What Are Some Modern Business Tools For Work In 2023?
Office management has become increasingly complex after the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses now need to manage hybrid work from home (WFH) policies and employees who prefer to work from an on-site office location. Both pose additional challenges, as working from home can be susceptible to increased cyber attacks, that exploit unsecured home networks. Simultaneously, managers must allocate office space better to adhere to dynamic human movement. Luckily, there are tech solutions to assist with this. Let’s dive into some modern business tools that can significantly improve office management and business efficiencies.
Workspace Management Software
This software allows office managers to allocate office spaces and efficiently monitor their usage in real-time. Fully-developed tools have integrations with the Google Suite (G-Suite) and Microsoft Office 365 SSO logins, and generate monthly reports. Some, like the Flanco app, lets teams book meeting rooms using a QR code, and uncover unused spaces. All of this helps to service customers, supply orders, find available parking spots, plus assists in space management. A tool such as this can save up to 20% of allocated resources.
Business Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
VPN demand nearly doubled during Covid-19 lockdowns as employees were forced to work from home. Cybercriminals immediately shifted their attention to unsecured home networks exploiting them to gain access to corporate intranets. Microsoft launched the first VPN in 1996 to provide safe remote access to local business networks, which is far more important in 2023.
Nearly all modern businesses can benefit from a VPN solution due to the increasing popularity of new ways of working – such as freelancing and remote work. It’s best to ensure a secure remote connection anytime your employees work outside corporate network security. A VPN establishes an encrypted tunnel between their device and business servers, protecting against data leaks, malware, and spyware.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tools
Big data is unavoidable for most medium-to-large businesses dealing with thousands of customers. On the contrary, data-driven decisions can palpably increase revenue and optimize marketing strategies for better conversion rates. CRM tools enable sales managers to set automatic workflows for customer queries and timely responses, and many include communication apps.
When picking the right CRM tool, consider its dashboard design because data visualization can be a very important feature. Integration of a CRM with social media channels can be a significant advantage, especially for consumer focused businesses, as the sheer reach of social media platforms can make social media marketing a very lucrative channel. Often requiring minimal investment compared to other channels, such as PPC. Lastly, identify the weak points in your sales process and pick a CRM tool that provides relevant solutions.
Business Password Managers
Most of the above listed tools are protected by a password. Securing business passwords is crucial. Password hacking is among the most popular cybercrime methods because employees often use the same easy-to-guess passwords across multiple accounts. Furthermore, nowadays, employees manage multiple (if not dozens) of different business-related accounts, and remembering each password by heart is tedious or nearly impossible if the password is sufficiently long and complex.
If cybercriminals gain access to a CRM tool or a workspace management app, they gain insight into valuable and confidential business information. The resulting data leak can cause tremendous damage to a company’s reputation if the leak includes customer data. Simultaneously, can eliminate competitive advantages if business development plans are exposed.
Business password managers allow the storage hundreds of secure passwords in a single encrypted vault. Furthermore, network administrators can easily inspect who accessed which passwords, manage access permissions, and reduce data leak risks. Lastly, employees don’t have to worry about remembering each password, which increases the likelihood of adopting more complex and secure passwords, in line with 2023 data security best practices.
Last Words
Discussing software options can help your business streamline operations and protect WFH or BYOD (an acronym for ‘Bring Your Own Device’) employees. Automated workspace management using data analytics will illuminate where you can save resources, which you can allocate to other lucrative branches, such as the R&D department.
