We have lived in a technological age for decades now. Professionals in every corner of the business world know how to utilize the hardware and software that applies to their field of expertise.
Nevertheless, as time has gone on, the ongoing technological revolution has continued to gain momentum, and the change has sped up. In the post-pandemic era, there is a smorgasbord of new tech-driven developments that are pushing the business world forward in every area.
Here are a few unique ways technology is impacting how organizations do business in the present.
Remote Capabilities Are Still Affecting Education
Everyone is well aware of the “remote classroom” mass experiment that came about during the coronavirus pandemic. This was, by and large, a failed attempt to shift school online. However, there are some important silver lining aspects that businesses and nonprofit organizations alike have taken from the experience.
For instance, when wildfire smoke from Canada blanketed New York City in June, the metropolis reverted to remote school as a way to keep children safe while air pollution was high. This temporary use of remote schooling could become a staple option for educational administrators to keep in their back pockets whenever things like weather events hamper access to school grounds.
Keeping our examples in the Great White North, the Canadian company Teachers on Call also gleaned new technological value from the experience of the past few years by combining the concept of remote work and academia. The tutoring agency used to operate as a mainly in-person service, offering personal educator support to a home crowd based in Ontario.
TOC recently steered into the evolving educational landscape by adopting a hybrid model. Now the operation is nearly all online. The new format allows TOC’s tutors to reach a much larger audience that spans far beyond its original in-person demographic. It also means it can expand its pool of tutors, as they can connect with any student in any location as long as both have an internet connection.
Automation Is Impacting Manufacturing
We’ve all heard of the Internet of Things or the “IoT.” Typically this conjures images of smart appliances (many of which are already available). Or cars that can drive themselves (a development that is just around the corner).
It’s fun to think of exciting IoT applications that have a direct impact on consumer lifestyles. However, one of the biggest applications of the IoT — and one that has major indirect potential in daily life — is happening out of sight and out of mind. Where? In warehouses.
The Industrial Internat of Things or “IIoT” is the application of smart technology in warehouses and other industrial settings. It involves things like data collection amongst warehouse equipment and even between facilities that operate regions apart. The result is a detailed analytical approach that perpetually improves the efficiency of how factories and plants operate.
Many are hailing this as “Industry 4.0.” It’s a moniker that puts the new tech on par with other major historical events like the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century and the Computer Age of the 20th. If that’s the case, Industry 4.0 will be one of the most explosive tech developments of our lifetime.
AI Is Influencing Content Creation
Now for the elephant in the room. When ChaptGPT came out in late 2022, it caused a tremendous stir throughout the business community. People from every industry and niche noticed the sleek new software that could talk to you as if it were a sentient being.
Since that time, ChatGTP’s capabilities have come back down to earth. Many have called it out for being a glorified paraphrasing search tool — but in reality, that’s only made its utility that much better.
Businesses are quickly adapting to the capabilities of an AI text creator. The automation and productivity experts at Zapier suggest using it to generate ideas, brainstorm content development, and even create SEO meta descriptions for marketing copy. The social media giant Hootsuite has published no less than 46 different prompts to help companies generate social-friendly content, too.
Artificial intelligence may not be able to fully replace content creators yet. However, it is completely changing how they generate content behind the scenes. As the software continues to develop, the ability to create content independent of human intervention can’t be too far behind.
Data Is Overhauling Marketing Strategy
Along with improving efficiency on the factory floor, data, and analytics tech is also influencing how organizations do business across every industry market. Digital marketing has already been an option for years. However, the improvement of data analytics tools has led to the rise of new tactics and concepts.
Growth marketing, for example, is a data-driven approach to marketing. Growth marketers deliberately stay flexible. Rather than over-emphasizing short-term gains and customer acquisition, they prioritize the consumer at every point of the customer lifecycle.
As marketing plans play out, growth marketers collect data and measure it against marketing KPIs. They then tweak or pivot based on the results, ensuring that marketing campaigns stay on target every step of the way.
This new, tech-powered approach to marketing removes the need for gut instinct. Instead, experience, information, and the right tech tools can craft powerful strategies that only become more effective over time.
Technology isn’t new, but it’s certainly changing fast, especially in how organizations do business. As tech hardware and software evolve, businesses are finding new ways to apply them to their plans, strategies, and challenges. From remote education to the IIoT, from ChatGPT to growth marketing, tech is revolutionizing the business world as we know it — and it’s showing no sign of slowing down any time soon.
