Should You Jump on the Technological Bandwagon (时尚) Technological Advances and Their Influence Within the last 20 years, we have been swamped with new technology which has helped us run our businesses faster, and hopefully better. Recently, some of us have begun to question whether the onslaught of ever newer technology is really helping us as much as the initial improvements did. Just because a technology is new doesn’’t necessarily mean that it is better. Perhaps what we should be asking is "What technology can we really use" We all have some hi-tech products that we’’ve bought but don’’t use. Many of us have a VCR with so many complex functions that we have difficulty programming it to record a program. Similarly, we have seen workers spend an hour playing with a computer program to print out a single mailing label which could have been more quickly done on a typewriter. Every business may not be able to afford all of these new toys. And they may not need to. Remembering that in many cases the pushers of new technology are simply salespeople trying to get you to pay for the toys which intrigue them. There are several questions you should ask yourself before making any decision: How much are these toys really worth Does this new technology make sense for your business Is this technology really worth the effort needed to use it With any new technology, there is a payback time when the increased efficiency gained may help to pay for the adoption of that new technology. When you first computerized your office, you got a big boost in efficiency for a minimal investment. As the technology gets ever more sophisticated, you start to lose that increase in efficiency. The old saying goes that you get 90% of your increase in efficiency for 10% of your investment. The remaining 90% of your money is spent trying to get that last 10% increase in efficiency. You have to analyze your business and decide if you ever get enough increase in efficiency to pay back that large additional cost. New Technologies and Their Cost You need to analyze die way you do business to see what you can do to increase your efficiency. You can’’t get caught in the trap of "WE’’VE ALWAYS DONE IT THIS WAY!" You want to keep the best, and throw away the things that slow you down. Sometimes that does mean adopting new technology. Sometimes it means changing the way you do business. Sometimes it means keeping what you have. Let’’s consider and analyze some of the new technologies. --Internet Presence The Internet is receiving a lot of hype (炒作) these days, and it sounds as though every business needs to have an Internet presence. Developing and maintaining a website takes time and money. Before you make that investment, you should decide if you really need an Internet presence. Ask yourself these questions: Are your potential clients located throughout me United States Do your potential clients own computers Are your potential clients computer sophisticates who surf the Web regularly Are the people who ARE on the Internet part of your potential client base (The primary users of me Internet at this time tend to be educated, middle to upper middle class people.) If you can answer yes to all of these questions, then an Internet presence may make sense for your business. If your potential clients are all local, if they have little or no access to the Internet, then this technology may be one you can play with, as long as you recognize that the expenses will not necessarily increase your business. --Paperless Office A paperless office is one in which all records are kept only in the computer. To many people, this appears to be a good idea. No paper files are kept, so no time is spent filing. However, time is still needed to scan information into the computer, correct it, etc. More importantly, In most computer systems, there exists the possibility of altering records without a trail being left. The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) knows this. They know that it is harder to "doctor" paper records. Recently several court decisions have hinged on the ability of the premium finance company to produce paper records of their operations. Is this new technology worth the money, time and risk --Automated Phone System By automated phone systems, I am referring to those systems which direct you to "PRESS 1 to TALK TO DEPARTMENT ONE; PRESS 2 TO FIND OUT YOUR ACCOUNT STATUS, ETC." These systems are, in many companies, replacing a real person servicing the clients. I personally detest those systems and, given the choice, do not do business with those companies that use an automated phone system. I don’’t think I am alone. However, if you choose to use an automated phone system, you need to get a good one, with lots of options to answer client questions. The cost of such a system is high. The "whizkid" (神童) suggested that you should really spend about $50,000 to get an adequate system. That is a lot of money for all but the largest operations. Sales pros tell us that "the customer is always right." If that is true, so is the idea that the customer is important to your business, and deserves your full attention. An automated phone system tells that customer that you think of him as a number that can be handled with an impersonal automated message and then dismissed. The systems are slow and annoying and many people still have to talk to a real person to get the answer they want. The customer’’s problem is not resolved quickly and they feel abused. In a society ever more conscious of service, that is a dangerous message to send. From a customer satisfaction standpoint — nothing beats a smiling voice on the other end of the phone who is willing to answer a question or solve a problem. Research has repeatedly shown that "giving good telephone" (as one of our clients put it) helps enhance customer satisfaction, thus helping to retain business and bring in new business. --Laser-Printed Forms Laser-printed forms sound like a great idea, and in some cases, they are. With laser printable forms, an agent can print premium finance agreements on plain paper in his/her office. And if all premium finance forms were laser printable, a premium finance company would need only one printer for all of its printing needs. However, there are some significant problems with laser printable forms that may rule them out for your operation. One concern for all laser printable forms is the cost. It’’s true that when you can print on plain paper, you no longer have to purchase forms. That cost, however, is offset by the need to purchase paper, printer supplies, and increased maintenance. One of the PC magazines recently quoted a cost of 3.5—5.0 cents per page. In addition, the ability to print forms on a laser printer requires additional programming. Programs that enable you to print forms on a laser printer, generally must be WINDOWS-based. This means that programming costs are higher because of the complexity of the programming required. And support costs more for the company developing the program, which is reflected in the cost to the customer. That means that the costs of these programs are higher than you might expect, or be willing to pay for. Conclusion In conclusion, the question to ask is "Is the new technology worth having" Are you increasing efficiency and value to your business or are you simply doing tricks Do you really have a payback for the added expense of the new technology (and the costs are high) You have to analyze these questions in the context of your own business requirements and operation before deciding to jump on the technology wagon. New technology isn’’t necessarily better for your business. And up to date technology may put you behind in terms of cost and efficiency.
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