In the last few decades, technology has completely overhauled the way we do things. Whether it’s on a personal level through our daily use of smartphones or on a professional level when it comes to running a business.

With the fast-evolving technological advancements and environment we live in, businesses have to keep up and invest in information technology systems to remain competitive and relevant in their respective market. After all, it is no secret that technology is the driver of success for modern businesses.

Moreover, with the current circumstances surrounding Covid-19, this reality is becoming increasingly evident. Technology is acting as an accelerator of change and highlighting the benefits of the digitization of the economy and businesses.

For innovative companies, digitized information and workflows optimize processes. Technology increases productivity and disrupts traditional business models. Even if the profitability of an investment in technology can be difficult to predict, the cost of financing is one of the lowest and the tax system is very advantageous when it comes to research and development. 

This is particularly true in Quebec, since Investissement Quebec has recently launched the Productivity innovation initiative which encourages innovation of all kinds and boosts the digitization of manufacturers and businesses. 

 

The role and importance of technology in businesses

Technology plays a vital role for businesses who seek growth and development. In fact, IT departments in companies are indispensable to their performance and to maintain a competitive edge. 

As businesses are incorporating more and more forms of technology, it takes on bigger and more important roles :

 

Technology allows you to simplify and communicate more effectively with your staff and your customers. It can intervene in many ways internally and externally. It plays a huge role in streamlining the types of data relay that occur between different departments and helping everyone stay up to date. It also makes communication with customers smoother and more effective.

 

With new technologies on the rise, it’s an opportunity for businesses to advertise and discover new markets. Technology allows them to propel digital advertisements, break into new marketing channels, interact with customers… which ultimately draws more traffic and grows the company’s revenues.

 

Decision making is a critical process, and in order to make it easier and more efficient, the use of technology is essential. You don’t need to stress about tracking your customer surveys or market data on spreadsheets anymore, with the right IT software you get accurate, hassle-free reporting and relevant metrics that will help you make better business decisions.

 

Customer Relationship Management systems rely on technology and new technological advancements to keep you up to date with your customers and their needs. They are crucial to maintain a solid relationship and make sure they don’t switch to your competitors.  

 

Whatever industry your business operates in, technology’s role will always be to inject efficiency into your work processes and help you maintain a competitive advantage.

 

Benefits of technology for businesses

Whether you run a small startup or a big corporation, technology has both tangible and intangible benefits that will help you grow your business and deliver added-value to your customers. 

Here are the key advantages of investing in technology for your business :

 

Automation, productivity and efficiency

Nowadays, smaller businesses can compete with bigger ones by being more agile and responsive to change. Using technology to automate certain work processes can improve your company’s efficiency and employee productivity as well as reduce human errors.

With software applications operating in finance, marketing, sales and other departments, technology helps businesses understand its cash flow needs, track its sales automatically, optimize precious resources such as time… Executives can save time and money while also concentrating their focus on creating value and evolving their business strategies.

 

Security

Most businesses are subject to security threats and vandalism. That is why one of technology’s greatest advantages is that it can be used to protect and reinforce security measures on critical data such as financial data, confidential executive decisions and other sensitive information.

It is even more essential now that companies are relying on cloud storage to manage and store their information. Technology allows businesses to set up robust cyber security measures to keep their assets and data safe.

 

Financial savings

Another key benefit of technology is the financial savings it introduces. The increase of productivity and efficiency allows the company to achieve more with less. Also, the automation of communication can reduce travel, data storage and server maintenance costs.

 

Research capacity

With the use of technology, a business acquires the capacity to research new opportunities and stay one step ahead of its competitors. Business that desires to grow must seize new opportunities and expand into new markets.

In this sense, another benefit of technology revolves around using analytic and metric tools to provide executives with relevant and accurate data that will help them make the best decisions to ensure their businesses’ success.  

 

Reliable storage

Some technologies, such as virtual vaults or cloud computing, provide the company with easy and reliable storage of their most important and valuable records without requiring big servers or physical drives. You don’t need to worry about bugs or crashes in your computers since external servers are trained to do all the heavy lifting.

 

Business culture

Technology helps create a team dynamic within your business since employees in different locations have the chance to interact and discuss ideas smoothly. With effective communication, tensions and misunderstandings are less likely to occur. Collaboration improves the work environment and creates value for your business.

 

5 Reasons why companies should invest in technology in 2021

If you’re still hesitant about investing in IT, we’ve detailed 5 key reasons why your business should invest in tech in 2021 :

1. Get an edge over your competitors

Perhaps the best thing about investing in technology is the power it can give your business in developing its competitive advantage. You could have the best ideas and the most professional staff but if other companies present these ideas better, build them faster or just improve them quicker, that’s going to cost you a lot.

The earlier you invest in IT services and systems, the better it is for your business and the lower the chance you will get outperformed by your competitors. You want to be able to set yourself apart while providing the best products and services for your customers.

Investing in technology means investing in your future. 

 

2. Remote access

Investing in technology gives your team the ability to work remotely and deliver results from anywhere. In fact, employees who spend 60 to 80 % of their time working remotely have the highest workplace engagement (source). Having more productive employees should be a good enough reason for you to invest in technology don’t you think?

 

3. Better interaction with your customers

Customers are getting smarter by the day and they love technology. In order for you to keep them satisfied, you have to keep up with technological trends. Luckily, with the right IT system, this is a no-brainer. 

You can set up a chatbot on your website to interact with your customers and rely on artificial intelligence to improve the customer experience, or if you notice that your customers are more active on a particular social media platform like Twitter or Instagram, you can direct your tech efforts towards that. You should always stay on the lookout for the next big innovation when it comes to communicating with your customers, because, not only will it generate customer loyalty but also attract new customers.  

 

4. Speed

Investing in technology will save you a lot of time. By automating your workflow and processes, you reduce manual intensive labor and a task that normally takes your team a couple of days can take just a few minutes or hours with the right IT tools. 

 

5. Strong company flexibility

Having the ability and agility to respond to changing business needs and a changing environment is key to success. A business is made to evolve over time, face challenges and witness a lot of changes overall. 

New technology means that you will have the tools and the flexibility needed to apprehend any situation that may come your way. You can advance towards new markets and opportunities, you can target new clients, create new products or services… with ease and confidence.

 

How to find the right software for your business ?

The main goal here is not to find the best software but to find the software that best suits your specific business needs. Technology trends come and go, but the right software will stick with you for a long time.

The first thing you need to do is analyze your needs and possible areas of improvement. Once you have analyzed your current situation and existing tools, you can start comparing different software that meet your criteria.

You will want to start your research by filtering options and listing the best tools for your team, workflow and goals. Doing your research properly will help you avoid the hassle of changing solutions down the road. 

After that, you will want to determine the budget you’re willing to spend on this new software and try to stay within your price lane. 

Make sure to choose a software that is customizable, that fits your needs and integrates with other software you are currently using. Most importantly, you want your employees to get on board with it and familiarize themselves with it as soon as they can.  

Discover the best timesheet and project management app

In this pandemic era, the growing company offers low-cost solutions to ensure employee health and safety and better manage teleworking

Lévis (Quebec), February 16, 2021Mobile-Punch, an application intended for SMEs in all sectors of activity, particularly in the construction sector and related sectors, celebrates its 5th anniversary by offering an enhanced version that further simplifies remote employee time management and maximizes savings of all kinds. In addition to its features to calculate working hours in real time, clocking in, geolocation of employees, project and schedule management, distribution and issuance of work orders, Mobile-Punch has recently innovated by integrating a health questionnaire for employees based on the requirements of the CNESST and the INSPQ. The company has recently experienced significant growth with an increase of over 500 new customers since January 2020.

Mobile-Punch is the ideal tool for SMEs to start a digital shift at a reasonable cost. This easy-to-use application helps increase business productivity and prevent costly mistakes. Everything is managed in the cloud, without the risk of network overload during peak periods, and the application can be accessed without Wi-Fi, which can be very useful in remote areas.

To date, more than 1,200 SMBs and 26,000 users/day use Mobile-Punch across Canada, and more recently abroad. The application is also compatible with most accounting software (Acomba, Acceo, Avantage, Maestro, CTRL, SAGE) and payroll services such as EmployeurD (Desjardins payroll service), Nethris and others.

A COVID form for employees

In order to ensure compliance with the standards put in place by the CNESST with regard to occupational health and safety, Mobile-Punch has integrated a COVID questionnaire into its mobile application. This form can be completed daily by each employee from any mobile device to ensure all workers are free of any COVD related symptoms. In addition, the client dashboard allows managers to archive all these forms and organize them by date and by employee. Real-time alerts are also sent as soon as an employee reports having symptoms. Since its implementation last April, more than 950,000 forms have been completed.

“Employers are required to put in place measures to identify workers who may have symptoms of COVID-19 before they arrive at the workplace. Our form meets the requirements of the CNESST and the INSPQ with regard to the Act respecting occupational health and safety in the context of COVID-19. It aims to support small and medium-sized businesses, particularly in the construction sector and related trades in the protection of employees and customers,” explains Jérôme Guay, President and co-founder of Mobile-Punch.

An efficient solution for remote work management

The pandemic has certainly accelerated the technological shift in certain companies, which must now manage the new reality of teleworking. In this context, Mobile-Punch represents a strong ally that helps entrepreneurs increase productivity, minimize errors, save time, eliminate paperwork, optimize resources and, consequently, save money.

“Since I was a construction contractor for many years, I know that administrative tasks take a lot of time and energy. To reduce the headache of managing timesheets and other office tasks, I created the Mobile-Punch application with a programmer friend in 2016, “says Jérôme Guay.

In addition to being accessible from any mobile device or computer, the Mobile-Punch app can be used without any access to cellular networks. It is updated frequently and provides its customers with a fast and efficient technical support team.

Expanding rapidly – the company has grown from 2 to 15 employees in the last 4 years.

Mobile-Punch continues to invest in technological development and wishes to conquer the North American and international market. Moreover, Mobile-Punch was recently granted financing from Desjardins Capital. This significant funding will allow it to accelerate the time to market, as well as the development of new features. The company is also actively looking for new skilled workers, particularly in the field of programming and data analysis.

About Mobile Punch

Founded in Lévis, Quebec, in 2016 by Jérôme Guay and Bryan Porter, Mobile Punch is a mobile application intended for SMEs in all sectors of activity who wish to simplify the management of timesheets, work schedules and projects. Mobile-Punch is available in French and English and works on all Android and iPhone mobile devices. It brings together more than 26,000 users worldwide every day in businesses in various fields, such as construction, security, cleaning and repair services, to name a few. Since the launch of the company, more than 10,500,000 punches have been registered without paper for the benefit of all customers.

For more information, or for an interview with the President of Mobile-Punch, please contact:

Matom Communication
Lydia Juliano
T. 514 949-1446
C. ljuliano@matom.ca

Mobile Punch
Information sheet

Founder
Jerome Guay and Bryan Porter

Creation date
2016

Website
https://mobilepunch.com/

Description
Mobile Punch is a mobile application intended for SMEs in all fields who wish to maximize the management of working hours and their projects.

Features

Compatibility
The application is compatible with most accounting software (Acomba, Acceo, Avantage, Maestro, CTRL, SAGE) and payroll services (EmployeurD from Desjardins), Nethris and others.

Some Key Facts About Mobile Punch

Benefits

Contact Us

Mobile-Punch saves thousands of companies time and money. Call us to find out how we could do the same for yours!

We are located at:
5955, rue Saint-Laurent
Lévis, Quebec
G6V 3P5