Recent research revealed the importance of Australians embracing and adopting the latest digital technologies. It discovered that only 57% of Australians use digital technologies. The research further reported that 31% of Australians do not use a wearable device, smart home appliance, or voice assistant device.
Conversely, they are interested in investing in the latest digital technologies, with 70% saying they would purchase a connected home device such as connected appliances, smart light bulbs, and Lenovo Display or Google Nest.
The slow adoption of digital technology is due to people’s reluctance to use it. Theyare also not keen on businesses incorporating digital technology into their operations, even though doing so would benefit them greatly by improving how they target their audience with their products and services.
Why Australians Do Not Want Businesses to Adopt Digital Technologies
When the researchers inquired why they are against businesses using digital technologies, half of the respondents stated that they would feel uneasy and uncomfortable using facial recognition technology at retail stores.
Retail stores can benefit from using facial recognition technology, as it can help them create a more personalized experience with the point of sale advertisements. The researchers concluded that the respondents were okay with using technology that benefited them and made their life easier, such as using Amazon Alexa or Google Home device. They would also readily embrace self-driving cars.
The reason for their reluctance and unwillingness to use devices that would benefit businesses is the fear of losing control over how, when, and why they use digital technologies. However, facial recognition software is not the only digital technology businesses can use to further their goals and accomplish them on time.
Australian businesses inadvertently are failing to embrace and adopt the latest technological advancements. Businesses need to first recognize and admit to their failure to incorporate digital technology into their structure and then learn how they can move towards gradual adoption of them.
How Businesses in Australia Can Move Towards Technological Adoption
Businesses can move towards technological adoption by recognizing the benefits they will receive by integrating a specific type of digital technology. The fivedigital technologies they can consider embracing and adopting include:
- Blockchainis a digital platform that enables recording, confirming, and storing information and data available across a shared computer network.
- Internet of Things (IoT) correlates multiple inputs, integrates traditional and innovative data sources, and provides real-time analysis.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) utilizes various technologies without requiring human direction and interference. They include automation, machine learning, computer vision, and decision and optimization support.
- Quantum Computing leverages the capability of subatomic particles to exist in several multiple states at one time.
- Cloud Computing enables access to data and applications in any location in the world and from any device with an active internet connection.
However, small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) in Australia have yet to embrace and adopt digital technologies. Adopting and embracing digital technologies can increase profit, embrace product innovations, enforce competitiveness, and create new job opportunities. Why are SMEs slow to adopt digital technologies then?
This reticence is due to a lack of awareness regarding the advantages, low digital skills, lack of time and resources to research and use the latest digital technologies, and worries about costs. Here is how businesses can embrace and adopt the latest digital technologies in Australia:
1. Investigate Technologies that Can Resolves Problems for Your Business
You need to determine your business’s problem is experiencing and then investigate the various technologies that can resolve the problems for your business. The purpose of adopting digital technologies is to provide solutions to inefficiencies.
It’s best to look at all the available technological solutions that can be used to resolve the problem. Once you have chosen the technology, introduce it to your employees and customers if applicable.
Communicate how it can resolve the problem and ensure it will solve the problems you identified earlier. You can solicit feedback from important stakeholders. You must involve stakeholders from every level to help you recognize unexpected issues, discover solutions, and facilitate the eventual transition.
By fostering a collaborative environment, you will be able to create ambassadors for the latest technology at every business level by asking for their feedback. You can explain the advantages and the expected outcomes of digital technology so that they can aid the effort of your employees in the future.
2. Create an Implementation Team to Support the Latest Technology
You can create a small or large team depending on the amount of work implementing new technology will require. You need an implementation team because you need to generate acceptance for it among employees and customers if applicable. Your implementation team will handle three important tasks:
- Ensuring the project receives proper resources.
- Supervising administrative details.
- Handling conflicting priorities.
You’ll also need an internal sponsor, a project manager, and an integrator.
3. Operate a Pilot Program to Work Out Problems and Get Buy-in
You will need to create a pilot program to prove the technical possibility of the latest digital technology to top management, including serving as a trustworthy demonstration for other departments within the company.
Running a pilot program will allow you to work out problems such as connecting new and old technologies and ironing and tweaking out the processes for successful task completion using the latest digital technologies. The pilot program’s success will prepare you for the next step, which is installation, setup, and training.
4. Train Employees to Use the Latest Digital Technology
You will need to train your employees to use the latest digital technology, as not all are user-friendly and require extensive training. You can develop interactive training sessions for successful and smooth implementation. When training employees, remember the following:
- People have different learning needs and styles.You need to tailor the training sessions to accommodate different types of learners by offering them a wide range of options and materials.
- Tell your employees the importance of learning and how it will influence their day-to-day work
- Ask them to provide feedback at every stage during the digital technology implementation process
If employees and/or customers resist change or display confusion from the onset, businesses can expect low adoption rates. Therefore, it is important to train when implementing the latest digital technologyproperly.
5. Launch and Fine-tune the Digital Technology to Suit Your Needs Over Time
You have troubleshot your latest digital technology, and you have successfully implemented it. If you set it and forget it, technology implementations will fail. You need to evaluate the performance of the technology post-installation.
If you encounter problems, and the chances are that you will, you can continue to iterate how you use the latest technology or the way you set it up. You can ask your account manager to assist you by ensuring the new technology works.
Conclusion
Businesses in Australia need to invest in the latest digital technologies to streamline their operations.They can use the steps to incorporate these technologies and have both employees and customersembrace and adopt the change.
