Using Technology to Enhance Operational Performance: A Guide for Companies

As we all know, technology has become an integral part of our lives. Companies can use emails, social media, and online chats to answer customer queries quickly and effectively. It brings companies closer to their customers and customers closer to them. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more pressing for companies to explore the uses of technology to improve operational performance.

Companies without the necessary technological base to compete risk losing employees and customers to those who can offer more pleasant, flexible and efficient services. An example of this is the world's leading learning company, Pearson, for whom we have created a cloud-based digital asset management data center to replace old and outdated systems. This allowed the company's more than 22,500 employees and trusted partners to access and modify the learning materials they needed in the midst of the pandemic, allowing the company to streamline its processes and improve efficiency, even during extended periods of lockdown. Operational efficiency involves the ability to measure, analyze and improve processes within an organization or company. It requires identifying and eliminating the waste of time, resources, materials and money and, at the same time, improving the overall quality of services or products.

Companies can achieve this by simplifying processes, automating tasks and using technology to optimize workflows. The key for companies is to consider what consumes the most time and money in their operations. By providing real-time updates on the most important areas of your business, tracking KPIs allows you to identify areas for improvement and more effectively address your operational efficiencies. Cloud technologies are essential for companies looking to improve their operational performance.

Using the cloud can provide you with access to key data, documents, software and other important resources from anywhere and at any time

Automating processes frees up your team to work in more productive areas, which increases overall production and improves operational efficiency. Technology can endlessly accelerate that process and add additional layers of security, making the process more efficient from an operational point of view in general. Adopting digital transformation is a no-brainer when your company uses traditional, paper-intensive manual working methods. Remote work took center stage during the pandemic, and it's here to stay. Chatbots are also becoming increasingly popular as they function as first-line digital assistants that can direct inquiries to pre-existing FAQ pages and connect customers or potential customers to the right departments when necessary. By implementing technological solutions in your company whenever possible, you can create a much more efficient operating model that will reap rewards with lower inputs or in other words, you can reap the rewards of working smarter, not harder.

Improving operational efficiency boils down to reducing the required inputs or increasing final production. Moving operations to the digital world or offering cloud-based technology is a multi-stage operation that often involves many qualified professionals and involves a significant financial outlay - so the more efficient its operation, the better it will be for the company. It is important not to forget about the “human element” when using technology. Companies must ensure that their employees are adequately trained on good principles of customer service so that they can make use of technology effectively.