Can you imagine getting to your office and having to sit at a desk by yourself and compose letters to far off customers using a quill pen and parchment. That would be very time consuming because of all the current technology available. Technology has come a long way. Company employees use computers to send information and speak in real time with clients anywhere in the world. Computers can track hours, monitor statuses of process and send images of what is taking place in remote locations. Unfortunately, with all this available technology some companies do not take advantage of the benefits automation can provide. Here are four ways to use technology to improve your business.

Clear communication is an important element of most businesses. Using an email or virtual message board system lets employees know what is going on in the company. You can remind customers of big events and innovations and new products. Instead of spending hours in company meetings, putting together large presentations, or passing on information by word of mouth, you can get information out quickly and efficiently. This not only saves time, it helps everyone involved to get to know what is happening and keep the company moving forward.

As a company grows, of course it needs employees. When you hire new employees it is important to get them working as soon as possible. Instead of spending a few days walking around the office and explaining their job responsibilities to them, employees can receive online or multimedia training. This allows you to design the training once and and have employees use the training as needed. You can include training updates as needed too. Technology also allows you to open up a dialogue between employees and training or hiring staff to ensure working needs are met. Find out what works and what doesn’t in the training process.

Another great way to use technology is to communicate and collaborate online. Many companies already use a document and project sharing sofware or a company intranet. Realizing the maximum benefits of this technology can transform work into a community or team effort. You can share files, documents, current projects, images, or other important items. Sharing online can also speed up office workflow and a sense of accomplishment. Team members see the projects in progress and work to complete them together. Having remote or mobile access makes work easy to access and complete on schedule. Use technology to get everyone actively involved in your business.

One of the best ways to use technology in business is to let software do some of the thinking for you. Technology can gather together data and then put it together in meaningful reports. Then you can accurately track what is actually happening in your company and make informed decisions. Another great way to use monitoring and tracking is to share it with your employees. They can see for example, how many appointments have been booked, how many products have been sold, how many phone calls have come in, or how quickly the production line is moving. Individual employees can then contribute by spotting problems, identifying progress, or seeing how to improve current workflow. Technology makes tracking and sharing easy.

Technology has become such an integral part of our lives we sometimes forget how much we depend on it. From things like traffic lights to mobile phones, we use or benefit from technology daily. Exploring software and application possibilities can save your company time and money and introduce a new energy and momentum to really succeed and grow. From hiring software and CRM applications to monitoring electricity use, let technology automate and optimize whatever it is your company does.