(This post originally appeared on Forbes)
Here are five things in technology that happened this past week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
1 — Microsoft is rolling out a money management app.
Microsoft announced this past week that they are going to be releasing an app to help manage money, called Money in Excel. The new feature will be a part of Microsoft 365 and is going to mirror many of the features and qualities available in the tech giant’s Excel spreadsheets both in appearance and the way it works. With the new app, users will be able to sync their credit card and bank accounts to it in order to automatically keep track of purchases, deposits, and each accounts’ balance. Money in Excel will be able to help users identify trends and patterns in their spending along with several key components to keep users up-to-date on their accounts. (Source: Motley Fool) (Note: My company, The Marks Group PC, is a Microsoft partner).
Why this is important for your business:
One of the more popular benefits that I’ve seen businesses – usually larger businesses – offer their employees are help with their personal finances. Some actually hire accountants and financial planners as consultants. Others have signed on to money management apps. Microsoft’s new app, which is part of their Office suite, gives you, the small business owner, a chance to do the same. The better your employees manage their money in these uncertain times, the more stable they’ll be at work.
2 — Trello is integrating the automation tool Butler with Slack and Jira.
Project management and collaboration platform Trello shared this past week that they will be implementing Butler—their no-code automation feature—into Jira and Slack. Users of Trello— which is owned by Atlassin— will now be able to design their automated workflow to encompass the features that are highly used in Jira or Slack.. (Source: ZDNet)
Why this is important for your business:
Trello is an excellent project management application that’s used by many of my clients. Now that it’s integrated with both Jira and Slack the application becomes an even more powerful collaboration tool. Through the integration with Jira, companies that use Trello have the capability to create triggers that will automatically deliver tickets to the developers behind Jira or notify an entire team in Slack of a change in their Trello CRM branch, effectively streamlining a cohesive workflow throughout each app
3 —Google’s new Chrome OS touch gestures make navigation easier.
Google is introducing new features on their tablet, making improvements to its touch capabilities. Now when users want to get to their Home screen on the tablet, all they will need to do is swipe from the bottom up and all open applications will immediately be minimized. Users can quickly see each app and window they have open by keeping hold of the screen as they swipe from the bottom up. That will allow them to see each item that is open and running on their tablet. Google has also made design and functionality improvements to Quick shelf, web browsing, and tab management in Chrome OS. (Source: Engadget)
Why this is important for your business:
There’s more. Like new gestures for web browsing, easier management of tabs, as well as quick opening and reordering of tabs. All of these features will help your Chrome users be more productive. But a heads up: they’re only available on the Lenovo Chromebook Duet initially.
4 — Grocery stores are enlisting in robots for stocking and deliveries.
Grocery stores have had to adapt to the changes COVID-19 has presented, including the implementation of using robots in their locations. Through using robots to stock shelves and deliver grocery orders, stores are able to—not only manage their efficiency—also better support employees who are working to remain safe as crowds continue to flock to brick-and-mortar stores. Retail giant Walmart is going to begin using robots provided by Brain Corp, a company that focuses on robots that keeps floors clean in retail locations. Walmart also plans to utilize robots to assist with inventory and delivery tasks. Broad Branch Market— located in Washington D.C. — has also started to use robots enabled with AI and motion sensors to help deliver orders while their stores remain closed. (Source: Pymnts)
Why this is important for your business:
Robots are quickly moving into the retail space and grocery stores that are adopting this kind of technology in response to the social distancing from COVID-19 are, I’m sure, going to continue to use these robots going forward. It’s a forced investment but one that was inevitable. If you’re a smaller retailer or grocer, you’re going to need to do the same if you hope to compete.
5— CFOs are looking to make remote work and telecommuting more permanent following COVID-19 according to a Gartner survey.
A recent Gartner survey has revealed that 74% of CFOs plan to continue implementing telecommuting as part of their typical work policy even once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. 317 CFOs participated in the survey, which focused on the ways remote work become more permanent even after the pandemic, as businesses seek to minimize costs through saving money on commercial buildings, among other ways that working remotely can help cut expenses. The survey also detailed that nearly 25% of the participants shared that they plan to have— at a minimum— 20% of their employees permanently work remotely. (Source: ZDNet)
Why this is important for your business:
I keep telling my clients: I told you so! Next up: those employees who are horrible working from home and what to do about them.
