In today’s modern world, it seems that the Internet is inescapable and has become a medium by which almost all transactions are made. Technology has become a staple for companies that want to expand, gain new customers, and improve on their processes. Ecommerce, lead generating tools, and cloud computing are only some of the new business resources that keep companies in top competitive shape.

Cloud computing, in particular, is a resource that enables businesses to take advantage of cloud-based computing networks and systems without the need to invest in actual networks, complicated systems, and infrastructure. It’s an on-demand service with a pay-as-you-go pricing that allows businesses to only pay for the kind of services they avail.

Here are some innovative ways to make use of cloud computing in your business:

1. Real-time Applications for Sales Agents

Having an updated and on-the-go sales storage is one of the innovative ways wherein businesses can use cloud computing systems. In order to pull off such applications, most of them hire php developer to take care of the grunt work. With this, you can send sales representatives on the field without the need to check stocks or call the local store.

Here are some creative applications for cloud computing in this trade:

• A program where agents can automatically put items on hold or on reserve for customers that want to buy fast-moving products.
• An app that could be a customer-focused alternative to calling the store and asking if said merchandise is available.
• A software where salespersons can monitor their payments and record their incentives. Using cloud computing technology to track the sales, incentives and record transactions, sales personnel don’t have to carry large notebooks for recording purposes.
• A program for real-time sales reports with actual figures connected to stores in operation.

?Before the Internet, sales agents used to rely on phones, pens, and papers to keep track of their sales. More often than not, there are a lot of unclaimed incentives due to lack of proper recording methods. These files in folders could cause more problems when they become lost, destroyed or tampered.

2. Virtual Human Resources Department

Regardless of your business size, you are always going to deal with people. Even if you’re just offering remote IT jobs or outsourcing work to a bunch of freelancers, you still need the human resources department to act as a bridge between your remote workers and your company.

Cloud computing can help your business automate HR processes by the use of:

• An app wherein all your employees can access their own data such as attendance tracking, documents and payslips.
• A program that enables employees to track their tax contributions, salary, incentives and other monetary information.
• A software that allows employees on business trips to take notes and photos of their receipts for faster and real-time liquidation processes.
• An app that allows supervisors, managers and department heads to keep track of the attendance, overtimes and leaves of their subordinates.

Most companies have a lot of employees in their HR department so automating HR resources through cloud computing can save a lot of money. Aside from that, you only pay for the load that you use so regardless of how many employees you have, your plan is scaled accordingly.

3. Restaurant Table and Order Tracking System

One of the most traditional businesses are restaurants. During the hustle and bustle of an intense lunch hour or dinner hour, it’s almost impossible to keep up with the orders and table numbers.

While there are waiters, servers and other restaurant staff on standby to help with the workload, cloud computing can help by means of:

• An app which is the restaurant’s updated digital menu. The kitchen head can strike out menu items that are currently not available and bump up food items that are in stock.
• A software that allows quick reservations.
• A program that enables customers to see how soon they will be expecting their food on their table. A real-time update on the order.

?One of the biggest problems that restaurants face is keeping up with taking orders, sending orders to their respective tables and accommodating reservations. With cloud computing software, restaurant owners can automate those activities so that their waiters can focus on service

Final Thoughts

There are multitudes of business-friendly products and services out there. Because of the fast-growing technology, businesses no longer have to invest large sums of money just to have complicated systems at their disposal. The most important thing to do is make good use of a variety of tools and resources available.