After several months, the pandemic is still very much with us and the country is in a quasi-state of reopening. Both consumer and business behaviors have changed, and some say that instead of going back to the pre-COVID state, we’ll be heading to a “new normal.”
What does the new normal look like? It includes more businesses incorporating remote workers into their workforce, the need to be fully cloud capable with contingency plans for running your business from anywhere, and different consumer habits.
77% of surveyed businesses say they expect to have more employees working from home 3+ days per week post-pandemic.
One example in the change in consumer habits is that while restaurants in Florida have opened, many people are still timid about doing anything more than delivery or pickup.
How does your Lake Okeechobee company and business technology adapt to the new version of normal?
Ways to Use Technology to Adjust to the Post-Pandemic World
Adjusting and adapting is a big part of running a successful business, so transitioning to the new normal is just the next evolution for many business owners.
It helps to know what this transition means and how technology can be applied to keep you competitive. Here are several tips for being on top of that change and adoption curve.
More Use of Real-Time Video (for More Than Just Meetings)
Video conferencing use has grown exponentially due to the pandemic stay-at-home orders and the need to reduce personal contact. Just the software Zoom alone has seen an increase in business subscriptions of approximately 354%.
Use of real-time video will continue post pandemic for several reasons:
- It’s convenient
- It’s less expensive than traveling to meetings
- It can closely replicate the face-to-face experience
- It’s safer to use in a pandemic-impacted world
- People have become much more familiar with using it recently
To stay competitive and get a step ahead of the competition, you’ll need to come up with more innovative ways to use real-time video to connect with your team, vendors, and customers.
For example:
- You could expand your website text chat to a video chat option
- Use Face Time for inspections or other things typically done on site
- Create a huddle space or two at your office to enable video brainstorming on the fly, which is more engaging than a phone call
You Need to Have as Much Cloud as Possible
Without the cloud to keep people connected to their work applications and each other, the mandatory pandemic business shutdowns would’ve meant much more lost business.
If you’re still holding onto that old analog phone system that’s landline based or an on-premises software, you need to have a cloud upgrade.
VoIP is really the phone system of the future (and the now). Quality and reliability have improved drastically over the last two decades and being able to have employees answer business phone lines from anywhere is a must in today’s world.
When it comes to custom software or tools that are only used on a single computer, you can help transition them to the cloud by looking into something like a Windows Virtual Desktop. It brings an entire PC into the cloud, thus making the software loaded onto it accessible.
Use Technology to Facilitate “Contactless” Service as Possible
You can now order a pizza and choose the contactless delivery option. It’s something that makes people feel safe doing business with that restaurant, and that safety and security goes a long way in this pandemic environment.
Look for ways that technology like handheld devices or remote IT can help you make your customer transactions safer. Those additional safety options could be the difference between someone staying away or feeling secure about doing business with you.
Put Remote Worker Security into Place
Most businesses were caught off guard when they had to shut their offices or retail locations and send employees home to work. They pieced together the best cloud workflows they could at the time, but without the time to put a plan together, many ended up with security risks.
It’s already looking like remote workers are going to become a larger part of the workforce, in part because companies now realize how much less expensive having remote workers are and that there is typically an improvement in productivity.
Now is the time to make sure you have your employees covered when working from home with standard IT security measures, like patch updates, virus monitoring, and more. The easiest way to do this is through managed IT services that ensure employee PCs being used from home are maintained and safeguarded.
Get Help Preparing Your Business for the New Normal
From remote worker security to innovative uses of technology to position your business ahead of your competition, Cris’s Tech Repair can be your IT guru and ensure you’re ready for life in the new normal.
Contact us today for a technology consultation at 561-985-4961 or through our website.