Meeting SME needs with technology innovation

While technology can be the biggest disruptor and driving factor for companies in every vertical, the common misconception is that it is too expensive for SMEs to adopt. That is ironic, because SMEs actually need more technology support to grow, sustain and make profits, more than established enterprises with deep pockets.

One of the biggest advantages that digital transformation brought to enterprise is the ability to optimize costs, and leverage connectivity. Cost saving trends that AI, automation and IoT grant, could be the biggest support for a small company. Tools that digitization provides could help in much better customer connect, higher customer acquisition and even better retention. Clearly, embracing data analytics, automation and AI will bring the highest advantage and competitiveness to small enterprises. While there is investment involved, there are companies willing to support small companies every step of the technology journey, at bite size costs. SaaS is a good investment idea. Solutions that can help enhance small business productivity with optimized technology usage while securing the precious data, are a big help. Products and solutions like Dell’s Small Business Central are the support small businesses need, to go into the new decade technologically armed. Expert support that identifies the business need and provide the relevant solutions, will drive growth in the SME sector’s technology adoption. Choosing the right solutions, or customizing solutions that meet the particular and unique requirements of the small enterprise, is the need of the day.

Another trend for small businesses in 2020 will be the ever-present opportunities for innovation that can be a huge gamechanger. Flexible solutions, whether it is the big three technologies- AI, automation and IoT, or marketing focused tools like analytics, will boost their growth while keeping a cost on excessive spending.

The biggest objective of a small organization to adopt technology is to save costs. Tools that focus on Data Protection, Remote Workforce, Customer Satisfaction, Marketing Automation and Content Optimization, are what will drive this strategy for SME in 2020. Each of these have a story wherein their criticality to the small company lies. Dell’s Small Business Central is an expert and very supportive resource for innovative ideas and insights that back and create practical solutions tailored to the unique challenges of managing and growing a small business. Here the buzzword is cost saving.

Security threats, cyber risks and data breaches hit all enterprises hard, but they can be crippling for small enterprises. 2020 will see many of them investing in cyber security solutions. A lack of preparedness will need to be remedied- reports by Small Business Trends say that 58 percent of small businesses are not in a position to cope with data loss and theft.  Added to security is the need for privacy. There is a growing need for compliances for the global regulations on data privacy- GDPR and soon, CCPA.  Data storage, collation and privacy is a definite technology solution that SMEs will need in the coming year.

Another very critical technology support that SMEs will need to adopt in 2020 is virtual work environments and remote workforce. Solutions that allow for almost all aspects of remote teams will be in high demand. They can help with a whole array of business processes- operations, payments, collaboration, planning and even customer facing team coordination.

After the workforce, the customer is the biggest investment- marketing technologies that allow for much better content management, customer reach out by automated or AI tools- all could add huge dollars to bottom lines. Automated marketing tools help save resources cost while adding volume to the marketing exercise. They can help to provide customized campaigns of new launches; customer connect and ensure much higher customer satisfaction for the smaller firms- at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising.

But at the base of all these capabilities is an efficient technology infrastructure, and office hardware and software. It would be unthinkable to go the lengths of modern technology and evaluate its utility to SMEs, without having sound hardware and software to establish them on.

Certainly, SMEs need reliable, easy to work and cost-effective office hardware- laptops, desktops and even storage servers. Dell has a whole range of desktops that provide dependable performance at exceptional value to workers. Vostro Desktops for small businesses as well as OptiPlex Desktops that provide business-class security and reliability, assure security and reliable productivity for smaller teams, at affordable costs. Dell’s Inspiron has been an established brand for many years now, and many smaller companies swear by the productivity they provide. In addition, Wyse Thin Clients and Software​ that provide desktop computing, offer cloud computing, one the biggest technology products that add to savings, and provide secure, scalable enterprise computing. This could be the best for SMEs that are looking for secure growth, at very affordable costs.

To add to the value these infrastructure products provide, SMEs need basic step up in smart technologies- virtualization hardware like Dell PowerEdge blade servers, secure storage solutions like Storage SC Series and to power this growth- PowerConnect 5500 Family Switches.

Connectivity will be the most critical ask as SMEs grow, and more so in 2020, with much higher latency requirements to stay abreast of competition. Small companies will need much better connectivity to ensure seamless online platforms perform well, and customers face no downtime at all. Dell offers all sizes of clusters using low-latency, high-throughput, software defined, open networking technologies. They help small companies redefine the economics of the future ready network.

While it is easy to identify technologies and tools that small enterprises should be adopting in this new year, what is most often left unsaid is their ability to use these at costs they can afford. What is also not usually highlighted is the basic hurdle that SMEs face- cost of skilled resources. So, this year will be defined by a huge upsurge in automated processes. It will not only help to optimize costs of manpower but also serve to make their business operations more agile, robust and of course- innovative.

And, to help SMEs adopt new technologies and make them cost-efficient as well, Dell is offering a powerful reason to upgrade. The company has rolled out a new Budget offer, where business owners can avail 10% cashback, free ZOHO subscription, and more on upgrading to 10^th Gen Intel Core i7. By making this biggest investment, SMEs will be able to allow seamless work efficiency and capability.