Exploring the role of technology in business strategy, growth, and profitability
Just like that, another year is about to pass. Even though it seems like 2017 just began, it’s about to wrap up and 2018 is just around the corner. This time of year, our team and our clients like to reflect on what we’ve learned over the year and examine if we accomplished all we set out to do in 2017.
However, now that 2018 is knocking on the door, many of our clients are wondering how they can better harness technology to support their overall business strategy. As technology professionals, we know just how important technology is in driving continual success for a business. So, we’ve decided to put together a brief guide on how your business can start planning for the new year and make technology a central part of your 2018 business strategy.
From Small Biz to Enterprise: Why Strategic IT is Crucial for Every Business
There’s simply no getting around it anymore. IT plays an incredibly important role in every company’s success. Small businesses and large corporations alike need to develop and deploy strategic IT plans in order to support operational goals, maintain a competitive edge and increase profit margins.
No matter the size, shape or industry, the right IT strategy can make a huge difference for any business. Whether a business is looking to increase organizational efficiency, improve team dynamics or maximize connection with target markets, IT is every company’s secret weapon for achieving goals and improving operations.
2018 Tech Goals: The Key Ways Technology Changes the Game for Business Pros
Alright, let’s get down to the specifics. It’s one thing to know that technology can help your business thrive, but it’s also important to understand the specific ways it works. As mentioned, technology can really help improve every element of business functionality. So let’s break down the key ways technology helps drive business success:
- Optimization
Above all, technology can help your business optimize over-all operational efficiency. By streamlining processes and connecting tech resources strategically, business owners can cut costs and accelerate growth potential. Whether it’s switching from paper to digital or better organizing and managing business data, technology can truly transform the way companies do business.
- Productive Power
More specifically, the right technology strategy can play a huge role in making team members more productive. By setting your team up with strategic software and hardware solutions, you ensure they have everything required to get work done efficiently and effectively.
For example, Cloud solutions can help team members work anytime, anywhere which offers a massive boost to productivity. Furthermore, technology can be optimized to support project management and progress, meaning business leaders can ensure teams are working consistently and productively.
- Communication & Collaboration
Technology is also a critical component of communication and collaboration in the workplace. Software solutions can truly optimize the way business team members interact with each other as well as with clients and external vendors.
From strategic instant messaging platforms to email optimization and calendar integration, these software solutions are designed to make the connection as seamless as possible. Additionally, business software can be optimized to allow for real-time collaboration, which makes teamwork more dynamic than ever.
- Market Reach
Finally, technology is playing an increasingly central role in marketing strategy for businesses of all kinds. A strategic IT plan ensures business marketing materials reach ideal audiences and empower sales teams to win new business opportunities.
Whether you want to optimize your social media presence or up your search-engine optimization game, business intelligence technology can play a key role in streamlining efforts and maximizing exposure with target markets.
Putting Ideas into Action: Making Business Technology a Priority in 2018
Now that we’ve laid out the reasons why technology is a central part of a successful business strategy, one question remains: do you have your strategic IT plan started yet? If not, it’s not too late to get something in the works for 2018. Using this guide as a starting point, lay out the key priorities for your business in the new year. Hone in on some specific areas where you’d like to use technology for optimization.
Once you’ve determined the ‘blueprints’ for your tech strategy, it’s all about choosing the right tech resources – software and hardware – that will help your team work smarter, not harder. Then, by bringing your ideas together with the right infrastructure, you’ll be setting your business up for increased efficiency and profitability in the new year.
However, like many of our clients, most business owners are incredibly busy and often don’t have time to develop strategic and dynamic technology strategies. That’s why it’s a great idea to consult IT professionals to help with some of the legwork. IT experts can examine the structure and nature of any business to determine the best course of action for technological optimization.
We’ve been helping businesses across all industries optimize technology to better suit their needs. If your business needs a refreshed technology strategy for 2018, book a complimentary assessment with our team of technology advisors right away. Even a quick chat with our team can help you start laying the foundation for success in the upcoming year.