For companies today, information technology (IT) is the central enabler for new products and services. It is the integral component of all business processes. IT solutions are therefore no longer just technical resources that digitally support existing internal operating processes. Rather, they are a fundamental link in the value chain.
To take advantage of the opportunities offered by digitization, decision-makers must select and implement the right IT systems for automation, customer experience, big data and modern infrastructures. We will show you which IT solutions are available for companies and how your business can benefit from them in practice. And in this context, we also explain the role of artificial intelligence and how it can help you gain a competitive advantage.
This article was written in German, automatically translated into other languages and editorially reviewed. We welcome feedback at the end of the article.
The most Important in a Nutshell
- IT solutions for enterprises include business IT, industrial IT, cloud computing, document digitization software, collaboration tools, communication services and IT security programs.
- With the right IT solutions, companies automate complex business processes, improve collaboration, enhance customer satisfaction and thus increase their overall competitiveness.
- With the advanced AI software Konfuzio companies automate their document processing and thus reduce their manual processes.
Types of IT Solutions
To start with, it should be said that IT solutions for companies are present in almost all areas of work. With our listing of the types of applications, we therefore make no claim to completeness. Rather, we would like to present some of the most important solutions here and thus give you a basic overview of relevant areas of application. The different types of IT solutions are on different levels. Some solutions are the collective term for numerous different applications, while others are specifically geared to a single task:
Business IT
Business IT describes the information technology that companies use in business areas such as trading, stock exchange, insurance, banking and taxation. These IT solutions meet specific business requirements of the industries mentioned. For example, they are designed to efficiently support financial transactions, trading activities, customer management and compliance requirements.
Industrial IT
Industrial IT, also known as Operational Technology (OT), deals with the networking of machines and systems in manufacturing and production processes - both within a plant and across plant and company boundaries. It generally covers the control of machines, data acquisition and analysis, and the maintenance of production facilities. Industrial IT solutions are closely linked to industrial business processes and serve to improve efficiency, quality and safety in manufacturing and production.
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is an IT solution that enables companies to obtain and use data, applications and IT resources via the Internet from an online service provider. There are different models of cloud computing:
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
IaaS provides virtual computing resources such as servers, storage and networks in the cloud. Companies rent and scale these resources as needed without purchasing and maintaining physical hardware.
The big advantage for companies: They are able to provide new products or services quickly and easily.
They do not have to worry about maintaining the infrastructure. That's because the provider of the IaaS service takes care of it. At the same time, with IaaS, companies are heavily dependent on their provider. A failure or malfunction therefore leads to considerable interruptions. In addition, data protection usually also means additional work for companies, since they do not store the stored data on their own servers, but on the provider's servers.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS provides a platform on which developers build, test, and deploy applications without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. This enables them to develop and deploy applications faster.
In particular, they are helped by advanced development and database tools with artificial intelligence and machine learning.
A disadvantage of PaaS is the limited control over the underlying infrastructure. Compared to IaaS in particular, companies have only limited options when it comes to configuration. If they don't like the platform, but have already started developing a product, switching to another provider is complicated. This is because the applications that companies work with on a platform are only available there - and not with any other provider. Switching therefore usually means that companies have to start from scratch.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS provides software applications over the Internet. Users access these applications through a web browser without having to install them on their own devices. Examples of SaaS applications are e-mail and CRM systems. A clear plus for companies with SaaS: The respective providers take over the entire IT administration as well as other services such as maintenance work and updates. This relieves the burden on the company's own IT department.
Also handy: Many SaaS applications offer integrated collaboration features that facilitate teamwork and communication.
On the flip side, companies have to live with limited customizability. SaaS is not as individually configurable as a self-developed and self-hosted application. Another disadvantage: SaaS often looks like the cheaper option at first glance. However, the costs often add up in the long run so that SaaS applications are more expensive than buying a software license.
Document digitization software
This type of software enables companies to convert physical files and documents into digital formats and manage them. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is particularly efficient for this. It not only recognizes any form of text, but is also able to categorize, analyze and extract it according to predefined rules and pass it on to connected workflows.
Collaboration tools
Collaboration tools are software applications that enable teams to work together effectively, regardless of where employees are located. These tools offer features such as real-time chat, video conferencing, file sharing, task management, and collaborative document editing. Examples of collaboration tools include Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Workspace.
Communication services
Communication services include technologies and services that support exchange and collaboration within a company. This can include, for example, e-mail, instant messaging, video conferencing, VoIP telephony and unified communications (integrated communications). These IT solutions enable employees to efficiently share information and collaborate in real time.
IT Security
IT Security solutions deal with the protection of IT systems, data and networks against virtual attacks and security breaches. This includes the implementation of security policies, firewall systems, antivirus software, intrusion detection systems (IDS), encryption technologies and access controls. The goal of a security solution is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information and to minimize the risks to the IT infrastructure.
Benefits of IT Solutions for Companies with practical Examples
The form of IT solutions you need depends on the individual needs, challenges and opportunities of your company. One thing is clear: with the right systems, you create benefits that increase your competitiveness. How do you benefit from IT solutions in practice?
Business IT
Through Business IT you generate the following benefits for your company:
Advantages
Business IT solutions are tailored to the specific requirements of industries such as banking, insurance and retail, and support financial transactions and compliance requirements. In practice, this means that companies process and manage data efficiently, improve decision-making through accurate reporting and analysis, and increase productivity by automating routine tasks.
Practical example
An insurance company uses specialized business IT software to manage policies, process claims, and ensure regulatory compliance. To do this, the software automates the claims process, automatically checks policies for validity, and generates insurance compliance reports.
Industrial IT
Industrial IT provides your company with the following benefits:
Advantages
Industrial IT solutions improve the efficiency and quality of production by networking machines and plants and enabling real-time data monitoring. They help reduce labor costs while increasing productivity by automating processes. Predictive maintenance also identifies problems before they lead to downtime. The real-world result: manufacturers reduce downtime and extend equipment life.
Practical example
In a food processing plant, industrial IT solutions are used to monitor food production. Sensors on the production lines transmit data on temperature, humidity and product quality in real time. In case of deviations from quality standards, the systems automatically trigger alarms. If necessary, they stop production to prevent quality problems.
Cloud computing
Companies can count on these benefits with cloud computing:
Advantages
The scalability of cloud computing enables companies to flexibly expand or reduce their IT resources as needed. This increases their adaptability to market situations and increases cost efficiency. In addition, cloud computing offers the advantage of location independence, as users can access their data and applications from anywhere. This promotes collaboration and productivity in teams working at different locations or in a home office. What's more, IT cloud solutions enable faster implementation of IT projects, as companies do not need to procure or configure hardware. This leads to a faster time to market and thus to a competitive advantage.
Practical example
An e-commerce company experiences a sharp increase in online shopping traffic in the run-up to Christmas. Instead of buying expensive server infrastructure, the company rents additional computing capacity from a cloud provider. During the Christmas season, it thus ensures that its website runs smoothly despite the increased traffic. After the season, the company reduces the rented resources again to save costs. Another real-world example is a media company that uses cloud storage services to store its extensive library of video and audio files. In this way, it is able to quickly retrieve the files in the cloud to deliver content for online streaming and broadcast productions.
Document digitization software
With document digitization software, you generate these benefits for your business:
Advantages
Digitizing files and documents not only reduces the physical need for paper, but also speeds up access to information and enables secure data storage. It improves collaboration, as digital documents can be easily shared and used simultaneously by multiple people. It also enables better tracking of changes. After all, digital management systems record every change made to documents. This also has an impact on legal practice: Companies comply with legal requirements and regulations through end-to-end documentation.
Practical example
A law firm improves its work by using OCR software. It converts physical files into digital formats. This means it makes texts in documents machine-readable. Lawyers are now able to access, search and edit legal documents such as related cases, judgments and legal documents from anywhere. In practice, workflows in the law firm are now considerably faster. What's more, sensitive information is stored securely in encrypted databases.
Would you like to learn more about the possible use of OCR? Then talk to one of our experts now!
Collaboration tools
IT solutions for employee collaboration enable these benefits:
Advantages
Collaboration tools provide a visual and user-friendly platform on which teams manage tasks and projects. Benefits include improved team communication, clear task assignments, transparent project tracking, and a flexible, customizable structure. In this way, the tools promote collaboration and increase productivity - especially in an increasingly distributed work environment.
Practical example
An international architecture firm uses a collaboration platform to help teams around the world plan and develop construction projects. Architects, engineers, and designers collaborate on blueprints, share files, and communicate in real time to complete projects on time without being physically in the same place.
Communication services
IT solutions for communication facilitate everyday work in this way:
Advantages
Communication services improve employee exchanges, increase productivity and enable cost savings. Tools such as chat, video calls and VoIP telephony enable seamless collaboration across different platforms. This leads to faster decisions and more efficient workflows.
Practical example
A global company uses unified communications services to enable rapid coordination and decision-making among its international teams. Using video conferencing and instant messaging, team members communicate in real time and clarify urgent issues. In this way, they significantly speed up the decision-making process, as information is immediately accessible. The use of unified communications therefore optimizes collaboration across time zones and continents and helps the company to operate agilely and efficiently in a highly competitive environment.
IT Security
Companies generate these benefits via IT security solutions:
Advantages
IT security solutions protect businesses from cyber threats, data loss and security breaches. They include firewalls, virus protection, intrusion detection systems (IDS) and encryption technologies. By implementing these measures, companies ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of their data. This also means: IT security solutions minimize the risk of financial damage as well as reputational damage. And: They enable compliance with legal regulations and create trust among customers and partners.
Practical example
A financial institution uses a security solution to ensure the integrity of its banking transactions. This is done through the use of advanced firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDS). These systems monitor all network traffic in real time and detect unusual activity or suspicious access. In a specific use case, the IT solution detects a potential cyberattack when an unknown device attempts to access the critical transaction system. The IDS immediately registers the anomaly and initiates countermeasures to block the access and ensure the security of the transaction system. In this way, the financial institution prevents possible data loss or financial damage.
IT Solutions for Business - Use Case
A logistics company that receives a large number of delivery bills every day faces the challenge of processing them manually. The process for doing so is time-consuming, error-prone and often leads to delays in delivery processing. The company is therefore looking for ways to automate the process to increase efficiency and accuracy.
Solution
The company decides to implement OCR technology for automating delivery note processing. OCR transforms printed and handwritten information from documents into machine-readable text.
5 steps of the OCR process
OCR processes the delivery bills in the following steps:
- Document input
OCR digitally captures incoming delivery bills and uploads them to the company's system.
- OCR processing
This software automatically recognizes and extracts texts, numbers and other relevant information from the delivery bills.
- Data validation
The technology validates the extracted information against the data stored in the system to ensure that it is correct. Discrepancies or errors are automatically detected and forwarded to responsible employees for verification.
- Automatic data entry
The IT solution enters the validated data into the company's central system. This is done automatically, without manual intervention.
- Transfer to connected workflows
Based on the captured information, the IT solution automatically generates inventory updates, delivery orders and invoices.
Advantages
Companies create these advantages via OCR technology:
| Advantage | Description |
|---|---|
| Time saving | Manual processing of delivery bills is largely eliminated, resulting in significant time savings. |
| Error reduction | Automation reduces human error and minimizes the risk of data inconsistencies. |
| Accelerated processing | The company processes delivery bills faster, resulting in expedited delivery processing and increased customer satisfaction. |
| Improved resource utilization | Employees are able to focus on more demanding tasks because routine tasks are completed automatically. |
| Cost savings | Less manual effort leads to reduced labor costs and fewer errors that can cause costly returns or rework. |
Konfuzio - IT Solutions for the Automation of complex Business Processes
Konfuzio has highly specialized IT solutions for companies that want to automate complex business processes. In this regard, the German AI software specializes in automated document processing. It is able to efficiently extract information from documents in more than 100 languages (handwritten or digital), validate them and evaluate them according to predefined rules. Thanks to Machine Learning and Deep Learning, Konfuzio's IT solutions thus offer not only partial automation of processes, but end-to-end automation.
Write a comment