1.5.2 Technology and Business Flashcards
Technology:
the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to improving business performance
Different aspects of modern business technology:
- changing use of technology
- social media
- e-commerce
- digital technology
- digital communication
- impact on business
What has technological change been like?
- Technological change has been rapid in recent years
- The invention and widespread use of computers and mobile phones has allowed businesses to change the way they operate and communicate
- It has also redefined markets and how businesses conduct buying and selling operations
Positives of the changing use of technology:
Has allowed businesses to reduce costs and improve quality, efficiency and competitiveness
Negatives of the changing use of technology:
- There are costs in purchasing technology and training staff to use it
- Employees may lose their jobs
E-commerce:
the buying and selling of goods and services using the internet
M-commerce:
using wireless handheld (mobile) devices, such as smart phones for commercial transactions
What has the growth in e-commerce led to?
The growth in e-commerce has led to the development of auction sites such as eBay, specialist internet retailers like Amazon, as well as most high street retailers developing internet sites to sell their products
Positives of e-commerce:
- Has allowed businesses to access wider markets and reduce costs through automatic ordering using online applications
- The business can experience sales increases and become more well-known
Negatives of e-commerce:
- Costs increase due to investment in computerised systems and staff training
- Distribution costs increase, processing of orders/returns is time consuming
- Personal contact with some customers may be lost
What are the uses of social media in businesses?
- Sales and marketing
- Interacting with customers
- Communicating with stakeholders
How do businesses use social media to help with sales and marketing?
- Social media is a relatively cheap way to advertise in a visual or written form
- It can be used by both large and small businesses to attract atarget audiencethat is interested in the products and services being promoted or sold
- Business can encourage people tofollowtheir activities and promotions - in this way, businesses can gain loyalty
How do businesses use social media to interact with customers?
- Businesses can use social media to see what customers are saying about their products and services
- Additionally, customers can ask questions, or express their views, about the products and services of a business
- These customer interactions need to be handled carefully, as inaccurate or inappropriate responses can be shared quickly and easily, creating badpublicityfor the business
How do businesses use social media to contact stakeholders?
- Social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, can be used to make contact with other businesses andnetworkwith relevant people and organisations
- Many businesses now use social media as part of their recruitment process, not just for advertising vacancies but also to gain an insight into any applicants by looking at their social media activity
- Closed (private) social media tools are sometimes used by some businesses for informal orinternal communicationwith staff
Positives of social media for businesses:
- Brand awareness- Compelling and relevant content will grab the attention of potential customers and increase brand visibility
- Brand reputation- You can respond instantly to industry developments and be seen as ‘thought leader’ or expert in your field - this can improve how your business is seen by your audience
- Cost effective
- cheaper → as business can reduce costs on other forms of communication → fixed costs may be reduced
- It can be muchcheaperthan traditional advertising and promotional activities - the costs of maintaining a social media presence are minimal
- If you choose to invest in paid advertising, you can spend as much or as little as your budget allows
- Customer interaction-
- You can deliver improvedcustomer serviceand respond effectively to feedback
- Positive feedback is public and can be persuasive to other potential customers
- Negative feedback highlights areas where you can improve.
- Target audience- Customers can find you through thesocial media
- Most social media sites allow data collection of users
Negatives of social media for businesses:
- Resources
- You will need to commit resourcesto managing your social media presence, responding to feedback and producing new content
- This can include hiring and trainingstaff, investing in paidadvertisingand paying for the costs of creating video or imagecontent
- Evaluation
- While it is easy to quantify the return-on-investment in terms of online sales generated by social media advertising - there are some less tangible benefits
- It can behard to measureand place a monetary value on the brand awareness and reputation that social media can bring
- It’s difficult to know how social media effects sales in-store
- Ineffective use
- Social media can beused ineffectively
- For example, using social mediato push for sales without engaging with customers, or failing to respond tonegative feedback- may damage your reputation
Digital technology:
- where businesses use computer based tools, systems, devices and resources to generate, store or process data
- it has many aspects including social media, online multimedia, productivity applications,cloud computing, e-commerce and communication
DIgital communication:
- a part of digital technology
- it is in widespread use throughout the world, through the use of devices such as smart phones, tablets, desktops and video conferencing
- it can also occur through social media platforms
Different types of digital communication:
- Social media e.g. Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat
- Webchat – live
- Teleconferencing and video-conferencing
- Texts
- Apps
Positives of digital communication for businesses:
- cheap to operate and widely used - messages and data can be transmitted quickly and widely
- data and messages can be stored electronically, saving cost of storage
- possible to produce translated versions using online applications
- teleconferencing, videoconferencing, use of Skype, possibly saving time and money
- high quality advertising and marketing
Negatives of digital communication for businesses:
- may be unreliable - no guarantee that messages will be received
- communication overload leading to delays and failures
- equipment may not work and not all places will be connected
- environmental and health concerns over electronic transmission
- training requirements and employees may not be expected to “check in” when not at work
How do businesses use e-payments?
- Collecting payments from customers by direct transfer, debit card, credit card or standing order
- Making payment to employees and suppliers through electronic transfer
- Contactless payment and smartphone apps are making e-payment more popular
- E-payments can be linked to accounting software
Positives of e-payments:
- E-payments reduce the costs of paying in cash
- Provide quicker receipt of money
- Leads to happy customers who find it more convenient
- There is no need for cash to be kept or used
Negatives of e-payments:
- Cost of buying and using payment systems
- Some customers will not wish to use an e-payment system
- Not all customers may have access to the required technology
- There is a risk of fraud