Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), have shown to be major contributors to the effectiveness of many different businesses throughout the world and are constantly changing the way people and industries operate. ICTs can be defined as an array of technologies that are designed to collect, store, process and communicate information both internally as well as externally, of an organization. This makes ICTs quite a broad category of technologies but some of the most common examples are cloud computing, mobile apps, networked environments and even the Internet!

What are the benefits of adopting ICTs opposed to more traditional ways of working?

There are numerous benefits to adopting ICTs within businesses, some of the main ones being: 

• Reduction in operating costs 
• Increased level of productivity 
• Improved communication both internally and externally 
• Improved customer satisfaction 
• Increased opportunities through market exposure 
• Increased efficiency through better coordination within the value chain 

Though there are numerous benefits to ICTs, adoption of these technologies does not automatically create value within your business as it must be implemented within direct support of your businesses processes. This will take time to properly implement as staff will generally require training and support during this process as well as the culture of the company may be technologically adverse, but the outcome can produce a competitive advantage within your respective industry. It is good to also note that ICTs is not a “once-off” implementation – it is a constantly evolving realm with new technologies being made available every year. To constantly reap the rewards of ICTs and maintain a competitive advantage, one must become aware of emerging technologies and assess whether benefit can be derived by adoption or not. 

If you have any queries on this, please do not hesitate to contact us.