One of the best things about today’s technology is connectivity: with the ever-present nature of mobile devices, it’s now easier than ever to stay in touch with those who matter to you. This also extends to business management, where there are many different technologies available to constantly and consistently track orders and know where your people always are.
With just a few technological additions to your business, you can increase productivity and cut out costly mistakes that rob you of both time and money. Here are a few of those technologies you may want to look into if you’re trying to keep your business competitive in today’s world.
Digital Payments
The old technology of cash registers for retailers is quickly coming to an end: the latest technologies allow businesses to accept digital forms of payment on a small tablet, cutting down on overhead and the danger of having a lot of cash on the premises.
Technologies like Apple Pay and Square make it easy to convert any tablet into a digital payment machine, giving your customers the flexibility to pay with a physical credit or debit card or with the card information they’ve saved onto their mobile devices. This makes accepting payments quicker and easier. All you have to do is sign your business up for a digital payment acceptance program and you’ll receive everything you need to start using the technology.
Digital payments also give you the ability to easily create, send and receive digital invoices online so you can keep your business moving without a hitch.
GPS Tracking
If your business uses company cars or a fleet of trucks, GPS Tracking for your vehicles should be a no-brainer: the tools that are available with this technology can help you cut all kinds of costs and fix maintenance and driver problems quickly.
From any computer, you can log into the GPS software and monitor every vehicle in your fleet, whether you have one vehicle or one hundred. All you have to do is attach the tracker to your vehicles and then you can monitor where they are at all times, what their estimated time of arrival is and more, all in real time.
The advantages of using GPS tracking is huge. You have the ability to map out delivery routes to adjust for the optimal arrival times, and you can monitor idle times, start and stop times, speed and a comprehensive driving history of each vehicle. You can also set up maintenance alerts so that you are automatically notified when monthly, quarterly or yearly maintenance is needed so your fleet stays in tip-top shape.
Business Apps
Because of the prevalence of mobile technology, you need to think about developing an app for your business so that people can stay in touch and in the know about everything your business does from their mobile devices.
Creating an app can be an expensive venture, so decide whether or not your business is large enough to support the need for an app. Even a small app that helps customers find the information they need and place orders directly can be a big boost.
You can also develop an app that targets one or both of the most popular mobile devices: Android or iPhone. You’ll reach more customers by targeting both, but it’ll be more expensive. So do a little research and see which type of device your customers use most and go with that if you want to save some money in the beginning.
In-Store Beacons
If you own a brick-and-mortar store, you want to make it as easy as possible for customers to find what they are looking for so they can get on with their day, otherwise, you may find yourself losing business to online competition.
In-store beacons are a new technology that gives retailers the opportunity to link wireless devices placed around the store with the mobile devices of their customers. The beacons serve as a lighthouse that gives the customers helpful hints and information as they walk through the store.
Successful retailers use these beacons to offer sales and other money-saving opportunities to customers who walk into their store. This gives people an incentive to visit your store rather than browsing your products and services online, and if you run a retail store, the most important thing you can do is give people a reason to visit.
If you want to increase revenue and efficiency, try one of these technologies.
About the author
Natasha Wade opened her online business close to five years ago. She writes about working online, running a business and how tech is changing the ways businesses are run and consumers make purchases.
