We are all living in the digital age, so there really is no reason for the workplace to not reflect that. From how we interact throughout the day with coworkers to how we hand files over to one another in scheduled meetings, the latest trends continue to change in technology, and make even the slowest functions of our work day faster than ever before.
Below are just a few of the latest trend technologies that have been known to increase company productivity.
Get Everybody Talking and Connecting with Communication apps
Although not a brand new concept, this area of technology continues to be refined and redefined with every update. Communication programs and applications make it so that everyone who needs to be kept in the loop is kept up to date and well informed.
Platforms like Slack, Skype, Basecamp, and Campfire are just a few of the most popular communication applications used by businesses today, with many more out there that just are more than useful.
These programs and applications are infinitely useful because they allow an instantaneous and evenly dispersed sharing of information to everyone, wherever they are. If your CEO is in Asia and the home office is in San Francisco, and your head of marketing is on a trip to New York, then no problem whatsoever –even the time difference is not an issue because everything discussed will be there waiting when they boot up and log into the program. Such programs also offer file sharing, video chatting, private chat rooms, and even private messaging and calling.
Definitely a technology trend to get behind for 2017 if you haven’t already.
Metric Monitoring and Tracking Programs to Find Areas worth Improving or Rewarding
Based on the above described chat programs and applications, there are ways to take that kind of communication one step further –progress tracking. The act of tracking progress on projects and assignments is called “metrics”, and those metrics are what your manager is most concerned about.
How fast is the team getting the work done, what is the progress and ETA of when you can expect it all to be complete, and even who is working on what and for how long can all be measured with metrics programs. It sounds like a “big brother” kind of program, but it is really nothing more than a progress checker.
These can be great for you as the team member and worker because if you really are chipping away at that big project with all due diligence, your manager can see just how hard you are working and send word your way that he notices and appreciates all of your effort –or even send word up the ladder to executives about your dedication.
Virtual Reality Enters and Augments Business World
The latest and greatest tech trend to see in 2017 is none other than augmented and virtual reality. Although many describe it as a fad and nothing more than a toy, virtual reality really does earn its place as a tool in the workplace.
Training, for example, has never been more interactive and hands on than with virtual reality. Whether you are training your engineers and technicians with the intricacies of programming and electrical wiring of industrial automation, or viewing a true to life scaling of an architecture project, virtual reality can help give you the perspective you need to get a full grasp of the work to be done.
All of these tools and trends are what we can expect to see more and more of as the year progresses, and although it may seem like a lot of change, it is certainly something to look forward to seeing more of. Each of these innovations, when applied properly, can streamline you’re in-office as well as out-of-office productivity.
Make communication faster, grasp big picture concepts quicker, and find your star workers instantly –all because we now have the tools to take us where we want to go within our hands.