Solving 3 Common SMB Pain Points with Cloud & Tablet Technology

Increasing efficiency for small and medium- sized business (SMB) means eliminating unnecessary processes in order to maximize available budgets and resources. Today, SMBs are moving away from paper intensive processes by digitizing office documents to improve everyday workflow and business operations.

SMBs are increasingly incorporating cloud-based solutions to enhance the digitization of their businesses. Acting as an extension of the cloud, tablets are among the top devices facilitating the shift to the digital office. In fact, last year, companies with fewer than 1,000 employees saw almost double-digit growth in tablet usage and, by 2015, 82.1 million people will own a tablet in the United States.

SMBs are present in almost every industry, including but not limited to: healthcare, insurance, legal, and financial services. Although each of these industries has unique qualities and differentiating business demands, all SMBs share a common underlying thread—the need for easy-to-use, manageable technology solutions to keep their businesses afloat and thriving.

The day-to-day life for every SMB professional is hectic because most are faced with daily tasks such as scheduling appointments, managing office finances, and everyday business operations. But in the midst of managing administrative responsibilities, disorganization, security issues, and time management often become pain points for practices. Below are the major pain points that SMBs commonly experience and how these problems are solved with tablets and the cloud.

Document overload

For most SMBs, owners and employees are often responsible for many different documents, including customer service documentation, business plans, and financial paperwork. These documents are often paper-based and require onsite storage, which, if filed in a standard five-drawer filing cabinet, can cost businesses upwards of $2,000 to own and manage per year. The cost to store and manage documents is especially evident in paper-intensive offices such as office-based physician practices and legal firms that need to keep in-depth, individual files and records for each client or patient. SMBs can save money by utilizing the cloud and digitizing their documents securely through cloud-based document management solutions.

In addition to costs associated with storing paper-based files, another disadvantage is the risk associated with documents being misplaced by human error or ultimately lost during a natural disaster. Single copies of documents stored at one location are at risk of being stolen or destroyed during unexpected break-ins, fires, and even floods. SMBs should store copies of documents in the cloud so that in the case of a disaster, files are backed up and can be easily recovered.

Cloud-enabled tablets can also provide instant access to digital documents, whether in the office or on the road, eliminating the need to physically search for paper files and allowing users to review large chunks of data.

Demand for mobility

With a limited number of staff available to handle multiple responsibilities, small businesses need to supply their teams with technology to meet the demands of today’s mobile workforce. Although the demand for mobility varies in different industries, it is apparent that professionals in all industries benefit from the use of mobile devices at work. For example, according to recent reports, four out of five practicing physicians use at least one smartphone, tablet, laptop, or a combination of devices at the point of care. Concurrently, 89 percent of attorneys have reported using a smartphone for law-related tasks while away from their primary workplace.

Similar to the initial introduction of the smartphone to the office, tablets are the latest devices that are making the shift from an optional device to a business necessity in the office environment. One of the greatest benefits of tablets and the cloud is the ability to access, capture and upload documents or photos anytime, anywhere. According to recent reports, 58 percent of mobile workers expect to rely more on tablets this year. With the ability to connect to the cloud and other business networks at any time, mobile access drives business efficiency outside of the office. By providing business teams with cloud-enabled tablets, employees can be more productive while away from their desks, whether in the board room or boarding a plane.

Managing multiple workflows

Instead of overextending internal resources, SMBs typically work with outside vendors, contractors and third parties to meet different customer requests. The cloud supports efficient collaboration between SMBs and outside vendors by allowing secure network access to enhance file sharing capabilities. To protect both the business and the customer, SMBs have the option to share specific selected network folders with certain vendors, instead of allowing access to the entire business network.

Although outsourcing enhances productivity for SMBs, maintaining version control through the constant sharing of files through email and other collaboration tools can be a time-wasting burden. According to research from Gartner, knowledge workers waste 20–30 percent of their working hours managing document-based information. Certain cloud solutions enable updated document versions to be shared automatically to authorized network users or quickly via email.

Cloud solutions can also automatically sync across multiple devices, making it convenient for tablet and mobile users to access files from anywhere, at any time. To further reduce wasted time, it is important to look for cloud solutions that provide powerful search engines that will not only find files by name or metadata, but also by full text search of the documents.

Regardless of industry specifics, all small to medium-sized businesses encounter similar pain points. By using cloud-enabled technology, SMBs can address the underlying issues of handling too many documents, mobile access, and collaboration to provide customers with the best service possible.