Technological innovations have impacted businesses in more ways than one. These technologies have provided many benefits to companies regardless of their size and the industry they are in. They make business operations easier to perform, thereby allowing companies to respond promptly to the production needs of consumers. These technologies also drive business growth, giving companies all the opportunities to earn more profits and drive their ventures to success.
There is a wide array of technologies used by businesses of all sizes to run their operations seamlessly. These technologies range from equipment that allows effortless financial record-keeping to apparatus that help in the easy and quick checking of inventories.
The type of technology used by businesses is determined mostly by their operational needs. These technologies can be classified into different categories, some of which are below.
Software
Most, if not all, businesses nowadays rely on various types of software for seamless operations. Even production teams may use a certain type of software to help in completing their tasks. Software is basically a set of programs, procedures, instructions, or routines loaded onto a computer to tell it what to do.
Software comes in several types. These include application software, system software, driver software, programming software, and middleware. Among these types, the most commonly used by businesses is the application software. Examples of this type of software include Microsoft suite products, Skype, Slack, and Internet browsers, to name a few. The primary uses of application software include manipulating data, managing information, constructing visuals, calculating figures, coordinating resources, and enhancing productivity.
It is also used by many businesses to solicit, store, and analyze customer data. In some instances, application software may also be used by companies that offer employment verification services to gather data and investigate a job applicant’s previous employment histories. Such software has not yet been perfected to date, though, so most companies offering such service may still use the traditional way of contacting previous employers to make sure that applicants are telling the truth about their previous employment.
Computers
Computers have changed the way most businesses perform their daily routines. These days, computers are loaded with useful office and productivity software packages that allow workers to perform their work faster. Computers allow employees to write reports, email suppliers, analyze data such as financial reports, design marketing materials, and even perform jobs that humans used to do manually by themselves.
Accounting Systems
Gone are the days when companies had to create, store, and analyze their accounting reports manually. Accounting systems allow the automation of jobs related to a company’s accounting. Such systems help in keeping track of a company’s expenditures and earnings. They help keep track of labor costs, overhead expenses, purchases, inventories, asset values, and many more. They also help in the fast creation of accounting reports and spreadsheets.
Computer-Aided Manufacturing Systems
These are used in automating the manufacturing processes of some companies. Computer-aided manufacturing systems allow businesses to save on hiring manpower as the various jobs related to the manufacturing process can already be done without the help of humans. Instead of human workers, computers now perform the work until completion. Some industries that use such systems include huge baking facilities, electronics companies, aerospace, automotive, shipbuilding, and retail.
Telephone Systems
With the advent of smartphones, many people may think that companies no longer have a specialized telephone system. Contrary to this belief, many companies are actually using the latest technologies in telephone systems to run communications across their various departments. Such systems are often complex, and they help companies communicate with their employees and their growing number of customers.
The most common type of these systems allows companies to split their company phone lines into various individual handsets. They also allow the use of automated assistants, which help provide a high level of customer service to their target consumers without human interaction.
Networking
These days, technology has allowed businesses to keep a centralized network where employees can easily share important work-related documents. The network also allows employees to share a centralized storage device and other tools, such as printers. The network can be shared across multiple offices and locations or localized to a particular set of computers within a shared office only.
These technologies are used in many industries. No matter the type of business and the size, these technologies have become a crucial part of every office and production establishment.
