Recent conversations around technology in businesses have been around artificial intelligence (AI) and automation of tasks, with a survey by Slack finding that 83% of desk workers believe it could enable them to produce more impactful work.

AI is predicted to continue becoming more prevalent and integrate more into businesses across every sector. It could have similar impacts on productivity that previous technology integration has had in businesses.

Caroline Gleeson, a recruitment software expert and CEO of Occupop, looks at the technology that’s become commonplace across different departments that have boosted productivity.

Cloud and collaborative technology

Working from home (WFH) and hybrid working have risen in popularity over the past few years and will likely remain commonplace. With so many workers divided between the office and WFH, being able to collaborate while not physically together is hugely important not to interrupt processes.

This is where the cloud and other collaborative technology can play a huge role. Not only does it allow workforces to store data and files online but also access and edit them in real time, seeing the changes live.

PwC’s 2023 Cloud Business Survey found that 78% of business leaders have introduced and integrated cloud software into most or all areas of their company. And with the revenue of collaboration software predicted to see an annual growth rate of 1.69% between 2023 and 2028, it’s likely that even more investment will be made in cloud and collaborative software.

Instant messaging and communication

Email revolutionised the way we communicate and rapidly became the preferred method within businesses, especially with the ability to attach files to send as well. However, with the rising number of hybrid workers and people WFH, it’s important to be able to interact with team members across departments, knowing you’ll get a near-instant response.

Communication technologies have had a huge effect on how departments interact throughout the working day. If there are multiple departments working on a project, it can help to align the whole team and keep communications within one thread or chat.

Meetings are made much simpler with communication technology, as most come with video call functionality. No matter where you and your workforce are, you’re able to conduct meetings remotely. This can also help to align your business with your clients if they aren’t able to travel for meetings.

Data management – security & analysis

Data is crucial to every business, and depending on its size, there can be a nearly overwhelming amount of it. Technology’s constant growth has allowed for the development of software for a more streamlined and efficient form of data management.

Within this software, not only are you able to store and manage the data available, but they also offer tools that can be used to analyse patterns within the datasets. These outputs can forecast outcomes based on existing data through said patterns. Many of the analytical software available have a tool that can provide great visualisations of your data with dashboards that give you a greater insight into the numbers, as well as pulling charts and graphs. Having this technology means that jobs that were previously difficult or monotonous can be simplified, allowing for them to be done more productively.

And when you have a lot of sensitive data, keeping it secure is crucial. Data technology has evolved so considerably that protecting information from cyber attacks is made even easier than before, reducing the amount of downtime that businesses face.