Technology, efficiency and remote working
Technology has had a huge impact on how businesses operate and how employees work. Two of the main ways it has changed businesses are increased efficiency and remote working.
Increased efficiency
Increased efficiency means that a business is able to produce items and provide services more quickly, more accurately and with fewer resources. For example, in the car industry, cars would traditionally have been produced by many people working on an assembly line A series of workers and machines in a factory by which a succession of similar items is progressively assembled.. In contrast, in a modern factory, cars are mostly made using machines. This means these factories require only a small number of employees.
Technology has also vastly improved the efficiency of communication in businesses. Messages can now be sent very quickly to a large number of people with a reduced risk of barriers to communication. Common ways of communicating using technology include email, text messages, online chat, telephone calls and online video communications.
Remote working
Remote working is where employees are able to work from home or somewhere that is not the main working environment of their employer. This is because technology has enabled them to work at home in the same way they would in an office. Not all roles are able to take advantage of remote working. For example, police officers and retail workers usually cannot work from home.
Remote working means that employees have more flexibility – they may not have to travel as far and are less likely to take time off because of sickness or be late. However, employees working remotely may not always work as hard and they may not be able to seek help easily when required.
