PwC Herald Talks
What the Internet of Things can do for your business
The Internet of Things (IoT) offers endless opportunities to increase productivity, says small business owner Sam Ramlu.
Ramlu, managing director and cofounder of Auckland-based digital agency Method, says she believes the technology has more potential than most realise.
“It’s essentially transforming the way we do business,” she says.
Her advice: “Start by looking at areas in your business where IoT could be useful and taking the step to implement one thing initially.
“It may seem like an investment at first but over time it’ll pay off.”
Ramlu says the technology can be used to access useful data, improve efficiency, productivity, reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction.
A panelist at this month’s PwC Herald Talks, Ramlu will discuss how it can create more meaningful experiences for business customers.
For example, how donating to a charity can be made easier by using connected devices, or how a smartphone can create a more entertaining tourist attraction.
Method uses the technology to help its clients improve their products and services.
“It’s twofold for us,” Ramlu says. “Firstly to help decipher how IoT might help a client, their product or service, how will it enable them to get better insights into their business and customers, what might be useful and how they can create a better customer journey.
“Secondly it’s about the im- plementation of this. We can create connections to get those insights, start collecting and visualising data or patterns to create a better customer journey, to improve current systems to be more efficient and useful, to then create the applications and experiences that link in with the IoT.”
Ramlu says the IoT will transform business with automation and AI.
“I don’t believe there’ll be less people in the workforce. It’s not about losing our jobs, it’s about being more efficient so can amplify what we do best as people.”