Technology can speed the time-to-market for products and services.
Technology has changed the way business operates. From payroll to email to corporate intranets, technology is at the core of virtually all business processes. It is a key strategic asset that can be leveraged to increase customer loyalty, drive sales, reduce costs and increase profitability. You can use technology to work more effectively by increasing employee collaboration and by integrating corporate data for decision making at all levels in the organization.
Instructions
1. Use technology to increase productivity. For manufacturing workers, productivity is measured in terms of units of output. Advanced assembly line and quality control monitoring equipment can help improve product quality and quantity.
For knowledge workers, productivity is the quality and quantity of interactions from which companies derive benefits. Select the technologies to support these interactions by identifying the value-added tasks and eliminating redundancies. For example, Cisco mandated the use of video teleconferencing to reduce redundant travel; Intel and others use webinars to train outsourced workforce members; and almost all companies use the Internet to communicate with their stakeholders.
2. Invest in enterprise resource planning software. ERP systems integrate data from multiple sources into one module, thus eliminating the need for separate finance, manufacturing and human resources information systems. ERP vendors, such as SAP or Oracle, allow individual modules to be purchased and installed. Although ERP systems can have high implementation and training costs, they simplify business processes by making the integrated data available for decision making across the organization.
3. Manage your global workforce through virtual technologies, such as instant messaging and video conferencing. Identify potential problem areas due to cultural differences and logistics, and resolve them by developing interaction protocols and norms. Supplement virtual management with periodic face-to-face meetings, including one at the launch of an offshore site.
Social Media
4. Utilize social media tools to increase collaboration. Firms often use social media to connect their global workforce and foster collaborative and creative approaches to problem solving. There is also a generational issue: people born between 1977 and 1997 tend to be more Internet and social-media savvy than the older generation, reported Jeanne C. Meister and Karie Willyerd in the "Harvard Business Review." These younger workers expect organizations to provide 24/7 connectivity.
5. Engage the workforce by soliciting feedback and facilitating problem solving forums. Define the parameters of social media use through acceptable use policy statements: for example, do not allow excessive use of company property for running personal blogs or posting on social media forums.
6. Start small. Build an audience gradually and see if the tool increases productivity. Provide training through webinars or lunch-and-learn sessions on use social media tools effectively. Lead by example: use these social media tools for regular business, such as posting new product launch messages, acknowledging the contribution of individuals and teams, and initiating discussions on company strategy.
Tags: social media, media tools, social media tools, business processes, decision making, global workforce
