Mexico. An analysis carried out by the B12 Agency, considers that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cloud Computing (CC) will mark the "New Normal" during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new conditions will bring unprecedented digital environments to different shops such as shops, hotels, restaurants and bars. In addition, companies that have already implemented teleworking must also know how to improve their processes.
In times of Covid-19 the new reality begins to change habits: from greetings, social gatherings, shopping in shopping centers, to work at home and face-to-face in offices. Now more than ever, businesses demand digitalization to operate and meet the expectation of the customer, as well as regulatory bodies.
David Pérez, Country Manager of Agencia B12 México, points out: "The situation caused by the Coronavirus now requires that companies have the necessary technology to offer customers the security and quality of service they demand every day to maintain and increase their sales, avoiding the closure of their establishments. In this sense, AI and CC are ideal because they allow us to better understand and serve customers and the entire business, resulting in greater productivity through process automation, data analysis and virtual storage."
AI in the new everyday public environment:
Physical stores. – Some businesses in several countries are already applying cutting-edge solutions, such as intelligent tools in security cameras of their establishments to monitor what happens inside the building such as: how many people enter the store, to ensure the necessary social distancing. In addition, these systems are able to recognize if customers who access the store meet the requirement to wear a mouth covering and even warn in real time to those responsible to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
Hotels and restaurants. - To minimize contact and discard shared elements that facilitate the transmission of the virus, such as errands, menus and newspapers, QR menus arrived as one of the first technological solutions implemented in the recovery of their activities. This digital menu can be the same as that available on your website or in food delivery apps, although it also serves an image or physical document scannable with a smart mobile device. The same applies to errands at the reception and newspapers, since their digital versions can be kept accessible to customers via online or with applications.
Bars. – In addition to the previous point, there are examples of bars that have gone further, when starting to experiment with the robotization of certain services. For example, in Seville, Spain, a robot arm is capable of serving beer in a glass to reduce the chances of contagion. Although there are still risks and challenges to know, technology will undoubtedly be a constant in post-Covid-19 society.
The executive explains that this change in habits to minimize contacts can also be resorted to the digitization of payments and a greater penetration of contactless technologies, as could be experienced during the confinement. The Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced analytics undoubtedly contribute to improving demand prediction and anticipating changes in consumer habits, as both technologies are used to monitor customer flows in real time and reduce the risks of crowds.
Cloud Computing to improve processes
Cloud Computing increases the possibility of offering services through the Internet, eliminates the concern for space and physical equipment, in addition to attracting new possibilities to create businesses through the network, those already known as e-business. The implementation of CC in the operational processes of companies contributes to improving the climate of teleworking, since corporations or users who store data in the Cloud to access them freely from anywhere and through any device.
Due to Covid-19, many companies have implemented teleworking, so Pérez makes the following recommendations that all businesses should consider when having employees who work from home:
Cost reduction: Cloud Computing allows to save economic amounts of relevance to the company, since it is not necessary to pay for an infrastructure (office and network), for a physical support (computer) or software licenses for each equipment.
Unlimited storage: The Cloud offers a practically unlimited space to house the data, in clear advantage when compared to the capacity of computers or tablets.
Security and accessibility: as if that were not enough, the data remains on an external server that maintains and protects it. Therefore, in case a computer suffers an attack or simply stops working, the information is not lost, it is hosted in the Cloud waiting to be consulted through another device.
Mobility: the development of mobile devices with the Internet facilitates access to the contents of the Cloud, from anywhere and in any situation, without the need for a computer.
Pérez concludes on the subject: "Most cloud-based applications, whether public or private, are designed to work remotely, and include control elements necessary for the measurement of the tasks performed by the user, that is, it favors remote work and the measurement of productivity in the company, that today must be measured in objectives and not in time".
