When I walk into Apple stores, I am always impressed with their operation. During my last visit to purchase headphones, I was delighted by my interaction with the sales representative.
He quickly scanned my product using his phone, and effortlessly retrieved my contact information (thanks to the CRM being linked to my email). The item was automatically deducted from the inventory (thanks to the integration with the ERP), and the representative explained how the system automatically places orders when the inventory reaches a predetermined low level.
He then asked if I would like the invoice sent to my email (the epitome of paperless accounting and office automation), and the transaction was complete.
In my opinion, this experience exemplifies how a company should be run. All the systems communicate with each other, minimizing human intervention through the use of predefined rules and automation. The result is truly remarkable.
As I watch videos of Amazon’s robots managing inventory and see the screens at McDonald’s for ordering, I recognize that we have entered the era of automation.
At a recent Zoholics (Zoho improvement) event, I was pleasantly surprised when they took a picture of my business card and I was immediately added to their database. Three automations were put into place:
- I received an email with the event agenda,
- Then a satisfaction survey was sent two days later thanking me for attending,
- Months later, I received an invitation to register for the next event with the option to pay online.
It was all done from a simple photo. The first lecture of the event was about how easy it is to replicate this process. People still have no idea how simple and efficient it is now.
I believe that successful companies in the future must adopt this model if they want to remain competitive.
