Opinion
Welcome to the Digital Age.
Gone are the days of typewriters,
Polaroid cameras and rotary phones.
Computers, digital cameras and smart
phones have not only replaced their
primitive counterparts, but seem to
have become as important to our
survival as food and clothing.
Simply put, they are what we now
use to communicate and get things
done in both the corporate world
and our personal lives. As technology
continues to advance, so must our
understanding of how to use it
correctly, otherwise technology could
have an adverse effect on business
communications and productivity.
Here are three signs that the
technology you are using may be slowing
you down and some suggestions on what
you can do to maximise its benefits.
1
Despite the use of technology,
your tasks take the same amount
of time or sometimes longer to
complete.
Business programs and management
software can be of great benefit to
companies and are being adopted at
a rapid pace. If these systems are not
implemented or maintained correctly,
there can be costly consequences.
A number of factors could contribute
to the common problem of technology
actually reducing productivity. These
include:
n
Lack of knowledge.
It is of the utmost
importance that when a computerised
business program is implemented,
anyone expected to use it is properly
trained, as the amount of time it takes
a person to learn on the job can be
a great cost to a business. Initial and
ongoing training with system updates
are essential.
n
Poorly maintained systems.
Just like
a good old-fashioned filing cabinet,
digital devices only have so much
storage space. As memory is used up,
the systems become sluggish or lock
down completely – normally when
a deadline is imminent. This can be
avoided! Clean out your digital device,
just as you would a filing cabinet, by
scheduling routine back-ups to other
drives and deleting files that are no
longer needed. Also, run checks on hard
drives to eradicate viruses, adware and
other debilitating files that the system
may have picked up.
n
Unnecessary complexity.
Make sure
you are using the most appropriate
software for your business. The system
must be able to handle all aspects of
your business, yet not be so complex
that it overwhelms employees or
business resources. Sometimes, less is
more. A customisable system is a great
option if you cannot find a standard
program to suit your needs.
2
Electronic communication is
sometimes ineffective and takes
longer than necessary.
Because of the disjointed nature of
electronic communication, vague
email messages that require extensive
clarification can seriously slow down the
flow of work. Instead of wasting time
going back and forth, make an effort to
communicate succinctly and clearly in all
your communications.
n
Prior to hitting send, take a moment
to re-read your communication to
ensure you are fully addressing the
subject matter.
n
Ensure the structure of the email is
easy to follow by using bullet points
rather than long paragraphs.
n
Make sure you answer every question
put to you in the initial email.
Benoît Gruber examines how modern technology might be impairing our
efficiency and offers advice on how to maximise its benefits
Is technology
slowing us down?
n
At the close of the email, ask the
recipient to confirm receipt and share
their feedback.
n
If you sense a lack of effective
communication occurring via email, pick
up the phone or speak face-to-face.
3
Multiple devices can be
overwhelming and difficult to manage.
You have your laptop in front of you, a
large monitor behind that, a smartphone
to the side and your office phone in the
corner. As you try to focus on the task
in hand, text messages are buzzing in,
emails are popping up on your monitor
and the phone is ringing off the hook.
How do you get anything done? Here
are some useful tactics to improve time
management and avoid distractions:
n
Schedule specific times to read and
respond to email. Good times to
do this might be first thing in the
morning, right after lunch and at
the end of the day, before leaving
the office. Do not make a habit of
stopping to read email messages every
time one pops up.
n
Implement one form of
communication for urgent matters
only, such as internal instant
messaging.
n
Turn your smartphone ringer/vibrate
off and use the Do Not Disturb
function to limit notifications.
Designate a couple of times
throughout the day to check for
messages or missed calls.
n
If your office phone rings while you
are in the middle of a project or task,
let it go to voice mail. You can check
the message and return the call when
you are free to focus on the subject of
the call.
You will find you work far more
efficiently without constant phone
calls and text and email notifications
disturbing your focus.
Continuing advances in technology
have created diverse and instantaneous
forms of communication and business
solutions that are of real benefit to a
company’s productivity, success and
growth. To maximise the benefits, make
sure you implement proper end user
training and system maintenance and think
more carefully about how you use them in
your working life.
Benoît Gruber is VP of Corporate
Communications and Brand for Sage
Enterprise-Market Europe and Sage ERP
X3. He leads, defines and implements
the strategy of corporate and digital
communication and is in charge of
Product Management & Marketing for
Sage ERP X3 globally.
As technology
continues
to advance,
so must our
understanding
of how to use
it correctly.
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