For the past few decades, there is no denying that the expansion of information technology (IT) platforms and programs have helped us do more and be more efficient—this is true in both our personal and professional lives.
When considering the latter, the expansion of IT services has allowed productivity to soar alongside profitability, let us do more with less, collaborate regardless of location, and overcome roadblocks and challenges that stymied previous business eras.
However, there is also a growing concern—that IT and digital innovations are moving too fast, getting too big, destroying privacy. Coined “techlash” there is worry that modern technology isn’t making society better and the more it is allowed to expand and evolve, the more that we, as people, are threatened.
Is Technology a Tool or a Weapon?
Techlash is a relatively new phenomenon that points to a growing distaste amongst consumers toward Big Tech—the Googles, Apples, Facebooks, and Amazons of the world, to name a few. It also refers to opposition over the power and influence that large tech companies have on our lives and their ability to control information, our potential reactions, as well as our behavior.
We know that this makes it sound as if Big Tech is some sort of “Digital Boogie Man,” and we get that no one wants to feel as if they are being controlled by an algorithm nor does anyone want to feel spoon fed information by a robot. And yes, there are valid concerns about privacy, tech addiction, monopolistic behavior, and the spreading of misinformation by some of these companies. Those issues are all real and need to be addressed. However, for the sake of this article, let’s talk about how technology should be considered a catalyst for positive change, and how innovation is really a compass leading us to the future.
Technology + COVID-19
One only needs to look at recent events to understand how technology has allowed our society to successfully navigate COVID-19. Yes, major sectors of our economy were shut down, but can you imagine what our country and the world would have looked like if video conferencing, mobile connectivity, and the Internet didn’t exist? Seriously, it would have been a 100% shutdown of life. How would any business have pivoted if the idea of working remotely or digitally wasn’t an option? How many additional jobs would have been lost? How many businesses would have shuttered permanently?
Here at DigitalThinker, we can attest that we have never been busier. While some may be frowning on how technology creates distance between us and impacts the humanness of our relationships, there is a startling juxtaposition. Businesses who were prepared with technology like Hexagon EAM were able to deal with coronavirus much more nimbly than companies who suddenly realized that their entire operating plan needed to be reworked in order to keep the lights on. Hexagon EAM was literally a game changer for many of our clients—and now, many other organizations have come to us realizing that embracing technology and the Hexagon EAM platform is the only way they can ensure their survival in this “new normal.” COVID has challenged us to change, and the companies who accept reinvention will be the ones who will still be around in the future.
Hexagon EAM Empowers
Obviously, we are advocates of Hexagon EAM and the ways that it can help companies work smarter. But even outside of that, this valuable technology tool empowers employees, promotes transparency and collaboration, allows for the free flow of information, lowers overhead costs, and provides for improved work/life balance—amongst many other benefits. And these are all going to be important as we continue to move away from brick and mortar.
In closing, technological luddites might be able to list myriad reasons how varied platforms are ruining our lives. However, those voices, while they may be loud, are likely to be dwindling. This is a time to learn, grow, and harness the power that technology—and especially Hexagon EAM—provides. That is, unless you want to go the way of the dinosaurs—and we know how that turned out.
For more information on how Hexagon EAM can be a boon to your business and help you work effectively—from your home, your office, or anywhere else on the globe—reach out to DigitalThinker today.