Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
Grab your crystal ball and tell me. What will your business look like in 10 or 15 years? Or even longer down the line? With all the unknowns the future holds, one thing is certain – technology is likely to play a much greater and different role than it does today. Technology is changing at a lightning fast pace and there is some really cool stuff that will continue to evolve and be even more essential to the way we do business in the future.
Think back to just about a decade ago. We didn’t have smart phones, social media nor Web 2.0. And today we can’t live without them.
Here is my speculation as to a few technological advances down the road:
Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI will continue to evolve and play a major role in our business and day to day lives. For example, think sophisticated robots. Soon, you and your employees will be interacting with AI daily in one way or another.
Driverless Cars: How will driverless automobiles impact your business? If you have a fleet of cars now, will you replace that fleet with newer models and fewer people? Or will you still need the people to perform the service on the other end?
Smart Cities: The idea here is that cities become fully connected. Offices and homes become fully “smart” and transform the way people work, travel and connect. You will need to fully utilize 5G to take advantage of this, but it is coming. Get your infrastructure in place now so that you can leapfrog the competition.
3D Printing: 3D printing is already here, and it will continue to evolve and play an even greater, more substantive role in our lives. Manufacturing has already seen significant benefits from 3D printing; but big strides in other sectors are also already happening or in queue. Construction is benefitting from 3D printing and it will likely soon be possible that a 3D printer will be able to build a house. Imagine that.
There are countless technological advances waiting for us in the very near future. Some will catch on like wildfire while others will miss the mark (remember the Segway that was going to revolutionize urban transportation?) The key is to get ahead of the curve.
There is a place for technology in virtually every business; and it is vital to implement current and future technology to enhance your business and take it to the next level. Research a variety of technologies that may help you and your business and when you find something promising, invest in it. It might both make you money and save you money.
How are you using technology today and what technology do you see in your future? What technology do you see coming into the market and being totally disruptive, à la the smartphone?
Let us know your thoughts.
By Blair Koch
