasingly doing things from their phone, would you want to look into Ebix solutions for mobile appointments, messaging, and other on the go resources? Absolutely. The ability to make an appointment for a consultation on an app is much more user-friendly to customers in 2019 than calling into an office is.
That brings up a good point: which smart office solutions eradicate other traditional, older technologies? Sticking with the example above, a messaging system might be ideal for younger, more mobile knowledgable users, but not older demographics or those who don’t have access to the technology. With something like an app, you can’t necessarily cancel your office phone plan because customers can reach you on the app. Accommodating all users is tricky, and many who are past their 20s might be used to another form of customer-business relations.
Where does the line begin with transitioning your office to a more smart office solutions-based company and where do the old technologies play a role? That question is actually the answer to the main question in this article: do smart office solutions matter?
What’s the Takeaway?
Smart office solutions are here to stay in 2019, but that doesn’t mean the old guard is out the door. Billing is still largely done in paper through the mail, and things like fax machines, believe it or not, still have a role to play in some traditional fields like banking and medical offices. This means that those companies might still use older technology, but that absolutely does not mean they are void of any smart office solutions.
WiFi is everywhere. Apps and websites at the very least are becoming more of an expectation. This varies from business to business, which answers our question. Yes, smart office solutions matter, but which solutions work for each and every business depends on their resources, customers, and work force. That makes it tough to say which smart business solutions are most important, or even which ones are necessary, but yes, they do matter.
Smart Business Solutions Looking Ahead
As the norm continues to grow that each business, no matter how large or small, utilizes these technological advancements to their benefit, the amount that these solutions matter will continue to grow and diversify. Some things like WiFi and security are a must in 2019, so as those become more technologically advanced, so too will other aspects of businesses slow to adapt to the smart office techs in the working world.
All that matters is that each business follow these trends in the way best fit for their operation. If they utilize what smart business solutions work for them, they will be more productive and handle their audience and customers much better.
Taylor is a freelance SEO copywriter and blogger. His areas of expertise include technology, pop culture, and marketing.
