Future Technology in Management

It's all so simple to make predictions about the future in terms of management by looking at what's happening now- but what about an idealist approach? We all have a dream of where we want to be working, how we want our lives to be run and define our day to day around achieving this. So by looking at the future of management, this will allow for a fresh approach to analysing how you can better understand where your industry is going.

Objectively speaking, the workplace has already dramatically transformed- of course, technology cannot be ignored. There has been a massive push towards Augmented Reality (AR) and artificial intelligence within operational and factory work (as I recently discussed on Quora). Focussing on AR, this is so much more than just a tool used by Niantic to market Pokemon Go; it can be where your dreams are brought to life.

If organisations can harness the true power of AR, we could see this generation notice the fundamental decrease in accidents in the workplace and a shift towards a four day week that promote innovative practice. This technology, when widely implemented, will also become massively cheaper to integrate into businesses.

2020, the year small businesses fight back!

If you're thinking about, or have ever thought about, setting up your own business- this might interest you. With cheaper systems comes the opportunity for those independent shops to incorporate and profit from AR. Having a unique selling point is often the deciding factor in whether a business is able to sustain longevity. By having a shop that is able to utilise this technology in a unique and personable way, might just win over custom.

We've all noticed the implementation of chat services used by shops to entice you into buying that 'last pair' of shoes (or maybe just me). There has also been the use of 'special promo codes' that allow for a reduction in a product if you enter a certain code shared by an Instagram influencer. These little innovative tweaks in their approach have seen businesses like Gymshark (who I will be writing about in an upcoming article) and Boohoo, catapulted into recognisable brands.

But how could technology change a working week? 

The four day week has been debated for years. Will it work? Will employers still receive the same amount of productivity? Whilst Skype is being used for long distance office meetings and conference calls; AR is also being utilised to fully understand concepts before they're launched- whilst also being hugely beneficial for the environment. AR can help to imagine what a pair of shoes might look like on your feet before release or help to plan out your living room furniture right from your phone.

If employees are able to release content through an app, this saves a huge amount of time that could negate precious office hours being spent on face to face market research and could allow that employee to better understand customer opinions of a product or idea before launch. These saved hours help justify the push towards a four day week, but don't just take my word for it, countries like Finland, Japan and New Zealand are already discussing the idea of having a four day working week. This is only one approach to how technology can save time, there have been countless studies and books released around the topic that reinforce the concept.

When will this happen?

In all honesty, you're a little late to the party! This decade promises to be a revolutionary one- equipped with technological advances, improvements in the working week and the further understanding of influencer power. As long as organisational management embrace these technological advances, we could see the economy improve and happier employees that relish a working environment (but don't hold me to that).

This was just a whistle stop tour of how the future of management can be influenced by technology. If you have a specific area that you are curious about or just love reading my truly inspiring (okay maybe a little too far) articles, then be sure to reach out to me. Your opinions and feedback are what make this hobby worthwhile.