The coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses to encourage their employees to work from home. The new normal has, in fact, created many opportunities and brought to life new ways of working and doing business. Meeting face to face is now impossible, and with social distancing restrictions in place, it will be a long time before meetings of this nature can take place.
With this in mind, there are many different types of technologies that have risen to the challenge in helping businesses stay afloat during these unprecedented times. Although some of these technologies have been around for many years, the way they are used today or adapted means they will be in demand once businesses begin to emerge from lockdown and restrictions ease. Here is a look at some of the technologies set to take centre stage for businesses post lockdown.
VR & Simulation
Although using VR technology and simulation is not new, it does offer a new way of working for businesses faced with social distancing. VR technology provides organisations with the flexibility of launching new products to market and potentially transforming digital marketing in the future. Using VR can help businesses virtually launch products without needing to spend money on events. Still, more importantly, it deters businesses from creating social gatherings of mass amounts of people, potentially spreading the virus further. VR offers a safe and intuitive way for brands to launch products. Asics, have already tried the method successfully and have received positive feedback while doing so. It has also helped their products, three professional running shoes, gain wid media coverage which was unexpected.
Mobile Applications
As the saying goes, there is an app for almost everything. Applications have changed the way we carry out many tasks, such as mobile banking. Apps are familiar with all smartphone users to use, and the development of new apps has seen a surge over the past years, creating a competitive and crowded market. However, by explicitly creating apps for businesses, it will help them carry out routine operational tasks in a new way. For example, in the manufacturing or factory setting, which still heavily relies on antiquated methods of clocking in employees. The use of an app which minimises contact with others or shared objects such as clocking machines or signing in books, employees will be able to record their attendance via an app which the business can verify using the employee’s location.
Smartphones & wearables
On a consumer level, smartphones and wearables such as smartwatches have drastically changed the way we live our everyday lives. Smartwatches help us keep track of our fitness and can help us manage work on the go, and the same goes for smartphones. However, businesses could benefit from investing in devices such as smart-wearables. They can help ease the burden and police social distancing in the workplace environment. By being able to track and monitor their staff in the world place, businesses can better control movements between staff and police meetings and numbers of employees in one sitting. It can also help send employees reminders of the dangers of gathering in large groups or being too close. Generally, the workplace, primarily offices, are confined spaces. This is due to the cost of office renting space. With the social distancing measures in place, managing movement is essential for the safety of staff.
Cybersecurity and working from home
As the lockdown eases, it still may be some time before we can resume normal life, such as going into the workplace. Due to this, businesses will need to look into installing a cybersecurity framework which will enable their employees to access sensitive information while working from home securely. Companies such as law firms, governmental departments and educational institutions will need to be able to access information to do their work safely. New technologies implemented will help them do what is required safely.
As we slowly begin to adapt and manage a new way of life, some argue that life will not resume back to the old normal—the hopes of going back to pre virus ways of working is now a thing of the past. And so, with this in mind, these new technologies which are slowly introduced and implemented could be the way we do and conduct business from here onwards. As humans, we will adapt and become used to living life by social distancing and wearing a smartwatch will help us keep distance in workplaces. Some of the concepts are still beings tried and tested, but there is a clear sign that coronavirus has and will change many parts of our lives, which businesses will need to invest money into.