In this article I will look at what IT contributes to business. Why would you pay money for IT hardware and software solutions when you already have so many expenditures? I will then apply this IT advantage, in an abbreviated way, specifically to how CaseManager and Engage may be applied to leverage this IT contribution.

General IT Contribution

In their book Beyond Productivity : Information Technology, Innovation and Creativity (n.d., 15) , Blumenthal et al argues that IT contribution is more than simply doing more things quicker, but it has benefits one would not immediately expect. Existing resources, specifically human resources can now be applied in new and creative ways. The more mundane, repetitive and predictable tasks can be automated, the more people can be free to explore new opportunities and boost organisational productivity. IT serves as an aid to help us do our work better. In a way, it can be seen as an assistant for daily tasks as well as enabling great processing capacity.

Organisations should always be on the lookout for tasks that may be better applied in a computerized way. Surely, it is better to use the innovative and creative power of human beings to its most contributive potential, rather than waste it on something a machine can do when trained (programmed) to. From my experience, I can tell you that we are prone to get used to performing tasks a certain way. We get into a rut – colloquially called a ‘box’ - and we don’t even consider doing it a different way. This restricts organisational efficiency. We must always be thinking of how to work smarter and often IT has the answer. Even it we do not exactly know how, it is always worth it to ask an IT professional if they might possibly be able to improve methods and procedures.

The value IT offers is a baseline for any business who wishes to be competitive, deliver to customers and be profitable.

With the speed increase, allowing more work to be done automatically, IT solutions, when properly created and applied, reduce errors and cost (Blumenthal, 16) . The reality is that IT solutions pay for themselves and then some. It not only improves an organisation’s output volume, but also quality from both computerized and human production. It does all this while reducing personnel costs, which for many organisations is its largest expenditure. Customers get better quality products and services in a more standardized and predictable way. The investment we make in IT delivers dividends exponentially when thoughtfully implemented. In terms of record keeping and analysis, tasks completed with the aid of computerized systems, are reliable, systematic and standardized.

Finally, Thomas H. Davenport (1999, 3) shows that IT contributes in terms of communication, both internally in an organisation and with customers, thereby improving synergy. Traditionally, common wisdom stated that customers prefer talking to a person on the phone. However, as technology has become more and more absorbed into everyday life, studies show a dramatic shift. Customers now prefer conversational messaging such as texting and web chats to communicate with organisations. This has already been the case for some time as a 2017 JD Power study shows. Organizations who fail to adapt to this customer experience requirement risk lagging behind competitors who implement IT accordingly.

CaseManager Contribution

The product called CaseManager assists in the main by driving Business processes both in terms of day-to-day assistance and workflow enforcement. It enables organisations to take a great deal more work with limited personnel than otherwise possible. Service to customers is improved immeasurably as is the quality of work and attendance to detail.

For the individual worker it assists in daily tasks to make sure that no work falls through the cracks and is attended to in timely fashion. The worker is reminded on a daily basis of all the tasks that need to be done, while automating everything that does not require the human touch. It makes bulk communication with customers possible as and when required.

The customizability of CaseManager is one of its main strengths. No more changing the way your entire organization works in order to adapt to software! The software changes to your requirements, while ensuring the IT contribution such as error elimination and productivity enhancement.

Increasing the customizability contribution, DiensTek offers consulting services which can be used for the custom development of extensions that can be ‘plugged in’ to further extend the capabilities as fits the organization and increasing the competitive edge in business and adding value to the IT solutions. Here the need to come up with innovative solutions is assisted by DiensTek. The assistance organisations receive include the creation of reports and documents to extend the already substantial reports and documents already available. CaseManager not only improves productivity, but also reduces errors and improves feedback to customers as a matter of standard and quality assurance.

Engage Contribution

In alignment with the new communication requirements today’s customers require, the product called Engage offers a messaging solution. Engage increases the productivity of workers allowing more communication with customers in a more standardized way without losing the conversational aspect. Customers know they are working with a real person on the other end after preliminaries have been established.

Further to this, Engage allow team collaboration on specific messaging conversations. This allows supervisors to get involved in difficult situations to address more complex questions and complaints. It also allows managers to train new employees right there on the job in a way where the customer is none the wiser while still receiving excellent service. Of course, a specific record of every conversation is also kept.

Conclusion

In this article we considered the influence of IT in modern organisations and how every business leader needs to consider implementing as much automated solutions as is feasible and applicable. The value IT offers is a baseline for any business who wishes to be competitive, deliver to customers and be profitable.

Works Cited

1999. Harvard Business Review on the Business Value of IT. A Harvard Business Review Paperback. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

N.d. “Beyond Productivity : Information Technology, Innovation, and Creativity.” https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/ZTAwMHh3d19fODY4ODRfX0FO0?sid=7f95e037-ce18-4088-be02 bd1654fc4888%40redis&vid=2&format=EB&lpid=lp_15&rid=0.

N.d. “J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Chat and Email Benchmarking Study.” J.D. Power. https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/jd-power-2016-us-chat-and-email-benchmarking-study.