“Let’s just push back digital transformation until next year”
“We’ll get a new CRM next year”
“You can have new laptops next year”
Time’s up guys! Next year is suddenly a month away and everything you have been pushing back is returning to the surface.
For many businesses, New Year goals involve exploring new technologies and although essential, it can also be daunting (that’s why you keep putting it off!)
Luckily, you are already on this page and seeking advice from us, a team of experts who have successfully deployed technology for businesses for over 25 years.
If you are ready to prioritise technology in 2024, then you are in the right place. Let’s get down to it…
1. Establish Your Pain Points
The first and most important step – and usually, where many go wrong.
Investing in technology isn’t buying the coolest new bit of tech or copying the same software as your competitors because it ‘worked wonders for them’.
No, no and double no ❌
The first step is simple and must always be asking yourself and your employees: “What are your pain points?”
What do we mean by that? We’re referring to those aspects of your day that are annoying or ‘a faff’, the parts of your job that make you think “This could just be so much easier” – THAT right there, is your pain point.
Really take your time and ask around to establish your pain points, they will be the foundation for how you prioritise technology in 2024.
2. Research, Research and More Research!
Now you have your pain points, you know exactly what problems you are looking to solve.
The next step is exploring the technologies that could be able to solve or at least dramatically improve those pain points. We’re talking software, hardware, applications, AI – the lot! 🤖
Talk to experts in the field, conduct thorough online research, look at reviews, and consider what other businesses in your sector are doing (but don’t let that influence you too much!)
Compile a list of technologies of interest, technologies that could be suitable. Put them forward to your team and get their opinion; Are there any reasons why any of them wouldn’t work?
Remember: Prioritise your pain points! Prioritise technology that can resolve the most important issues first and work down.
3. Try Before You Buy
If you can conduct a free trial of technology that passed stage 2, then do!
Free trials are a great way (the best way⭐) to truly understand if the technology will be helpful to you and your business. It gives you a chance to look at:
- Compatibility and integration
- Whether it solves the pain point you want it to
- Analytics and statistics to determine ROI
- What your team thinks of it – they are the ones that’ll be using it day-in-day-out
4. Review The Data
To know whether your chosen technologies are the right fit, you must prioritise the data from your trial period 📈
Look through it with a fine comb and consider:
- What is it showing you?
- What does your team think?
- What are the time and money savings?
- Are there any obstacles to overcome/tweaks that would need to be made if it was rolled out?
- How does the data compare to the cost of purchasing? Remember to consider the long-term gains!
5. Roll Out or Repeat!
If you got positive answers to the questions in step 4, then yipee you are ready to roll out! 👏🏻
You may start small and build up or go all in, that is up to you. What is important is that you are prepared and confident in the technology enough to commit.
However, if you aren’t 100% sure that the technology in question is right for you, then restart this process again. Tiring, I know! But finding the right fit is essential and investing in something that isn’t right will only cost you time and money.
The truth is, a lot of businesses try 1, 2 or even 3 technologies before they find what they are looking for. Patience and dedication are huge lessons to master if you truly want to prioritise technology in 2024.
If admin is one of your pain points causing your service and team to suffer, speech recognition should be a technology you explore.
It is 3x faster than typing and helping organisations all over the country to save time and money – Including McCormick’s Solicitors…
