How to Use Location-Based Solutions to Boost Business Post-Covid

When Covid-19 struck, it forced societal changes around the globe. Nearly overnight, governments issued orders that limited large gatherings of people, restricted in-person business operations, and encouraged people to work from home as much as possible. In response, businesses and schools alike began to search for how to continue their operations remotely, thanks to the internet. They turned to various collaboration platforms and video conferencing capacities to remain engaged with their colleagues, clients, and students while working from home offices.

Even prior to the pandemic, technology had become an increasingly important part of the workforce. Businesses were looking at technology as a helpful means of engaging with customers, allowing some workplace flexibility, and a way to introduce automation and faster processes. However, the spread of the novel coronavirus and the shutdown of in-person meetings for non-essential businesses accelerated these adoptions immensely. It forced companies to look into creative digital solutions so that the organizations could continue to function remotely and continue to serve their client base.

This shift towards digital operations took both a customer-facing and a behind-the-scenes role within many businesses. The lack of ability to gather in groups required many professional organizations and schools to find new ways for people to communicate, collaborate, and complete work or school projects while working remotely from one another. At the same time, customers have expressed their interest in receiving services with little to no contact with people, calling for remote or at least contact-limited operations from a customer-facing direction as well.

Together, this helped to drive a digital transformation that has impacted businesses across industries. Exploring how these changes have impacted businesses can help people understand how organizations can embrace their digital transformation and what parts of these changes will likely be here to last.

A Forced Prioritization 

Businesses acknowledge out of compulsion, that introducing technology into their working systems does not require perfection. Organizations across different industries have been able to adapt to these changes significantly faster than expected. 

According to research conducted by Mckinsey, respondents indicated that their companies were able to adopt digital changes 20-25 times faster than they would have expected.

Specifically, in the area of remote working, these respondents thought that their businesses were able to implement solutions 40 times faster than they would have expected in the pre-pandemic conditions. What employees would have expected to take a year to implement at their organizations took an average of 11 days. The brands were able to create a workable solution to allow employees to continue their jobs at home.

This has to do with businesses realizing that operations did not have to work perfectly before adoption. Simply having a solution that functioned adequately allowed businesses to keep running while obeying local ordinances that kept people home. Businesses priority to the adoption of this technology came out of compulsion. Prior to the pandemic, over half of the businesses believed that they were not adopting digital transformations and capabilities due to a lack of prioritization. When Covid-19 forced organizations to make these changes a top priority, they were able to do so at lightning speed.

Focusing on the Technology Needs of Employees and Customers 

With the local shutdown forcing employees to work nearly entirely at home, companies had to carefully consider the employee experience using digital capabilities. They could not expect employees to simply ‘make do’ with what was available. Previously, employees might have had a grateful attitude for any benefits that offered increased workplace flexibility resulting from digital capabilities. Now, however, with companies across industries adapting to virtual work, the experience of employees online directly impacts their satisfaction with their work environment.

With many businesses struggling to navigate the challenging environment that the pandemic has created, no one wants to deal with high turnover that can come from low employee satisfaction and the costs that come with hiring regular new employees. Instead, paying attention to the importance of creating a positive digital experience for employees has an immense benefit for businesses.

Similarly, brands were prioritizing the ease with which their customers can engage with them digitally. With customers doing a high percentage of their interactions with brands digitally, businesses must prioritize ensuring that their customers do not have problems shopping and converting.

A Fresh Start for Technology to Streamline Systems

This push towards digital transformation has also resulted in many organizations beginning to go through a ‘spring cleaning’ process of organizing their technology investments. In the pre-COVID world, when businesses might have only occasionally used their digital capabilities, both employees and business leaders could easily overlook redundancies or gaps in services. The reliance on technology caused by the pandemic, however, has forced people to look carefully at the technology investments they have and how they line up with what they need to effectively run a digitally-focused business.

Brands will need to carefully examine first which software and capabilities they have invested in. See if there are many overlapping costs and investments or redundancies in capabilities. Evaluate why the businesses invested in multiple technologies to see if there might be a justification for the different services. Look for ways to reduce investments while fulfilling the priorities of the different departments.

At the same time, look for gaps in the services.

Look at how organizations are running through their digital services and what difficulties they encounter. Try to understand what technology can help to fill in these gaps so that the brand can operate seamlessly online, creating a smooth, straightforward experience for employees and customers.

The goal here should be to create streamlined services across the organization. Selecting conferencing software, platforms for hosting projects, tracking tools to monitor customer experiences, and other important forms of software by basing their ability to create a unified experience helps the brand operate with as little confusion and as few interruptions as possible.

Customers Demand Automation and a Better Experience

As customers have increasingly called for contactless services, brands have also experienced a tremendous push towards automation, which has enhanced their ability to create this experience for customers. The fewer processes that need direct handling by employees, the easier it is for brands to create positive, safe experiences for their customers.

Automation through Mapsted’s Content Management System holds tremendous potential for brands, helping to manage everything from inventory to indoor navigation and push notifications; and beyond. While many organizations had already been leaning towards automation to run their operations, the pandemic has forced a growing number of companies to change their perspective and understand the power that this technology can offer.

This trend has become particularly prevalent in the retail industry, as the benefits of automation to reduce humans working in close quarters have been tremendous.

View Technology as a Means to Innovate and Thrive

Prior to the pandemic, many businesses viewed technology as a means to save money and reduce unnecessary spending. When data can be analyzed and emails automatically sent when triggered, for example, it frees up the sales team and marketing team to focus on other tasks that cannot be handled through automation and technology. However, a digital transformation also offers businesses tremendous opportunities to innovate and find their way to the front of their industry.

Before the pandemic hit, nearly half of businesses reported that they saw technology as a means of reducing company costs as one of their top three digital priorities. However, with the pandemic spreading and businesses beginning to discover the other values of technology, only 10 percent reported this as a top reason after the beginning of the shutdowns. Instead, more businesses reported that modernizing their capabilities, gaining a competitive advantage, and creating a business culture that was focused on digital technologies all outpaced concerns about reducing costs.

When technology is used well, it offers brands tremendous opportunities to innovate and mature in their ability to engage customers, answer their needs, and move forward in a new way. As brands have begun to embrace the capabilities offered by technology, they have also begun to understand and adopt this mentality.

The Digital Transformation After the Pandemic

As the world looks forward hopefully toward the end of the pandemic, many wonders about the future of many of the changes businesses have made in response to the pandemic. It is likely that many of these changes are here to stay. Since the pandemic forced brands to eliminate many of the barriers that once stood in the way of digital adoption, such as network security to allow employees to work remotely, it will be significantly easier for companies to operate on a remote basis. Companies have already made key investments to help them protect their digital security while also building a technology stack that allows employees to work from their home offices.

It is likely that many of these changes will last, with capabilities such as flexible scheduling to allow people to work from home when needed. Businesses have also begun to see the power and potential of digital adoption. Particularly as it comes to business innovation, adopting technology is not only about saving money but also gaining an edge over competitors and seizing new opportunities in the industry. As businesses realize these advantages, they will be positioned to keep employing technology and taking advantage of what it has to offer.

Even in schools, where students have turned to remote classes in many school systems and universities, teachers have become increasingly adept at creating virtual lesson plans. The potential this holds for education, including opening doors for people who might have previously struggled to attend particular schools because of distance, will not likely be given up quickly.

The Pandemic Accelerated the Global Digital Transformation

Technology offers businesses across industries incredible potential to engage with people around the world at a moment’s notice. Prior to the pandemic, many organizations were just beginning to see the potential that many of these capabilities offered their businesses. However, when in-person meetings and work were limited in response to Covid-19, they quickly realized just how powerful technology can be. The pandemic helped to accelerate digital transformation and created a landscape that will continue to encourage innovation and technological adoption moving forward. As businesses begin to better understand the capabilities of these types of modern technology, they will also begin to understand the opportunities that lie before them, even after the pandemic is over.

Now that you know how to leverage location-based solutions to grow your business, would you want one to take your business to new heights? If yes, get in touch with Mapsted today. Our team will cater to your specific needs through the most cutting-edge location solution that will not need changes made to your building interiors or the technology you use on-site.