New-Tech Europe | February 2019

trend of teams operating from remote locations. Job applications HR departments can streamline the recruitment process with Applicant Tracking Systems like SmartRecruiters or Zoho. These systems can scan through job applications and CVs to select candidates with the right experience, skills and know-how, giving recruiters more time to focus on interviewing potential candidates and focusing on finding the perfect person to fill the vacancy. Invoicing and online accounting As any business owner knows, balancing the books and creating invoices can be a time-consuming process. Software like Sage Business Cloud Accounting can make the process easier by automatically creating invoices and quotes, reconciling your bank accounts and tracking expenses. Saving you valuable time, which can instead be spent on financial planning and strategy. Automated process tools If none of the above options suit you, then you can create your own. If This Then That(IFTTT) is a powerful tool which allows you to create your own automated process, also known as Applets. Applets pair a wide range of platforms with IFTTT to streamline nearly any task. For example, you can create an automated time tracking Applet, automatically save email attachments to Google Drive, log calls on Excel, and much more. Team management Task management tools, like Basecamp, Trello, and Google Calendar, have become an integral part of any busy business. Automated teammanagement platforms like Asana, Slack and Sage Business Cloud People are quickly

becoming included in this toolkit. Asana helps manage remote teams by sending automated reminders and reports to keep everyone on the same page while Slack can automate team management tasks like scheduling team meetings or managing team communications. Sage Business Cloud People gives HR teams instant visibility into team performance so you can provide additional support when needed and address any potential issues before they become a problem. Artificial Intelligence future in business While many people worry that advancements in AI and automation technology will result in a loss of jobs, this isn’t necessarily the case. Companies that want to adopt a robotic workforce should think carefully about areas where the technology could have the greatest results. Instead of completely replacing all human employees, often the best approach involves a collaboration of both. Robots should work alongside human employees to improve human capabilities and help us create a world where businesses and humans benefit. A world where companies can reduce costs while humans focus on more meaningful and exciting career opportunities. Freeing us all from the mundane admin tasks of our current roles.

business situations and companies should think carefully about how and where they use this technology. Most experts recommend striking a balance between robot and human employees, where robots are used to maximize and enhance humans’ current capabilities rather than entirely replace them. With so many benefits, it’s not surprising that AI and automation is already being employed by many companies. One of the unique features of artificial intelligence is that it’s extremely flexible and can be used for nearly every purpose imaginable. So, how do companies currently employ the technology? Research from Narrative Science shows that almost 25% of companies use AI applications for predictive analytics, while 22% use it for machine learning (an algorithm that allows devices to “learn” based on data). Other uses include natural language processing, voice recognition, virtual personal assistants and chatbots, and diagnostics. Regardless of the size of your company, there are ways that you can integrate AI applications into your daily business practices, often for free or at little cost. Automated email Platforms like Gmail use AI to give you reminders about emails that need to be followed up, while applications like MailChimp allows you to automate marketing campaigns and send tailored emails. The development of automated email platforms has dramatically changed the face of direct mail marketing and is an essential channel for any business to leverage. Share documents Especially important if you manage a global team, Google Docs and GSuite allow teams to collaborate on and share live-updates of documents. With more flexibility and agility in collaboration on documents, this facilitates the growing

Stacey McIntosh, editor-in-chief of Sage Advice UK, Sage

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