Tag Archive for: new technology adoption

Working from home: Your tech guide to the new norm

As the year has unraveled, a new virus came about that is highly contagious and changed our world in terms of how we work. Many employees around the globe started working from home to avoid being around other employees in an office environment. Many businesses had to adopt new technology to make it possible for their employees to work from home.
Technology provides a solution for companies to carry on with their business, while employees work from home and businesses are adapting to the changing circumstances, it looks like working remotely could be the new norm.

Your business has different departments that have to collaborate on a daily basis in order for all operations to run smoothly and efficiently. All these departments use different software to record and track their tasks, for instance, the sales department uses the CRM system to capture leads and follow up on opportunities or closed deals, on the other hand, the accounting department uses the ERP system to capture and record inventory or any financial revenue. 

If a sales representative is on Zoom meeting with a prospect and requires some financial data or check on product availability, on a normal day in the office the rep could say please hold while I get the data for you, but with the new normal everyone working from you could lose the lead while trying to gather some data. Thanks to Commercient SYNC your team can have one source of data where your departments can get the CRM and ERP instantly from their fingertips. Commercient’s SYNC data integration technology makes working from less stressful and more productive with no delays.

Let’s Take a Look at Other Technology Solutions Making Working from Home Easy

You might be wondering how one can work from home? Well, technology makes it a smooth process and possible.  There are different types of technology to assist employees working from home. 

  1. Video apps – These types of apps like Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype can help employees working from home connect with their employers or other colleagues as well as, other people for example in sales to meet up online with clients.
  2. Messaging Apps – Messaging apps can be instant and are commonly known as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, or even Zoom. By having these apps, it can assist employees to ask questions and get feedback straight away, without trying to arrange meetings. The only problem with this is that the corresponding party might not respond and complex topics will not be as successful. 
  3. Productivity Suites – This can also be known as Office Suites and it is many applications combined into one, which includes Office 365 and Google Suites. Office 365 includes email services, and office apps that have subscription fees like your Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. On the other hand, Google Suites have email services (Gmail), Hangouts, Google Drive that allows you to create documents through Google Docs, Google Slide and Google Sheets which can be stored and shared amongst other employees. The Productivity Suites are cloud-based which provides simple cooperation amongst employees in the company in real-time without having to meet over a video call and all information is stored in one place.
  4. Intranet – This is a network for employees to share information with each other as it helps fill in the gaps of communication and it is used to connect them digitally for integrations to increase productivity.
  5. Owning a desktop –  Having a computer can sometimes be cheaper than a laptop as you are able to upgrade it when new parts are needed, the only disadvantage is that it cannot be moved in case you want to work at a coffee shop.
  6. Owning a laptop – The great thing about laptops is that you can move them with you when you work in a different environment other than home. Some can be expensive but before purchasing one, you will need to make sure you do the research to get the correct specs and to make sure it can handle related work tasks.
  7. Headphones – Working from home can get noisy if there are dogs barking, any construction work, or even kids screaming. Purchasing noise-canceling headphones can be a good idea to block the noise out and most headphones come with a built-in mic for video calls.
  8. Internet – In order to work from home, having internet access and at a fast speed, will be beneficial to be able to complete work objectives. 
  9. Work Management – There are cloud-based apps that can assist in supervising any work-related objectives by organizing, reporting, cooperation, and messaging employers and employees on what jobs need to be done. These types of apps can include, for example,  Basecamp, Trello, or Asana.
  10. Time tracking – There are also programs for employees and employers to keep track of their hours as the data can be sent to payroll to save time as well as to monitor employee activity. Such programs include Screenshot Monitor.
  11. Online security – It’s important to have security measurements in place to avert any hacking of crucial information. Ensure you have firstly, a VPN (a virtual private network) as it provides security for that are public connections, secondly, network security, and lastly, malware protection. 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of working from home?

Some of the pros of working from home can be quite predictable but are still necessary to look at. 

  1. No traveling – Employees will spend less time traveling to offices which means spending a shorter amount of time in traffic and gives them more time in the week to catch up on things they need to do as well as, save money on petrol. 
  2. More flexibility – Employees have more freedom in the week to balance personal obligations and work obligations as well as,  their hours and location to work since they can decide where they want to work in the week. Also, In the week an employee can do their chores or exercise in their lunch break.
  3. Avoid office disruptions – If an employee prefers to work in silence, working from home is the way to go since they can keep away from any noises in the office. In addition, by working from home, there are fewer interruptions from colleagues which can increase your productivity.

Even though there are advantages to working from home, there are also some disadvantages that can differ between people.

  1. Less interaction with people – Some employees may find this difficult as you won’t be around other co-workers in an office environment which means less socializing as you will be home most of the time. 
  2. Difficult to separate your personal life from work – Since you do not have to travel to work and begin at set times, hours are more flexible and this could result in working longer hours than needed or some may find it tough to unwind by the end of the day and stop working.
  3. More distractions – In terms of this, for some employees working from home they might find more interruptions because of maybe having children or pets, or even wanting to do laundry. Therefore, employees working from home will need the discipline to focus on what they need to do for work.

Does your company need help integrating data between your ERP and CRM to help your employees be more productive while working from home? Look no further than Commercient SYNC. Contact us today! SYNC is a cloud-based app and it is not like any other data integration apps. SYNC provides an easy installation process and hassle-free since it requires no mapping, coding, or ETL. This provides a seamless integration experience and we handle everything for you.

5 preguntas necesarias para adoptar el uso de nuevas tecnologías

Cada vez más negocios están adoptando o piensan adoptar el uso de nuevas tecnologías para ganar ventaja competitiva. Sin embargo, con demasiada frecuencia estas empresas invierten en tecnología sin tomarse el tiempo de evaluar si realmente necesitan lo que se ofrece, y terminan lamentándolo. Hoy te ofrecemos algunas respuestas a las preguntas más frecuentes relacionadas a la adopción de nuevas tecnologías, que te ayudarán a tomar una decisión más acertada.

¿Qué tan alta es la curva de aprendizaje?

Antes de adoptar nueva tecnología, necesitas determinar si hay una curva de aprendizaje que deberías tomar en cuenta. Es vital saber cuánto tiempo y entrenamiento necesitará tu equipo para implementarlo y comenzar a usarlo. Si te decides por tecnología complicada y que requiere mucha investigación y entrenamiento, enfrentarás mayor resistencia por parte de tus empleados. Para facilitar la adopción, un sistema fácil de usar como la aplicación de integración de datos SYNC de Commercient es lo mejor, pues la implementación es sencilla y nada engorrosa para los usuarios.   

¿Facilita el trabajo en equipo?

No solamente quieres que la tecnología sea fácil de usar, sino que también permita la colaboración entre equipos de trabajo sin importar dónde se encuentren. Estas tecnologías ayudarán a tu equipo a desarrollar nuevas formas de trabajar, haciendo más fácil comunicarse e intercambiar información. Por ejemplo, con nuestra app SYNC, el equipo de ventas puede ver el inventario en tiempo real, buscar información de clientes, y completar órdenes al instante, sin necesidad de depender de otros departamentos. Además, ayuda a los vendedores a proveer servicio al cliente desde cualquier lugar y cuando lo necesiten.  

¿Es escalable?

Antes de adoptar la próxima solución tecnológica para tu negocio, asegúrate de que sea escalable. Si estás esperando que tu negocio siga creciendo, debes preguntarte si esas tecnologías que estás pensando utilizar pueden suplir la demanda, o si ese crecimiento generaría costos adicionales. El software que utilices debería ser capaz de expandirse para ajustarse al crecimiento de tu empresa, y si te preparas para eso desde el comienzo será más fácil conseguirlo después.

¿Qué tanto se integra ese software con otros sistemas?

Como una PYME, probablemente usas diferentes aplicaciones y herramientas para gestionar operaciones. Por ejemplo, podría ser que uses una plataforma de eCommerce, un sistema CRM, u otras aplicaciones de terceros. Al investigar otras tecnologías, deberías buscar una solución que se integre bien con otras aplicaciones ya que esto te ayudaría a aprovechar mejor las funcionalidades de tu software. Así, podrás realizar más tareas con solo una plataforma y no tener que recordar en qué sistema está tal o cual información. Las apps SYNC y IoT Pulse te ayudan a tener sistemas sincronizados en tiempo real.

¿Es seguro?

¿Sabes si esta nueva tecnología representa un riesgo para la seguridad de los datos? Esta es una de las preguntas más importantes a la hora de adoptar nuevas tecnologías. La seguridad siempre es importante porque querrás asegurar que toda tu información, la de tus empleados y la de tus clientes esté debidamente protegida. Commercient se preocupa por proveer la seguridad necesaria para que tanto tú como tus clientes tengan tranquilidad sabiendo que la información está almacenada por mecanismos seguros.

¿Quieres adoptar para tu empresa tecnologías que cumplan con todos estos requisitos, y así incrementar la eficiencia y ganancias de tu empresa? Pregúntanos, estamos para ayudarte.

5 Questions To Ask Before Adopting New Technology

These days, many businesses are currently adopting new technology to gain a competitive advantage, it might be tempting to rush and do the same. Too often, businesses invest in technologies without taking the time to make an evaluation of whether they really need what’s being offered, and end up regretting it in the end. In order to save yourself from an expensive disappointment, here are five questions you should ask yourself before adopting new technology.

Is There A Learning Curve?

Before you adopt any new technology, you need to determine if there is a learning curve. It’s vital to know how much time and training your team will need to get it up and running. If you go with technology that is complicated and requires extensive training and research, your employees will most likely show some degree of resistance. As a result, your project may never get off the ground. Tor swift adoption, a system that’s simple and easy-to-use like our SYNC Data Integration App, which is rapidly deployable without any heavy lifting from your team, is always best.

Does It Enable Collaboration Anytime, Anywhere?

Not only do you want technology that is easy to use, but you should also seek out tech that will enable collaboration anytime and anywhere. Such technologies will create new ways for your employees to do their work, making it easier to communicate and share knowledge. For instance, with our SYNC App, everyone on your sales team can be on the same page and see inventory, search customer records, and complete orders in real time. It also enables your sales reps to provide premiere customer service anytime and anywhere.

Is It Scalable?

Before adopting the next solution for your business, check to make sure it’s scalable, as well. If you are expecting future business growth, you have to ask yourself, “Will this new technology be scalable as usage grows? How expensive will it be to add additional users to the software?” Your software should be able to expand to handle your growth, and if you factor in scaling from the beginning, it will be much easier to deal with later.

How Well Does The Software Integrate With Other Systems?

As a small business, you probably use different applications to manage your various business operations. For example, you might you use an e-commerce platform, CRM system, or other types of third-party software. When researching new technology, you should seek to adopt a solution that will integrate well with your other business applications, as this can often augment and enhance the core capabilities and functionality of your software. This will help you get more work done from one platform. See all the benefits you can reap by integrating your systems with our SYNC Data Integration and IoT Pulse Apps.

Is It Secure?

Will your new technology pose any risk to data security? This is one of the biggest questions you should ask before adopting new technology. Security is always important because you will want to make sure your personal information, along with your employees’ and customers’ information is protected. If a user were to log in and have his or her personal information compromised, it would be a disaster!

At Commercient, with our SYNC Data Integration and IoT Pulse Apps, we provide all customers with a safe and secure environment for integrating data. So when you leverage any of our apps you can that extra piece of mind. And, we are always here to help you.