The popularity of voice-activated digital assistants is on the rise.
More people are starting to use services like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. Once they make this transition, it’s unlikely they’ll switch back to the more time consuming methods of typing, clicking, and pressing buttons.
In one survey, 42% of people who own these devices say they have become essential to their lives, and approximately 65% said they can’t imagine going back to a life without their voice assistants. As voice recognition technology continues to improve, its potential applications will only become greater.
As people grow used to integrating these devices into their homes and personal lives, they are going to want to introduce these technologies to the workplace. As a matter of fact, there are already a number of different ways you can use voice technology for business.
Manage Your Schedule
Voice services like Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, and Cortana all have features that can help you manage your schedule. You can set meetings, check to see when you have free time, and send notifications to others.
With the Alexa skill from FreeBusy, for example, users can manage their schedule, get briefings on upcoming events, and even check the schedules of other people in their network. These services are already proving helpful to the modern worker, so it may be time to consider introducing one into your own workday.
Dictate Emails and Texts
While you wouldn’t use it to write a long, complex report, voice assistants now come equipped with speech recognition software that can be used to transcribe short emails and text messages. Instead of having to completely shift away from other tasks to compose these communications, a voice assistant can save you time and make the job easier.
Restock Your Office
Voice assistants can also be helpful when you find that your office is running low on supplies. You can simply tell the assistant what you need, and it will find the item for you. Once it has a listing for the supplies, you can even complete the purchase through the digital assistant.
Control Smart Devices
If you already use a voice assistant to manage Smart Home devices, it’s easy to see how taking this technology to the workplace could be beneficial.
With an assistant like Alexa or Google Home, you could manage the office thermostat, security system, lights, locks, and more. This could make things easier around the workspace, and it will also give you the ability to monitor and manage many of these devices and systems when you are away.
Hands-Free Calculations
Chances are that your phone already has a calculator, but you still have to take the phone out, unlock it, and open the designated app. With voice assistants like Alexa and Siri, you can just tell the device what you want calculated and it will do the math for you.
The ability to get quick calculations through voice will allow you to keep your hands on your work instead of having to open your phone or find a calculator.
Manage Business Travel
If your business has you on the road a lot, your voice assistant can do many things to make your life easier. It can give you traffic updates, directions, and the can even be used to call for a ride. Voice assistants can also be used to do things like book hotel rooms, rent cars, and find flights.
Keep an Eye on Your Small Business Finances
Amazon’s Alexa and other voice assistants offer services that will help a business manage its finances. If you make investments, there are tools that can help you check the stock market and manage your portfolio. You also have the Capital One skill, which can be good for tracking spending, managing expenses, and paying bills.
Track Your Deliveries
Alexa is probably the leader for this particular task and it is especially good when it comes to tracking items ordered from Amazon. You could also use the UPS skill to track the progress of incoming and outgoing shipments; it allows the user to check shipping rates for different items.