Technology– Get with it or die!
Why do we need more technology? Why does everyone use a smart phone, IPad, Tablet, IPhone? What about Near Field Communications? Do you offer these capabilities?
The other day, one of our consultants was at a Rotary meeting. The speaker was from the local newspaper. The speaker said that the newspaper wants to get out of the “print” business as soon as possible and go to the “web” business. Why? Newsprint is hard to handle, requires storage capability, ink is expensive and once the paper is printed, changes cannot be made until the next run, 24 hours later. However, with web based news dissemination, the news can change every minute, if necessary to reflect the changing world environment. The question is, “Have you changed to the new technology environment?”
A new restaurant uses IPads for all of the servers to take guest orders. No old fashioned paper tablets and pencils, just an IPad and a stylus. Here is what is neat– as soon as the order is entered on the IPad, the kitchen begins preparing the food or drink request. With full integration, the supplier knows how much of a certain product is used and can insure that the restaurant does not run out by having more product available “just in time” for the next order. Why is this important? Reduces storage costs, shrinkage costs and insures a level of freshness not before thought possible.
Remember Kodak, the film maker? In the late 1980’s, the price of Kodak stock was somewhere North of $100/share. Fast forward to 2012– the company is now bankrupt and the stock value is worthless. What happened? Kodak never believed that the digital age was going to impact their future. Sadly, it did and over 120,000 people lost their jobs, their retirement and a city almost “dried up” because no body bought Kodak film.
If you have a client that requests all electronic invoicing, do you do it? Do you have the capability to do it? If not, do you send paper and wait 3 weeks to get paid?
Technology is changing how business is done each and every day! If you are not up to date technologically, now is the time to begin the journey. If you don’t become technologically literate, your competitor will— leaving you behind and in the dust!
