What do you think? From emerging trends to the latest business principles, Furniture News is setting out to gauge the trade’s feelings on a variety of industry-specific topics. Today, we’re asking: “Which new technologies are having the biggest impact on your business?"
Nick Garratt (BFM): Driving for paperless operation through new workflows and document management systems has enabled setting up a virtual office solution
Jessica Alexander (NBF, AKA PR): Improvements in cloud-based computing mean that staff don’t all have to be office based in the future
Emma Leeke (Leekes): Configurability of products online – presenting size options, rendering fabrics etc online to better represent the extent of the range to those researching online
Dids Macdonald (ACID, The Furniture Makers’ Company): I (along with many others) are fascinated with AI and 3D technology, and from an IP perspective these are the hot topics
Steve Adams (MattressOnline): For an online business like MattressOnline, the continual growth of shopping on your mobile is having a massive impact. Browsing, by its very nature, is more casual on mobiles, but it’s much harder to navigate and display product content. As a result, it’s harder to convert visitors to customers. This trend is only going one way, so as a business we invest a lot of time improving our mobile experience
Rob Scarlett (Scarlett Design): 3D modelling. The tech is so advanced that you have to be up to speed on it
Mike Murray (Land of Beds): Augmented reality (AR) will allow people to see what products will look like in their home before they make a purchase. This significant development will not only bring together the online and offline worlds – offering a virtual showroom experience – but will also help to significantly reduce return rates, as people can check the product will fit before they place an order
Gav Boden (GB Agencies): Social media demands, online marketing and content
Keen to share your answer to the next big question? Follow @FurnitureNewsED on Twitter to have your say!
