Bringing new tech into the workplace can have its advantages and disadvantages. Ideally, it should make the lives of customers, employees, and business owners easier, but unfortunately, this isn’t always what happens in reality. There is a number of reasons that introducing tech can be either a good or bad idea, as well as a number of ways that good tech can fail to transform the workplace as intended.
Con: There Are Costs
There are always going to be costs related to bringing tech into the workplace. First, there is the obvious price tag associated with whatever it is you’re buying, but there are other costs to take into account as well. You may need to revamp some other systems or processes or purchase other new equipment to ensure compatibility. Another potential cost is a drop in productivity. Ideally, this will be temporary, just as employees get up to speed and adjust, but the change could also be permanent.
This could be the case even when the purchase is the right choice if the problem you need to address is related to something other than productivity. You may have needed to sacrifice productivity in order to fix something else. Yet another potential cost is in customers. If what you’re bringing in makes some aspect of interacting with your company more difficult for customers or clients, they may not have the patience to stick around through growing pains and might look elsewhere. Ultimately, you may evaluate these costs and decide that the price is worth the improvement, but you should be aware of the risks and have strategies in place to deal with them.
Pro: Helps Employees Do Their Jobs
Ideally, tech should make your employees’ lives easier, not more difficult and frustrating. This means that it should solve a problem. One common problem in fleet management is that you may have issues onsite with safety or security. A network video recorder can help your fleet manager get more visibility into operations at all times and implement more efficient practices. You can find out more about NVR camera systems and what elements to look for, including remote access to footage, advanced video management system features, cloud storage, high-quality IP cameras, and more. Working with your fleet manager to identify their needs and find the right camera system ensures that you’re choosing the right solution.
Con: Employees Don’t Feel Listened To
In the opposite situation from the one described above, the directive to purchase the new tech comes from higher-ups and is rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of what workers need to improve. This doesn’t mean that if you’re a business owner, you can never go to your employees and suggest a change in how things are done that will incorporate new methods. It does mean that if your employees object or have questions, you need to listen to their concerns and answer them.
They may have insight into why your proposed solution doesn’t work or why it isn’t even a solution because what you may have perceived as the problem is not one, while the real issue is another thing entirely. Change of this sort needs to be a collaborative effort. Combining knowledge can lead to more effective solutions because employee buy-in is necessary for success.
Pro: It Can Improve Morale
On the simplest level, those who have been given the tools they need to do their jobs are going to be more effective and satisfied than people who are struggling to do their jobs with inadequate tools. If you want to attract and retain good employees, you need to encourage them to stick around, and a competitive rate of pay is only one part of that. You also need to provide them with a pleasant working environment. If your software is outdated or you have old equipment that makes it difficult for them to meet the demands of their position, they may be looking elsewhere for an employer who is more responsive to their needs.
Con: Tech Isn’t Introduced Properly
This is related to but not always the same as not listening to employees. In one sense, it is similar. Employees should not feel as though they are being railroaded into accepting new tech or that you are out of touch with their concerns. This can lead to resentment even if what you’re bringing in will ultimately benefit them.
You face a similar danger with customers if it’s a change that affects them. In both situations, you need to think in terms of persuasion. For employees, you also need an adequate training program and a shift in performance expectations that gives them time to get up to speed. For customers, if there is going to be a difficult adjustment, you need to have resources in place to support them and a plan to deal with their frustration or even the loss of some of them.
