SME CONVERSATIONS
Technology Is The Equalizer
By Monica Kabui
I occasionally listen to radio when in traffic . This particular morning the conversation was a debate about career change and how technology will change the current career landscape . The presenter encouraged listeners to talk about how they foresee technology affecting their current job and where they see it taking their future careers . At the start of the internet era , all were mesmerized and confused in equal measure . Looking back , we all knew that we needed to ride the wave … quickly . Now , it ’ s the pillar that powers the very existence of our businesses and homes . A simple search on the web gives answers for anything , literally .
A Lot of our businesses are anchored by our career paths but according to a McKinsey Podcast , “ What can history teach us about technology and jobs ?” technology will continue to be a primary catalyst for change in the world . Since 1980 ’ s rise in computers and computing technology , over 3.5million jobs and careers have been wiped out , but on the brighter side , technology has created more than 19 million jobs as a result of technological advancement . Now , you may argue that human interaction will never be completely replaced but is it the case in all careers ? As a point to note , the jobs created as a result of technology were not in the industries where it initially destroyed jobs . Technological advancement is indeed an equalizer . In countries like China today , many industrial processes and other functions have seen robots replace human action .
The trends have consistently advanced from applications that could be fed database and synthesize it in seconds based on set parameters . From ordering taxis , food and other consumer applications to further advancing to applications such as ChatGTP that can be used to create marketing content for brands and AI generated images to represent brands in advertisements . All these disruptions are now impacting the way business is done in every industry . Citing just a few common examples , taxis no longer have the upperhand in fare bargains , buying food is no longer tied to visiting an eatery , trading stocks can be done online in easy steps and an advertising campaign may not entirely rely on a physical photoshoot to materialize . Overall , the turnaround time for services has been reduced to a fraction .
Research companies have also upped their technology to eliminate manual as well as human interaction in some research processes by using AI and big data . We could go through a myriad of examples but this is meant to wake us up to the rapid tides of change attributed to the technology that we see in every discipline . They ’ re unforgiving and can wholly swallow businesses . As an MSME and growing enterprise , technology should be viewed as a tool and platform for growth and advancement . Instead of seeing it as a threat , here are three ways we can leverage it .
Be Aware : There ’ s technology for every industry and discipline . Invest time on research and understanding the different technologies available for your area of expertise and where can you plug-in and quickly implement . What can you observe in different phases and expect to plug in when time is ripe ? Attend conferences and workshops , webinars about technology and interact with people to understand what these mean for your industry and how they can translate to tools for your business .
Be Prepared : A few decades ago , most company structures included a secretary and even telephone operators . That era sounds so ancient but looking closer home , one can now layout a basic company newsletter , plan an event and come up with posters and invites without the help of a graphic designer , not to mention that no business can have a good enough excuse for not having a basic website created by just following step by step prompts . We are now talking about my 6-year old daughter learning and experimenting with coding , and the examples are vast . It calls for businesses to clearly map a strategy that easily plugs into relevant technological advances , they are there to improve your customer ’ s experience and not to cannibalize it . Invest in tools that help your customer find you faster no matter where they search then move on to those that improve efficiency and create an enjoyable user experience when interacting with your brand .
Seize The Moment : Leverage online tools such as free webinars , podcasts , videos , articles and live discussions on LinkedIn , TikTok and Twitter etc that discuss new technologies and AI tools such as ChatGPT and how they can be used in your industry to solve a challenge , help meet a customer need or revolutionize your business all together .
They say strike the rod while it ’ s still hot and I ’ d say keep striking until it takes shape . It ’ s therefore upon us to dig deeper into research and find the best fit for our industry . That would be best termed as Innovation . Innovation is creative and can also be disruptive depending on the approach it takes to solve a problem . Use it to adapt to the dynamic changes that technology is constantly presenting to you .
Monica Kabui is a marketing specialist and MD of TreeAgama , a brand , strategy and design marketing agency focused on using marketing as a tool to solve business challenges . You can reach her on mail at : Monica @ treeagama . co . ke .
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