Innovative Technology in Business
SerenityScape Landscaping is a locally owned and operated small-sized landscaping company that focuses on creating beautiful and serene outdoor
spaces for residential and commercial clients. The company is looking to scale into a medium-sized enterprise. Currently this company focuses on
improving 5 areas:
● Invoicing and Financial Management: The company employs a sole accountant who uses data in spreadsheets and generates invoices using
word processing software.
● Client Communication: The primary means of communication with clients is through email correspondence.
● Collaborative File Sharing: The company relies on email for sharing files, some documents are stored on a centralized server.
● Project Management: A manager updates a shared Excel file daily, assigning tasks to individual employees.
● Data Preservation and Security: The company maintains all digital data on a central server located in the office. On a monthly basis, Mark, an
accountant with basic IT skills, backs up all data to an external hard drive for added security.
Questions:
1. What IT solution would facilitate the company's transition to a mid-sized organization for Collaborative File Sharing?
2. How can the company enhance their Project Management processes? Are there IT solutions that could aid in this improvement?
3. In the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the company faced challenges in maintaining regular operations due to remote work requirements for
all employees. What IT solutions should be considered to enable effective remote work policies for the workforce?
4. With the company's expansion, the need arises to establish a comprehensive accounting team. What IT solutions should be put in place to enhance
collaboration within this team?
Sample Solution
1. IT solution for Collaborative File Sharing
A cloud-based file sharing solution would be the best IT solution for SerenityScape Landscaping to facilitate its transition to a medium-sized organization. Cloud-based file sharing solutions offer a number of advantages over traditional on-premises solutions, including:
- Accessibility: Cloud-based file sharing solutions can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making them ideal for remote workers.
- Scalability: Cloud-based file sharing solutions are scalable to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.
- Security: Cloud-based file sharing solutions offer a high level of security, with features such as encryption and user authentication.
Full Answer Section
Some popular cloud-based file sharing solutions include:- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- OneDrive
- Box
- ShareFile
- IT solutions for Project Management
- Asana
- Trello
- com
- Basecamp
- Wrike
- IT solutions for Remote Work
- Video conferencing software: Video conferencing software, such as Zoom or Google Meet, can help SerenityScape Landscaping to hold remote meetings and collaborate with employees who are working from home.
- Instant messaging software: Instant messaging software, such as Slack or Microsoft Teams, can help SerenityScape Landscaping to facilitate communication and collaboration among remote employees.
- Remote desktop software: Remote desktop software, such as TeamViewer or AnyDesk, can allow SerenityScape Landscaping to access its office computers from remote locations.
- IT solutions for Accounting Team Collaboration
- Accounting software: Accounting software, such as QuickBooks or Xero, can help SerenityScape Landscaping to streamline its accounting processes and improve efficiency.
- Cloud-based accounting software: Cloud-based accounting software, such as NetSuite or Sage Intacct, can help SerenityScape Landscaping to improve collaboration within its accounting team by allowing team members to access and update accounting data from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Collaboration tools: Collaboration tools, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Office 365, can help SerenityScape Landscaping to improve communication and collaboration among accounting team members.