Business technology is constantly evolving and the need to stay up-to-date is at an all-time high, adding additional pressure to the modern practice.  There’s a growing trend for ‘superapps’ (applications that with a range of sophisticated integrations to other technologies), which can lessen this pressure.  We will discuss how practice portals and e-signatures play a pivotal role in the modern practice along with software integrations.  We also look at what the future holds for the modern practice.

We’re all aware of the digital era which we’re living in and how tech specifically mobiles have changed the way we live and work. It’s predicted by next year each person will have at least six devices connected online.  Many of us are there already with two smartphones (potentially 1 x work and 1 x personal), accompanying a tablet, laptop, desktop, smartwatch or fitbit….

This mass adoption/consumerisation hasn’t just changed the way we live, it has also changed the way we work too:

  • There is a change of expectation in the workplace: we expect our technology experience at work, to mirror the way we use technology at home.
  • This has driven a change in policy for many businesses – the growth of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) culture for example.

Many industries however are still relatively ‘analogue’, in that they are dependant on the paper chasing. With GDPR bearing down on more and more businesses, becoming paperless and introducing clear desk policies – in order to minimise risk and ensure compliance – looks increasingly appealing.

The rise of the service

There is less and less need for paper to be in our lives, as so much of what we now do in our day-to-day lives is online: whether it’s a necessity like renewing a vehicle’s tax disc or ordering a taxi. Improving technology is causing disruption and change across many different verticals: every industry has it’s Uber or Amazon, disrupting the traditional model and giving customers a faster, easier and more enjoyable customer journey. There’s no reason to think that the professional services will not be affected in the same way.

Superapps! (Or in real terms) integrations

Everything you do on your smartphone and desktop you do through an app or software. Facebook is a great example of the beginnings of superapp technology.

  • You’re able to login to other applications using a Facebook account
  • Recommended connections in other applications based on who your Facebook friends are
  • Access, view and even shop various retailers all in one platform… Facebook
  • When you can’t find a specific webpage/business the next page you check for a page on Facebook

The key in all of this is Facebook’s ability to integrate with other applications. Integration should always be this  readily available and easy.

Yes business application integrations have been around for a while, but the point we’re trying to make is that unfortunately, not enough providers consider their importance when building new technology. When we were designing Virtual Cabinet we made sure we integrated with the other essential tools that we knew our clients were using, but we wanted the ability to integrate with other apps – perhaps not yet identified – to be easy. Hence why we integrate with many software providers now. Our solution stays relevant to our customers and their working lives are made easier, as they plug in to many of the tools that are already working for their businesses.

So superapps are here, what’s next?

Whether it’s chatbots on a website, Siri on an iPhone or the rise of the internet of things, the evolution of technology in our personal lives is still travelling forward at lightspeed. In the age of innovation, there are lots of predictions of what the office of the future might look like. But truth be told, no one really knows. The important thing is to make sure that any tools and technologies that your business puts in place now, are future-facing and able to talk to the next generation of apps that might add value to your profession. Because of there’s one thing we can be fairly sure of, it’s that there is going to be a new way of getting things done.