With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, many people have been forced to adapt to working from home. This global health crisis has led to a lot of businesses being highly dependent on digital technology. Technology has helped people work and handle their business affairs using smartphones, tablets, and computers, among others. Different industries have been affected by Covid-19 and also the use of technology. Covid-19 has forced a lot of businesses to embrace re-invention. Here are some of the ways workplace technology has changed with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Customers are All Online
While there has been a huge shift towards online consumerism in the past, the pandemic has brought that all to a head at once. It’s now encouraged and often demanded that people stay home, and many stores were forced to close their brick and mortar shops. If these companies didn’t have an online store, they would have undoubtedly suffered. It’s likely that even in the future when people are able to go to stores freely again, they will still choose the comfort and convenience of an online shopping experience. Just look at the success of Amazon and its two-day delivery. When given the opportunity to remain in the comfort of their own homes, many people will choose that time and time again, even when they’re once again allowed out safely.
Working From Home
There have been many innovations that have come up to make working from home more efficient. With video calls, the channel of communication is only one. You can’t have a private conversation with someone else, like having a meeting in a room. With the zoom calls being used for meetings now, conference room space isn’t a factor. However, with technology, future conference calls will mimic the experience of in-person meetings. A lot of business meetings are able to be conducted virtually now, increasing the demand for different products and technology, like a Plantronics headset or webcams. There is not a lot of pressure on people to dress formally like when they show up for work. This is because isolation was recommended as a way to reduce the spread of the virus.
Dealing with Crowds
Even after people resume working in offices, the situation will not be the same. Covid-19 might become endemic, and people will have to live with it. Workspaces are now designed in a way that the collaborative and private space is balanced. Before Covid, there was an increase in crowded co-working spaces. However, things are different now, and workspaces are designed so that there is no crowding. The workspaces are more spaced out, plus virtual and physical employees can work together seamlessly through video conferencing rooms. Shifts have to be rotated between employees; they’ll work at home for a few days then go to the office for a few days. There will be a big emphasis on collaborative technology, making it easy for people to work together with anyone, no matter the time and location.
Health Checks
The health and safety of workers are increasingly being monitored by technology. People’s temperatures have to be checked, and it has to be determined whether they’re maintaining proper social distance. This increases the use of temperature screening at entrances and exits. This means that many businesses have to invest in equipment to screen people’s temperatures before going into the workplace to reduce the spread of the virus. This increases the cost of operations significantly as well.
Increased Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The damage that has been brought by the pandemic has led to a lot of changes. Business managers have to rethink their business models. Many businesses are focusing on how they can be able to introduce Artificial Intelligence technologies into their operations. Automation helps with solving most problems that companies are experiencing. The restrictions that have been brought about by the pandemic have increased the demand for the use of contactless technologies, and technologies that can ensure health and safety in the workplace are in place. Businesses are being forced to adapt to technologies that they wouldn’t have considered at some point. For example, more companies have to allow the use of wearables and more interactions with automated interfaces. With the increased use of video and voice chats, more digital trace data is generated. This is a good move since AI technologies perform data with more data available.
New Performance Tracking Methods
Organizations are more flattened now; this is because there is an increase in methods used to track frontline workers’ performance. This new change will lead to a reduced need for having mid-level supervisors. There is increased use of online monitoring tools. The software can track the performance of employees who are working online. Most businesses are also using online surveys to determine whether frontline workers are doing an excellent job by asking customers. Technology and data analytics are getting rid of the need for human supervisors.
Increased Flexibility in Schedules
People have been working the so-called 9 to 5 for as long as most of us can remember, but since COVID and the work from home boom occurred, many workers and companies alike have found it doesn’t need to be so cut and dry. The strategy of working from your home has opened the door for many companies to hire employees from outside of their usual location sphere, and this demanded a flexibility in hours. People in different timezones can start at different times. This has even helped to increase productivity in some cases, as certain tasks can be started earlier and continued to be worked on until later, all while people are working in their own normal working hours.
If a company wants to stay competitive in the new world, they have to adapt to the changing technology and business practices. Companies can no longer cling to paper copies and in-person meetings when it’s unsafe to meet in real life. To remain afloat and even thrive, businesses must recognize and embrace the importance of technology and virtual living.
Also Read: Top 10 Reasons Why Python is Good for Artificial Intelligence
