Padraig Sheerin, head of SME at Three Ireland
The basis for investment in technology among Irish SMEs is shifting towards strategic, forward thinking rather than reactionary tactics aimed at maintaining a bare minimum, according to Three Ireland
I t’s hard to believe that this year marks the ten-year anniversary of the iPhone, serving as a reminder of the pace of change in technology during that time and how its use by consumers and businesses has been revolutionised since then.
Research published by Three Ireland in February really brought this to light – one of its findings was that when presented with the option of using just one device for the working day, over 30% of business owners surveyed chose a smartphone over a laptop, PC or tablet.
Six in ten respondents in that survey said their smartphone was the single most important technology that allows them to do their job and 77% felt they could either totally or somewhat stay on top of their work just using their smartphone.
“There are so many things we do now on a smartphone that we don’t think twice about. It has all become so quick and natural, even for Generation X,” says Padraig Sheerin, head of SME at Three Ireland.
“Business owners have as much data available to them now through their smartphone as through their desktop. This is allowing companies to be much more accessible and responsive. But they must also be mindful of the security elements when data is linking back to their customer relationship management systems [CRM].”
Three Ireland’s Irish Business Mindset Survey report released last December revealed that 22% of Irish SMEs use a CRM system, a percentage which Sheerin expects to rise dramatically.
“As we look ahead to 2017 and beyond, one especially important trend to pay attention to is the rising focus on CRM built to accommodate the alwayson, social media, DIY customer,” he says.
“Businesses of all sizes will benefit from cloud-based CRMs that integrate customer-behaviour tracking to facilitate decisions for business growth and product improvement – it’s all about using the data available in a better way to contribute to your marketing and sales strategy.”
Cloud on the rise
At present, the survey shows, 70% of businesses are mainly using cloud for what you might expect: file storage and sharing from the big players like Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive. But, the use of CRMs in the cloud is going to accelerate, according to Sheerin.
“Some SMEs are already using cloud in ways that truly elevate their business. It is much more accessible to smaller companies now – solutions that were only acceptable for large corporate companies in the past can now be used by small firms,” he says.
“Using a monthly subscription model, they can tap into the most up-to-date telephony, CRM and the Microsoft suite for example. The barriers to entry to the cloud are practically removed for smaller companies – an increasing number are realising they can try different solutions with relative ease and low risk.”
The initial investment in cloud-based solutions is a lot less nowadays and counts towards operating costs, he adds. “The ability to scale up or down takes the pain out of growing and the bite out of future recessions.”
The general movement into the cloud is behind a key finding in the survey – the fact that 60% of Irish SMEs claim that technology is central to their business and growth strategy.
“We have reached a tipping point in terms of SMEs viewing technology as an enabler of future growth,” says Sheerin.
“The 40% of SMEs that remain hesitant about technology investment see it as a necessary evil to stay compliant and up to date. They need to realise that it is not about a massive cost to upgrade any more, but more about understanding the improvements that can be made in their business.
“The cloud doesn’t mean that everything has become more abstract or remote – it is focused on the customer experience. If this is better a company will win business, it is that simple.”
Smaller companies with a proactive approach to technology are embracing it in various ways to improve their performance. Sheerin notes that in the healthcare space, for example, Three Ireland has seen a number of companies remove reams of record-keeping paperwork with a single handheld solution. “This solution allows them to keep records and manage rostering. IT has effectively transformed how they operate, all supported by cloud storage,” notes Sheerin.
Elsewhere, a refrigeration company with a small distribution network is using a smartphone solution which allows it to remotely monitor temperatures using SIM cards in its refrigeration units. Staff will be alerted if a unit is overheating or faulty. And a retail chain has made its CCTV and tills accessible via smartphone or tablet using a solution which is completely secure and private.
“There are more and more examples of technology solutions such as these matching business requirements. They can all be done via the cloud on a monthly subscription basis. As a subscriber you are continually availing of the latest updates,” says Sheerin.
“As we look ahead to 2017 and beyond, one especially important trend to pay attention to is the rising focus on CRM built to accommodate the always-on, social media, DIY customer”