The Simply Smarter Blog

In a technology driven era where customers are raising the bar, businesses are flexing their creative prowess, showing off their personalities and leveraging technology to elevate the customer experience. A decade old study by Cornell University Waiting for Merlot: Anticipatory Consumption of Experiential and Material Purchases, argued that experiential purchases (money spent on doing) tend to provide more enduring happiness than material purchases (money spent on having). The happiness we feel from material goods fades over time, experiences, on the other hand, continue to bring us joy every time we think about them.

Today, nearly 90% of buyers say that the experience a company provides is just as important as the quality of its products or services. Given this shift in customer preferences, here are a few ways businesses are leveraging tech to form memorable encounters to develop and maintain long-term relationships with their customers.

Navigating the waters of workplace technology isn't just about mastering the tools at your disposal; it's about developing a relationship where technology empowers rather than encumbers. By approaching tech with a mindset geared towards learning and adaptability, employees and organizations alike can transform potential pitfalls into powerful allies, ultimately redefining the way work is done for the better.

No matter where your office may be, you're likely to have a relationship with tech. And, like any good relationship, an alliance with technology requires commitment, patience, trust and a whole lot of give and take. 

At Sharp, we’re always looking for ways to help you think “simply smarter.” So, we thought it would be a great idea to feature our leaders to get an inside look at what they are working on and their views on the office technology space while learning some fun facts about them too! Today, we’re interviewing Tom McElligott, CIO & VP of Information Technology. We hope you enjoy getting to know Tom!

Over the past few years, working from home at least a few days a week has become a regular occurrence. This way of work has shifted family dynamics, as many have turned guest rooms into offices, splurged on top-notch Wi-Fi systems, and even moved homes due to no longer having to commute to work every day. At first, your ideal home office may be as simple as a room that is secluded from traffic or lawnmower noises, but if you really think about making your workspace perfect for productivity, there are clearly other aspects that need to be considered. In my quest to put together my ideal home office, I examined all critical components, from hardworking hardware to a motivating ambiance.

Even though inflation rates were at 5% in March 2023—lower compared to last year—it is still uncomfortably high.  The Federal Reserve has also raised interest rates over the past year, signaling that more increases are expected. SMBs are feeling the crushing inflationary pressure as well as reeling from a tight labor market and unpredictable fuel costs.  Times like these call for creative measures. Readjusting departmental budgets is a start, but if you take a closer look around you, there could be wasted money hidden in plain sight. You might be wondering, where to begin? My recommendation is a workplace technology assessment. It can provide numerous benefits, but right now the focus is to recover wasted expenses. Here are five ways a technology assessment can help businesses offset these financial constraints. 

Remember when we all gathered in a conference room for meetings? Fitting as many people as we could at the table, while others grabbed chairs and sat around the outskirts?  Feels just like yesterday, doesn’t it? Well, while meetings will always happen, the way we conduct them has changed, perhaps forever.

In recent years, business world has undergone substantial changes, with an increase in the adoption of digital technologies, flexible work environments and virtual meetings.

Let’s talk about a few things to consider when attending a virtual meeting. Read on to learn about the 5 Do’s and Don’ts of virtual meeting etiquette.

I am a proud Gen Xer. I loved growing up in the age where we experienced seismic technology shifts. We are a strange hybrid of digital users who are extremely comfortable with technology but still remember a time when things were a bit more primitive.

There is no question that life is much easier today with the influx of technology, especially in the workplace.  If this past year and a half has taught us anything, it’s that in the education field and business world at least, you have to be somewhat tech savvy to keep up with the times. Read on to learn how tech has evolved.

It’s one thing to run a business but it’s quite another to create an environment where workers love to come in every day. Employees are an essential part of every business and are what keep organizations progressing, growing and contributing to a greater good. A 2019 study from the University of Oxford found that happy, satisfied employees are 13% more productive with their time at work. Happier, more engaged employees will also create a positive work environment that can foster new relationships, lead to better recruitment and retention and ultimately provide workers with an individual sense of achievement and satisfaction.

As a recent recipient of NJBiz’s “Best Place to Work in New Jersey” 2021, we’re sharing five tips on creating a top workplace, based on what we’ve learned from our workers and what we know they appreciate.

With the rapid increase of digital transformation in the past few years, the need to support a hybrid or remote workforce is paramount. But, how do you enable employees to work efficiently with one another – sometimes nationwide or globally, connect with clients virtually, and eliminate communication barriers and productivity issues, all while working to lower IT costs?

Sounds like a lot, right? (It is), but the answer is simple – by implementing a Unified Communications solution.

Despite all the talk of the paperless office, over the past decade even more businesses have become aware of the benefits a managed print services (MPS) program can deliver. Printing remains essential, with almost half of companies saying that print will be important through at least 2025. However, due to the COVID-19-induced acceleration of the hybrid workplace combining in-office and work-from-home employees, print deployments are being reevaluated. In the hybrid work environment the proper execution of MPS is more important than ever, as organizations need workers to focus on the real business of the company rather than worry about the management of printers and copiers.

Remember when webinars used to be a novelty? Some organizations may have been a bit reticent to make them a part of their routine and implemented them sparingly instead of in-person meetings, while others eschewed them entirely. However, as we’ve continued to shift to a more remote world, their value and necessity as a critical communication tool for businesses has increased. Now more than ever, small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) can use webinars to highlight their solutions and expertise in a variety of subjects while also reaching and growing their current audience. Because they will likely be a part of our professional and personal lives for the foreseeable future, here are three tips to ensure you have the right content and technology so your next webinar runs smoothly.

In the past few years, organizations have had to make many adjustments to the way people work.  We have gone from an office full of people prior to the pandemic, to people working primarily from their homes in the midst of the pandemic, and now back to an environment where most workers are physically in their offices, while others are working remotely or hybrid.  Today’s workplace is also tomorrow’s workplace – a hybrid balance of working in the office and remotely.

As employees continue to do their jobs efficiently and effectively from remote locations, some companies are beginning to view the work-from-home model as longer-term, while others have embraced a hybrid model in which employees split time between home and office. While there are many benefits to remote work for both employer and employee, there are some downsides as well – and one of those is the need to provide IT services to a remote workforce.