5 technologies that will be essential for the ‘new normal’

Many of the experts who are engaging with the concept of the ‘new normal’ emphasise that after the pandemic the business world will be much more digital. We will see before us an environment which is full of possibilities for those who are prepared.

The new normal is going to register an important boost with regard to digital transformation processes, which has even been called ‘digital acceleration’. In this context, some technologies are going to be essential.

What technologies will be consolidated in the new normal?

Here at Intelligence Partner, consultancy firm for Cloud Computing solutions and services, we show you the technologies that we consider to be essential in order for your company to take advantage of the opportunities that this new situation will offer.

1. Cloud Computing

Cloud management ecosystems have shown themselves to be essential to the facilitating of business activity during confinement.

Compared with outdated client / server models, the universal accessibility and 24/7 availability of the cloud have made it easier for directors, managers and employees to carry out their daily tasks from their own homes without limitations.

Considering factors such as a necessary reorientation towards a more digital business, the enormous potential of the cloud and its numerous advantages for companies, now is the perfect time for organisations to make the final leap. According to data managed by a provider such as Telefónica Cloud, 30% of Spanish companies have not yet evolved to Cloud Computing.

At Intelligence Partner, we help companies to build solid and reliable Cloud environments based on the Google Cloud Platform, as well as to design a cloud management ecosystem which suits their needs.

2. Machine Learning

In an increasingly digital environment, machine learning technologies (Artificial Intelligence) are going to be essential. The increasing number of interactions between people and machines will drive these latter being able to act logically based on the experience they are acquiring.

The applications of Machine Learning to day-to-day business in the new normal will range from chatbots used in customer interactions to specific applications to monitor the distance between employees in a production plant, for example.

At Intelligence Partner we trust Google Machine Learning, a machine learning solution that includes state-of-the-art machine learning services, with pre-designed models and a service to generate personalised models.

3. Business Intelligence

In the new normal, the added value of the products and services offered will be essential, and one way to achieve this is through Business Intelligence (BI) tools.

Thanks to these, companies exploit the enormous amount of data generated by their daily activities (Big Data) and filter them to select those that are really useful (Small Data). This business data will become authentic information with added value in conjunction with criteria and scale. In this way, companies:

• Will discover new business opportunities
• Will detect new customer needs
• Will simulate business scenarios to check their profitability
• Will discover their weak points and opportunities for improvement

Companies that want to compete successfully in the new normal will therefore have to rely on business analytics solutions like Tableau or Looker.

4. Tools for collaboration and internal communication

For many companies, these tools have proven essential to the carrying out of their activity during the period of confinement, and they will continue to be so in the new scenario: telework is impossible without them.

The new normal will involve a wide variety of work models in which remote work will occupy a significant position. This implies varied work teams, combining employees in offices with those in their own homes. We should also count on there being fewer and fewer face-to-face meetings owing to limitations in capacity brought about by the requirement to maintain social distancing.

In this new context, all members of the company and its different business areas must work in a coordinated manner and in alignment with the company’s philosophy and objectives. In addition, they will need to be able to receive essential information quickly and efficiently.

Thanks to functionalities that are 100% aligned with these objectives,

collaboration tools such as G Suite or internal communication tools such as the Lumapps social intranet, together with Google’s communication and video conferencing solutions, will increase in importance and presence in organisations in this new normal.

5. CRM and automation of marketing

The new normal will record a significant increase in digital clients, which will imply modifying the way in which they are currently managed. Processes such as attracting and retaining customers, personalised attention, loyalty or optimisation of the customer experience will further increase in importance.

According to the I Barometer “COVID-19 and Marketing” from the Good Rebels agency and the Marketing Association of Spain, published in April 2020, 83% of the companies surveyed held digital recruitment and sales channels to be the way forward. For this reason it will be essential to work, among other things, on:

• Diffusion of the brand in new digital channels
• Reinforcement and reorientation of recruitment strategies
• Continuous improvement of the customer experience, essential in omnichannel models
• Strengthening of loyalty programs

This same report shows that organisations will increase their investment (up to 25%) in technologies that help them achieve this. These technologies are going to be mainly CRM and Marketing automation software, which improve their capabilities if they are integrated into the same solution. An example of such solutions are Salesforce and SugarCRM.

At Intelligence Partner we are expert in each of the essential technologies that we have mentioned in this post.

Are you ready to enter the new normal with the right technologies?

Contact us and let us know your current situation and your goals. Our experts will analyse this information, and then design the best plan with you.