The past decade has brought extraordinary changes to the way people interact and expect to do business. The Internet has matured, mobile devices are part of everyday life and cloud-based solutions have gone mainstream. New trends, such as AI enabled by these technology advancements, are emerging at a rapid pace. But is your business ready?
The good news is that the tools that help businesses capitalise on this digital transformation are more accessible than ever before. The cloud is removing barriers like high up-front costs, ongoing maintenance, and IT dependency. This allows companies of all sizes to take advantage of modern technology and become efficient, improve customer interactions and positively impact their bottom line.
Here are 4 technology advancements that can help your business capitalise on new opportunities that will keep you competitive now and into the future.
Cloud is no longer just a buzzword.
The next generation of business applications in the cloud allows businesses to start with what makes the most sense for their business now, and easily extend and modify as their business needs change over time without IT complexity and disruption to their business. With the right service provider and the right applications in the cloud, even complex business processes can be moved to the cloud with confidence.
“By 2020 clouds will stop being referred to as ‘public’ and ‘private’. It will simply be the way business is done and IT is provisioned.” – IDC
Digital transformation is taking connectivity to new heights.
Microsoft recently surveyed small and mid-sized business owners and employees to understand their most challenging problems. Lost productivity spent working across multiple systems that don’t talk to each other was a common issue reported by business owners and IT managers. Disconnected systems cause manual processes, duplicate entries, and reports that are out-of-date before they finish running. Lack of visibility hinders decision-making and puts the longevity of your business at risk. For businesses to survive and thrive in this new era, they must embrace digital transformation.
The businesses that are connecting their processes, systems, people and data are able to get deep insight into what’s happening in their business. They are also able to anticipate what will happen and capitalise on that insight quickly. Traditional boundaries are being reshaped by digital transformation.
Historical silos that existed between disparate CRM, ERP/Accounting systems and other third-party systems are becoming obsolete. In addition, business apps that now work seamlessly together with productivity tools like email, word and data processing blur the lines between structured business processes and unstructured personal productivity so people and businesses can achieve more.
The ‘Internet of Things’ is a reality.
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the collecting and analysing of data to identify patterns, track trends and even predict behaviours. Every business collects data. The secret is to use that information for better insight into customer behaviour and operational efficiency. Organisations that can tap into the value of their data to predict the future instead of simply reacting to the past will thrive.
The cloud is transforming the way data is managed and delivered. There is a world of data available and business apps that infuse big data, advanced analytics and IoT into business processes can actively guide employees and customers to optimal outcomes. More and more, we’re seeing IoT become part of the fabric of business, bringing together assets, data, and processes with people and business systems. This is what drives new business opportunities while providing insight that drives meaningful customer interactions.
Embrace mobility
Mobility enables businesses to put technology advancements into practice on any day, across multiple devices and at any location. Your employees need to be connected like never before. Customers expect your sales and service representatives to have immediate access to the information they need to solve their problem or deliver on a good or service they expect to receive. Calling back to the office to see if an item is in stock or waiting for a follow-up response to schedule a service appointment just doesn’t cut it.
Cloud-based business apps make it easier to give employees the information they need to stay productive regardless of where they need to work. Your mobile experience needs to be consistent and secure, replicating what you could do in the office on your phone, laptop or tablet regardless of the operating system.
Get Going!
Digital transformation doesn’t happen overnight. The good news is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provides customers with a modern and familiar experience with built-in insights, intelligence and workflows to get you started. Dynamics 365 Business Central enables businesses to:
- Connect your business by deploying one solution that brings together your financials, sales, service, and operations. Enhance productivity and reduce time wasted switching back and forth between business applications and email. Surface business tasks such as requests for quotes or invoices within Outlook and enable the user to take immediate action without leaving their inbox.
- Make smarter decisions when you connect data from accounting, sales, purchasing, inventory and customer interactions to get an accurate end-to-end view of your business. With business applications that infuse big data, advanced analytics, and IoT into your business processes you get built-in intelligence where and when you need it.
- Start and grow easily by accessing apps that fit roles, industries, and business needs. Start with your need and grow at your own pace so change doesn’t get in the way of your day to day
Want to learn more about Dynamics 365 Business Central or ready for a free trial? Call Creative’s team of experts on 01628 660600 NOW. We are a Microsoft partner, trusted by 200+ customers. No matter how complex your business is, we have the capabilities and collective experience of over 500+ successful implementations. And with 30 years of experience, we understand your needs and we help businesses every day to address their challenges with innovative technology solutions.
(source: Microsoft whitepaper: Technology Trends)
