Industries hit all over due to the current pandemic will have much to learn about their current working policies and general infrastructure. Over the last few weeks I have received a number of emails from companies stating how they have changed the way they are working to continue delivering services while lockdown is observed. It’s a difficult situation that tests the adaptability of a business and its deployment of resources and working processes begin to see exposure where there is room for improvement. Technology adoption has been a hit and miss for different industries, sometimes the laissez faire approach to revamping company infrastructure can be detrimental under certain conditions. The arrival of a global pandemic is just the event that would punish the lack of versatility in working arrangements.
There are a number of factors as to why businesses don’t bother to adopt emerging technologies or to upgrade existing systems. The fast paced nature of technology means new systems are continuously being rolled out and there is sometimes a mind-set that aligns with a stagnant set of business functions, if we are doing the same things as last year then why should we bother to try something new. It’s sometimes risky and for companies that have had tech nightmares in the past, depending on available resource, this can be detrimental to company operations in the short term. Lack of standardisation and transparency where value is being delivered is also a factor that has plagued many working practices that have been kept old-school. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Some might think this way without realising how broken their approach to technology really is in the first instance.
Technology adoption in the business environment cannot happen overnight, there is a gradual roll out to be followed and up skilling of staff is equally important. In 2020, it’s clear that technology has much to offer and is seen in all forms of work and home environments. For industries that have stalled on integrating technology into their workflow processes, I believe the general mind-set will be changing entirely post-pandemic as businesses analyse the true value of total tech and network integration into the workplace. Technology combined with strong networking and security is the foundation of a solid working solution that cannot be ignored for much longer. It has become far easier (not without some caveat) to streamline tech into the workplace. I would hope that technology begins to turn up in the place of essential workers to help make life safer and efficient. Electrical workers for instance have been viewed to be at risk, energy companies have stated potential blackouts due to lack of personnel. In 2020, this another call for technology to step in. Something that should have happened well in advance.
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