Technology was originally thought to be the way forward to eradicate working independently once and for all. It enabled email communications, phone calls and document sharing for collaborative methods of working we hadn’t seen before. Then, we all got a little too comfortable with this technology. Bit by bit, we created a new challenge against collaboration, departments that use separate software platforms with unique objectives, manifesting the work silo.
For sustainable business success, the entire organisation needs to be moving in the same direction, a direction informed by data that considers things from a holistic perspective. While many of the software platforms we use these days offer some of the best features we’ve ever seen for productivity, connectivity between these platforms is lacking. Breaking these silos to drive a more collaborative organisation is the next step, and iPaas software is a unique tool we can turn towards to make this happen.
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The collaborative power of integrated platforms
Software has enabled business capabilities that were once a pipedream. From Australia’s most under-resourced fields such as healthcare and education, to business, marketing and engineering, there is no doubt that technology has exponentially increased productivity and profitability. Still, the information derived from software platforms is typically only applicable to specific departments. Bridging the gaps between software means bridging the gaps between departments, helping to eradicate work silos that have become detrimental to collaboration in virtually all professional environments.
Integrative platforms do just this. The ‘integrated’ aspect of these centralised platforms speaks to the ability of software to communicate with each other. That is, when it produces a piece of information that another software platform needs to perform its function, it does so automatically. Tasks that require manual transfer of information currently can be done automatically, and sequences of work can be streamlined drastically.
AI & businesses automation
The vast dialogue around Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolves around its capabilities to do human jobs. What is more apparent, and effective, is its power to integrate into the workflow of human tasks, performing the manual tasks that can be easily automated. For the businesses that need distance from overwhelm, that is a very welcomed advancement. AI tools can perform time-consuming administrative tasks like entering data into spreadsheets and locating documentation.
These tasks don’t require much interpretation, only attention to detail, which AI excels at. When this is coupled with business automation that performs an action following a particular trigger, these admin and basic tasks can provide updated information in real time. For example, when a nurse enters a new patient into a room on the system, business automation can assign the tasks within the sequence of work to provide initial care of the patient. The payoff is a reduction in workload and an increase in collaboration, and for Australian industries stretched thin, this offers a reduction in stress.
Communications tech
Teams need the ability to communicate online. It’s in very few settings where all coworkers are in the same physical space, and even then, communication technology makes sending updates and files possible. In every other setting, communications technology enables real-time collaboration, from warehouse workers to order fulfilment, employee to client partner, work-from-home teams, and beyond, there are fewer tools better than communications tech for collaboration.
Organisations are no longer limited by the physical location of employees. They can look globally for appropriate talent, with software that allows communication between remote teams.
Advancements in data analytics
We have lived through the age of big data where the insurmountable volume of information was almost counterproductive. Advancements in data analytics are now trending towards tidying up the datasets used in business to make them manageable and actionable, harnessing AI to extract meaning from numbers. AI can detect and remove errors in datasets, uncover complex correlations and spit out interpretations of what’s occurring.
The result is multipronged. Team members that use the refined datasets know they’re using ready-to-go data, teams can access interpretations of data across departments and decision-makers can make informed decisions based on real time information. Let’s explore how advancements in technology would work from the perspective of a retail brand, for example. The marketing team can access customers’ preferences and behaviours and adjust their approach accordingly, while the product team can analyse which retail sales are slowly down and alter their production.
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Taking a step back, this vision sees teams collaborating on a visible, accurate and evolving dataset they can discuss internally and make effective business decisions that promote greater business growth.
The modern technology connecting workplaces
Like anything else that shakes the ground of traditional business, technology advancements come with a degree of pushback. Part of this is its inclination towards reliance on technological platforms. Technology in workplaces needs to be applied intentionally, as it can cause us to drop our heads and run in our own lanes. When used appropriately and integrated properly, modern technology can take our business operations to a new level. One where software platforms don’t have a productivity ceiling, instead, they feed into each other and provide better and more efficient processes that enable simpler work and smarter decisions.
