Simplifying the complex of your technology

Technology promises to simplify our life, not complicate it

Technology is pretty much everywhere, it is universal and affects nearly every part of our day-to-day business activities. It transforms everything we use these days, and the rate of progress is just gaining momentum. However, within this lies what we could refer to as ”The Technology Paradox”, which promises to simplify our lives but may just over-complicate it. Therefore, it is important that tech brands understand how to make these processes as easy as pie. Find out about simplifying the complex.

How technology is making your life harder…

We are all guilty of forgetting our login passwords and backup email addresses. We all have found ourselves wasting time switching from app to app in order to perform a simple transaction, or getting an overload of notifications. That is because, indeed, technology overload can be a productivity killer when we adopt new or additional technologies that end up causing more friction than if something was done manually.

Complexity may come as a result of having heterogeneous IT landscapes, developing multiple unnecessary vendors and systems that, in turn, reduce agility and disrupt the customer experience. By not using the right technologies and integrating information systems, companies do not facilitate real-time visibility and collaboration capabilities. Thus, if something goes wrong, the entire supply chain becomes disrupted.

Mistake companies often make and should avoid is focusing on developing IT landscapes to run better and attempting to stay ahead of the competition with the tech trends, instead of focusing on how these platforms can help a company to drive innovation and capitalise on it, in order to achieve business objectives.

…and how to fix it

One for all and all for one.

The first solution is straightforward, tech brands should focus on developing simple data integration systems eg. one app for all instead of having to switch platforms. This can help to reduce inefficiencies and capture synergies.

Three key questions.

Furthermore, it is key to focus on the things that truly matter and that is adding value to your customer. It is important to actively review your tech processes, and before investing time and money in developing them ask yourself three key questions: Is this necessary? What work does this take away? Am I getting caught up in the ‘’hype’’? Once you have gotten the self-reflection out of the way, do not be shy to ask your customers for feedback as well. You want individuals to communicate with your brand in order to drive for constant improvement, so ensure to tell them that their input is needed in order to succeed.

Focus on the visual.

A picture is worth a thousand words, therefore, try to simplify technology by creating strong visual content. For example, tech companies can integrate simplified user interface designs (also known as SUI) like all the big boys like Microsoft or Google are doing. Through clean and content-effective designs, customer experience can be enhanced. So if you are ever in doubt, success can be found more often than not by returning to the basics, by illustrating products and communication in an attractive, but simple way.

Have you ever seen GoPro’s Instagram page? If you have not we highly encourage you to check it out! GoPro does not actively create its own content. Users create content for them. The goal of this customer-generated approach is not to show off the product. The end result of the high-definition camera speaks for itself. Even the YouTube channel of the company is thriving. They have over 5 million subscribers where they post engaging and thrilling content.

Tesla’s superb invitation reveals a hidden message when you play with the lighting. The Peugeot 508 gliding across a giant piano to show off its next-generation i-Cockpit are also good examples of that.

Focus on consumer benefits.

Customers mostly do not want to know tech stories. They want to know how technology can make their lives easier. A quote from PR Week says:

“Consumers are now far less interested in the actual technology behind machines, the incremental changes in models and the emotional pull towards having the latest version. Instead, they are far more concerned with the rational consideration of how different technologies fit together to make their lives run more smoothly.”

DS Cars and Barclays partnership were one of the companies that showcased the consumer benefit. They launched a car key which was able to proceed with contactless payments. It was a creative idea of showcasing how design and technology blend in together and making the life of the user easier.

Humanise your technology.

We believe in diversity, however, unless you are a robot you cannot really relate to technology. Humans relate the best to humans.

Microsoft had mastered it with their artificial intelligence campaign “Amplifying Human Ingenuity”. Instead of focusing on the complexities of AI, Microsoft showed the benefits for humans of this new kind of intelligence software.

Jaguar Land Rover’s “Virtual Eyes” campaign showed how trust changes if autonomous cars could communicate through human-like ‘eye’ contact.

Fitbit’s #MyReasonIs campaign turns followers into brand ambassadors. They encourage each and every one of them to share a real-world story. Those should cover how they have changed their lives thanks to Fitbit

Nike’s cool LED running track which places competitive runners at its heart and then encourages them to race against themselves

In the last ten years, technology has transitioned into an economical horizontal from being a mere vertical dominated by software and hardware vendors. Today, the technology we use is more essential than the actual technology. Allowing simple and straightforward information flow in the tech environment is particularly vital for micro, small and start-up companies to integrate into value chains, operate and innovate fully. Therefore, given that information and digital technology is everywhere, at all times, let’s focus on simplifying the complex.

Liked this article? Why not read “Educating your prospects effectively in the sales process”

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