IoT: 2020 is The Year of Radical Change For Workers

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

Who would have believed the possibility? Who thought it would come to pass? Who foresaw the impact IoT is having on our day to day activities?

Today, the impossible is happening. You can now talk to your phone just the same way you talk to your friends. You can give instructions and have meaningful discussions with your refrigerator. 

Your watch was more of an ornamental you used to tell time but not anymore. IoT and advancement in technology have radically changed that fact, you can now use it to track your heart condition, know where to go, send emails and texts, and carry on discussions with your friends. 

Our personal devices are playing very effective roles in our daily activities, thanks to the amazing transformation brought about by IoT. Some few years back, this would have sounded unbelievable and pure magic, but it’s the reality today. 

So, why won’t you capitalize on this in 2020? IoT is set to bring a massive turn around in how we work and you can’t afford to be left behind. 

Here are a few ways IoT will affect your work in the year to come and beyond: 

No need to stress and exhaust yourself

The word work was meant to be what it is, a task that is strenuous, trying, time-consuming, energy-sapping, mentally-challenging, stressful, and often tending to boredom. It was not meant to be fun and it never was. 

The whole scenario got to a head that organizations had to go out of their ways to ensure that whatever form of technological innovation was applied to cushion the effect and probably bring an increase in ROI but it actually didn’t work out that way in most cases. The huge amount of resources you have been sinking into applications rather than help your employees have even made them the worse for it.

You have even ended up in getting them more confused by all the latest gadgets you’ve been putting in place when you thought you were helping out. Your essence in trying to streamline functions, processes, and make work simpler has evidently left your employees more confused. 

Incidentally, we have devices at home that are eminently making life easier for us. They know our preferences and modes of operating. 

In 2020, however, the radical transformation that will take place for workers is that technologies we have been using at home to make life easier will be applicable in the workplace. The employee experience will be better for it. 

IoT devices will relegate to the background, the stressful and tactical busy work schedule by delivering the much-needed insights. This will go a long way to bring about the ease required for your employees, translate into higher ROI, and a better standard of living for everybody involved.

Virtual assistants to the rescue

Going by the report from MIT’s Sloan Management Review, your average employee spends an approximately whopping 22 years of their 45-year career in meetings that do not add any value to the organization. Another interesting revelation is that more than 25% of the remaining time is spent searching for information. 

The question now is how much meaningful work can any employee do with this kind of set up? This is the more reason why IoT has come in to transform the way we work.

With virtual assistants that have all the demographic data about your employees, they will have the much-needed time to do their work the way they like to do it. Enjoy the satisfaction of not requesting time off to run up some very important assignment because your virtual assistant is there to take over.

Besides, sales opportunities will automatically be moved out of the pipeline and into the system of record as soon as you close them. Documentations of virtual meetings will automatically be sent to associates as soon as they are over.

Technology is right there with you wherever you are

You can imagine the stress you go through lugging laptops, tablets, and mobile devices everywhere just because you don’t want to miss out any single opportunity, IoT has come in to address that in 2020 and beyond. Digital workspaces will deliver the apps and information we need anywhere, anytime, to any device. 

Things like dialing in attendees on the Polycom are no longer necessary, the IoT-enabled workspace already knows everybody and what meeting they are attending and the requisite presentation. All you need is to just get things started using the equipment that’s already there.

Collaboration at work to be transformed with AR

In the past years, augmented reality (AR) was focused more on fun and games but this is to be completely transformed. Software developers have decided that it won’t be all games again, they are focusing on how AR will be used to transform the way employees collaborate at work. 

Won’t it be fun if you can see, interact, and transact businesses with colleagues and customers around the world in new ways through smart glasses? AR will eradicate the boredom associated with working remote and bring about experiencing corporate meetings as if we were there in person. 

There is also the added advantage of testing new products as if workers were in the field, the opportunity for acquisition of new skills in digitally improved classrooms. Workers will also be able to receive information in context and embark on the processing it quicker and promptly in order to make better and insightful decisions.
It is erroneous to still believe that IoT is just for toys. IoT is mega-business. To remain relevant in the business world in 2020 and beyond, you must evolve with the transformation or you will be blown to smithereens.