Modern technology has advanced to the point that its uses are numerous, which means that businesses have many options as far as how they wish to integrate and utilize it in their daily operations and in serving their clients. As it’s become essential for most businesses to incorporate technology, as well as advantageous to do so for many reasons, it’s of the utmost importance to use it wisely. Therefore, it’s essential to connect with the right local resources to not only find out what’s available but to help you make an educated decision as to what will work best for your particular work environment and specific needs.
Doug Seaman – Echo Systems
How we utilize technology in the workplace now, and furthermore how we will in the future, has a lot to do with leveraging technology as it advances. “At Echo Systems, we make a concerted effort to keep up with industry trends, new technologies, and training so we are able to serve our clients’ need as they arise,” explains Doug Seaman, Project Support Manager at Echo Systems. “The rapid pace of technological change has challenged everyone to improve their knowledge and skills. In our industry, to truly serve clients, you need depth and breadth. You truly need a combination of technical knowledge, business acumen, operational expertise, and communication skills.
As a key example, from this point forward the network is the critical factor in how all technology will function. There is no longer a distinction between ‘AV’ and ‘I.T.’, since most hardware is software enabled. Projectors, TVs, media players, and so on all have the ability to reside on a network and, at a minimum, acquire an IP address using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). At the upper end, these devices will have the ability to deliver and/or receive content over a wired or wireless network.
Furthermore, with the advent of the iPad and other mobile devices, the ability to bring your own device (BYOD) into the workplace and collaborate has been the one of the biggest trends in the last 3-5 years. There are now solutions that allow for secure wireless transmission of mobile devices within a corporate IT environment. One example is the AirMedia product by Crestron. It provides completely secure and wireless transmission of a PC or tablet to a display such as a TV or projector. I emphasize secure, because it erases usage history when the session is complete.
At the enterprise level, there are now systems and solutions for managing all of your AV equipment, resource scheduling, room scheduling, and building or campuswide management of technology as well. For example, if you have multiple rooms (classrooms, conference rooms, etc.) with similar AV equipment, you can use software to maintain and manage the life of that equipment. You can also schedule resources such as conference rooms, AV equipment, etc.
For those who are interested in integrating the latest technology into their place of business, a visit to our showroom is highly recommended. We have working systems with the products and services that we offer. A hands-on trial application is always better than seeing something on paper.”
Pat Killeen – Engineered Controls
Controlling a building’s systems is also at the forefront of advances in technology with commercial applications. Pat Killeen, owner of Engineered Controls, also offers insight as to the wide variety of ways you can employ technology to enhance your operations and increase your bottom line:
“Energy use in a commercial building is becoming an ever-increasing financial concern and operational problem for building owners. Building owners are looking for reliable, cost-effective solutions to answer these new energy challenges and reduce their carbon footprint.
Engineered Controls offers Energy and Environmental Optimization (EEO) Services, a comprehensive energy evaluation program, to our customers. Our EEO program-certified professionals are equipped with the training, tools and experience to quickly assess your building’s current state and will then consult with you on the goals and objectives of your energy efficiency project. Our EEO professionals participate in a rigorous training program with a concentration on learning how to guide building owners and managers through a structured process of analysis and discovery. Leveraging the unique EEO Toolset, they will partner with you to develop the right solution for your building.
We can help you with developing an efficiency strategy that will allow you to achieve energy savings and reduce costs. First, this could be through use of our energy efficient products and technologies, such as HVAC products and technologies that reduce energy. Second, we have the ability to provide renewable energy services, with the design and installation of renewable energy technologies. Third, through use of energy contracting service we alert you to any opportunities available to pay for energy efficiency upgrades with the energy savings.
Today we live in a time when commercial buildings are becoming smart, or what we call intelligent buildings. It started with companies like Honeywell that created integration network controllers which simplified the communications network of multiple systems to one flat open-protocol network. Commercial buildings no longer need to be stuck with having stand-alone proprietary networks–those days are behind us. With our Honeywell WEBs-AX products we can connect multiple building systems together instead of operating them independently, maximizing energy efficiency, reducing maintenance costs, and giving our customers a complete centralized control system.
Now more than ever we are integrating HVAC (environmental controls), lighting control, access control, video surveillance, energy management systems, auxiliary monitoring, and multi-site connectivity solutions all on one common platform. The possibilities are endless. The scalability and flexibility of Honeywell’s WEBs-AX allows our customers the opportunity to also integrate refrigeration monitoring and control, water management and irrigation control and many more.
All of this provides our customers the added convenience of having every building system at their fingertips through one easy to use interface, and because it’s web-based, our customers have remote access anywhere they can get on the internet. Building owners gain flexibility, as they can integrate systems now and also be perfectly positioned to integrate other systems later as their needs change or grow. A major advantage to this particular technology is that Honeywell’s WEBs-AX grows with you. When a building’s systems are all connected together in one network, it helps to improve the consistencies of comfort settings which helps improve employee performance and makes guests and tenants feel more welcome. Moreover, it gives the building a more sustainable advantage, such as obtaining LEED points or an Energy Star rating.”
He continues, “From my personal experience, I would estimate 40-50% of the projects we do today have some form of smart building technology. This means we are integrating a variety of different building sub-systems together on one common platform. Engineered Controls is happy to help building owners and managers with temperature control, building automation and security system design, documentation review and specification writing assistance. We frequently provide our customers a variety of educational opportunities on a whole host of products and services right in their facilities. Engineered Controls provides budgetary quotes during the design and is a responsive and reliable bidder on bid day. Our operations team is known for delivering on-time solutions and quality projects that meet the intent of the design.
We work with our clients from the preconstruction phase to the completed project. Our goal is to integrate and streamline the design, engineering and installation of your temperature control, building automation and security systems. One of the primary benefits of the design-build processes is that it provides for the earliest commitment of guaranteed cost and delivery. We have a skilled staff of estimators with a wide variety of construction experience in preparing estimates for proposed projects. If the cost begins to exceed your budget, alternatives can be offered in order to bring the project back in line with the desired budget.
If anything I’ve mentioned is of interest to you, I highly advise partnering with an experienced Building Technology contractor like Engineered Controls. As a full line building technology contractor, we understand that our customers desire to stay on top of the latest trends and technologies and we regularly offer assistance in developing comprehensive projects. Engineered Controls can also help building owners and managers through a variety of technical programs designed to offer our assistance in identifying the latest building automation and security technology, equipment selection, commissioning and the development and testing of sequence of operations. Additionally, we provide our customers similar support and assistance with equipment optimization for both existing and new installation.
Contact your local Engineered Controls office to learn about how our system design and consulting team can improve your business.”
Tom Nottleman – Claritus
As business correspondence has evolved, with so many more options thanks to technology, it’s also important to know what would be of best service to both your business’s and clients’ needs. “Software is now a large part in controlling the process of what our customers want to communicate to their customers, from data integrity to output,” explains Tom Nottleman, CCM Specialist at Claritus. “Our Customer Communication Management is essentially a group of information technology solutions that together provide organizations with the ability to advance the way in which they communicate with their customers. We specialize in assisting business owners with software solutions that enable them to better manage and distribute customer communications in the customer’s preferred platform be it mobile, web, cloud, or physical document. For example, one of our large insurance company customers is using our enterprise solution to convert their legacy documents to automated marketing products that are distributed to their customers by each department’s delivery preference.
In our industry technology has allowed us to help our clients reach more people than ever before, in more ways than ever before. Therefore, a good starting point is to evaluate how you are currently communicating with your customers and your goals for building upon that or beneficial adjustments. We then determine how your current communication strategy could be improved to benefit your organization and work to structure how you plan to communicate with your customers throughout your entire organization so that everyone is on the same page and systems are fluent.
Employing current technology in our field, we are able to utilize a multichannel delivery process to create personalized, interactive experiences. This results in faster delivery of customer communications, enhances the customer experience, and can also significantly reduce production costs. Your communication process should be seamless and integrated into your operations for the best results; technology plays a major role in making that happen.”
When considering technology utilized in an office setting, there are a wide variety of ways that you could integrate devices that can assist with all aspects of your operations.
Josh Hagan – Eakes Office Solutions
“As our company’s mission is to provide solutions that help our customers work better, we are at the forefront of the new and exciting office technology that is available,” says Josh Hagan, Managed Print Specialist at Eakes Office Solutions. “Consider copiers, for example. These are no longer devices that put ink on paper; they are now a central hub for the transfer of information. With our on-demand, mobile-ready world, it’s imperative for businesses to keep up with technology or get left behind.
We ensure that our clients have the technology that they need today, and from there we help plan for future needs to align with strategic goals and objectives. In doing so, we effectively help to facilitate a smooth transition over the life of our partnership. This might include mobile ready devices with a standardized user interface, incorporating software accessible from the printing device as well as the computer or workstation, standardizing a fleet of newer printers to lessen the burden of many different types of consumables, and so on. The capabilities are endless but can be tailored to each customer individually.”
He further advises, “Security in file sharing and security in printing via device itself and software both are major trends that are being addressed at the business level. With a business not long ago being ‘hacked’ by someone through the IP address of their HVAC system resulting in millions of dollars of credit/debit card numbers being stolen, we are all aware that security is important. We now have a completely secure way to send and receive files through an application that comes with a one-year free license on our Sharp devices. We also have a full line of printers that now have a level of security incorporated into the device itself. On the software side we have a way that you can authenticate and log prints/copies/faxes and scans to be ‘billed back’ to clients, departments, etc. With that same tool as well as an inexpensive option on the Sharp equipment we have the ability to print from anywhere on the network and retrieve that print from any Sharp device on that same network.
At Eakes Office Solutions, we specialize in office technology and focus on what best fits your needs and goals, both now and as your business evolves. With our consultative approach, we can move as fast or as slow as a business can accommodate upgrades in technology. In working with our clients to assess their needs, we can come up with the best plan for implementation in the next fiscal year or even a few years ahead.”
Finally, it’s also important to recognize that the businesses that come to mind when we think of technology aren’t the only ones that can benefit from it. In truth, every business has the potential to benefit from technology, no matter the industry or offerings. There are numerous ways to leverage technology to enhance many aspects of operations and the customer experience.
Consider a restaurant as a prime example. On the operations side, point-of-sale systems are now highly intelligent and have the ability to provide great information that helps owners to effectively manage their businesses. This includes reports for labor and sales, payment processing, order entry and communication, inventory management, and so on. Depending upon the system, this information can be securely accessed through any device with an internet connection from anywhere in the world. There are also digital menu boards, which allow the menu items and prices to be changed remotely, and digital screens in the kitchen to improve accuracy and efficiency. As far as technology that’s made readily available to customers, there’s any number of ways to elevate the atmosphere from high-definition TVs to satellite radio and even incorporating USB ports into the booths so that guests can enjoy Wi-Fi access, which may result in them staying longer. Some restaurants are also utilizing tablets built into the table for guests to enjoy while they wait for their orders, or screens that allow guests to place an order right from the table. As we’ve already covered, there is also technology available that allows for the adjustment of lighting and temperature controls remotely. Furthermore, high tech security systems also allow owners to manage their businesses remotely, as well as preventing employee theft and footage of any break-ins for successful prosecution and recovery of any losses or damages. As far as modern applications of technology in the dining and food service industry, there is even more to list depending on the goals of the business and the resources that they choose to employ. Moreover, there is a list just as long if not longer as to how any business out there can utilize and benefit from modern advances in technology.
Above all, make sure to be open to new ideas, to look at as many options as possible in the tech world, and to pick the brains of the experts who are involved in those targeted areas. Technology is a resource that can elevate your business when implemented strategically, so focusing on how it can add value to your business is a great place to start because you’ll then have the questions and your local tech resources can help you find the answers. If there’s something that’s outside of your budget or will require a complicated sequence of items to be implemented, you’ll be able to establish a solid plan moving forward to get you to your end goal. Likewise, if it’s a small project or something that seems relatively easy to incorporate, don’t forget your due diligence to ensure that you’re working with the right person for the job and doing what’s in your best interest both short and long term. Especially since technology is advancing quickly, the long term becomes critical because you don’t want to make an investment in something that will quickly become obsolete unless you can afford to do so and understand the curve involved with making the necessary upgrades.
Currently the questions most asked by business owners are about the cloud, mobile technology, archiving data, social media marketing, back-up options and security. We live in a different world where technology is everywhere and its applications are far-reaching, but as it’s always evolving, it’s also important that assets, private communication and proprietary information are protected. So therefore it’s just as important to focus on what technology can do to help your business but also to be aware of how it can hurt your business and take precautionary measures to eliminate, or at least mitigate, that risk.
As previously mentioned, what is commonly referred to as BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device, is also far more common in modern work environments. This is especially common for those who prefer to work on Macs as opposed to PCs and vice versa, and allows for mobile computing for those who aren’t always working in the office. As everyone is so busy, time is a precious resource which makes accessibility and speed critical. By either providing or letting your employees use their own mobile devices it allows for more productivity on-the-go. With technology becoming more accessible, the cost of these items has also gone down significantly.
While we are all looking to utilize technology to improve performance, today it is much more about utilizing devices wisely. From computer networks to tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, and all of the new technology on the horizon, there is certainly no lack of viable options. With a good understanding of the business itself, what impacts your field, and your goals, you’ll be able to implement and manage technology more effectively.
Technology truly has opened up a world of possibilities in the workplace. As such, investing in workplace technology that will benefit your business is well worth it and there are plenty of local experts who can assist you in deciding what would work best for your particular work environment and specific needs. The important thing is to make use of those resources so you can really maximize what technology can do for you!