Broadcasting
Collaboration and Productivity Trends to Adopt in 2024
By Kehinde Ogundare, Country Manager, Zoho Nigeria
Given the significant challenges both the Nigerian and global economies face, businesses have had to work harder than ever to survive, ensure business continuity, and stay competitive over the past few years. One of the key aspects that businesses had to focus on in this regard was improving employee collaboration and productivity to manage staff experiences in the workplace amid all the challenges across the tech landscape.
While some of the pressures may ease in 2024 with more awareness of technology, it’s unlikely that it will all be plain sailing for businesses. Naira to Dollar fluctuation remains an issue, and many of the geopolitical issues that characterised 2023 may also spill over into 2024. Apart from this, the world of work is rapidly evolving, as remote and hybrid models are as common as on-site models today. Keeping employees connected and engaged amid this sea of changes needs to be an employer priority. One way businesses can sustain collaboration, productivity, and engagement levels among employees is through the use of effective workplace technology.
Below are a few work trends and collaboration technologies that businesses should pay attention to if they want to make the most of 2024.
Automation is everywhere (including in employee expenses)
Over the years, we’ve seen the automation of many business processes. Those advances will continue at an even faster pace in 2024 and beyond. One area that’s particularly ripe for innovation around automation is employee expense reporting. For employees, remembering to log expenses and keep all of their receipts can be a painful experience. For the people charged with reconciling those expenses at the end of every month, doing so can likewise be incredibly time-consuming.
Automating expense reporting can help organisations manage employee travel, make payments faster, and provide comprehensive analytics for expense reports related to travel, spending, and reimbursements.
The rise of productivity tools and collaboration platforms
Tied to automation is the rise of productivity tools, which one can think of broadly as pieces of software that simplify tasks, streamline workflows, make team collaboration smoother, ease communication, and improve access to work info. In other words, they help employees do more in less time.
Most businesses today use productivity tools of some kind. Organisations looking to add to their arsenals of business tools should look for software which—aside from providing a unified platform that supports both synchronous and asynchronous communication—also integrates contextually with business applications like CRMs so that workers can initiate ad-hoc conversations easily right in the business apps’ interfaces.
Ticketing applications enhance customer satisfaction
Today’s customers expect to be able to contact an organisation on the channel of their choosing, and to get an immediate response when they do so. That’s not always easy for organisations to accomplish when they have to respond manually to inquiries through each of those channels. In fact, doing things that way makes it difficult to ensure that every ticket is answered accurately with the right context and on time.
Ticketing applications can save a lot of time on that front by automating the process of assigning customer inquiries to the right agent. They can also make replying to tickets intuitive, provide accurate sentiment analysis, and ensure that issues can be seamlessly resolved across departments, among other things.
Paring back the technologies that don’t make sense
As exciting as these technological advancements are, it’s possible to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of collaboration and productivity tools available. As a result, some tools that seemed essential at one stage can end up not being useful.
Organisations should therefore spend at least some time in 2024 auditing the tools they use. They should axe any that aren’t in use, and thereby save the company money and further streamline productivity and collaboration. Additionally, they should see if they can replace any of the tools they’re using with something in a productivity suite that they’ve adopted.
Even as businesses are well into the year, it’s never too late to capitalise on productivity tools and collaboration platforms. While organisations can’t fully control external forces shaping their operations, by embracing the right digital toolset and technology, they can enhance their competitive edge and navigate through changes effectively.
Broadcasting
How to Beat DStv Price Increase with ‘Price Lock’ Feature
In today’s fast-paced world, where every penny counts, finding ways to save on essential services is more important than ever. And as part of its commitment to customer satisfaction, DStv has reiterated its “Price Lock” feature.
This is in response to the upcoming tariff increase, which the company understands may impose some financial strain on its valued customers.
What exactly does the “Price Lock” feature entail? The “Price Lock” feature offers customers the opportunity to retain their subscriptions at the current rate for 12 months.
To use the “Price Lock” feature, customers simply need to renew their subscriptions before the due date each month, ensuring uninterrupted access to their favourite DStv content at the current rate for the next 12 months.
But here’s the catch: only customers with an active subscription by the 30th of April qualify for this offer, when the tariff adjustment comes into effect.
Make sure you don’t miss the price lock offer! Simply download the MyDStv or MyGOtv app or dial *288# to subscribe, upgrade, or set up Auto-Renewal.
Broadcasting
OJI Demands Ban on Netflix, TikTok, Others over Same-Sex Content
Civil Society Organisation (CSO) under the auspices of Open Justice Initiative (OJI), has threatened to drag the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to court if it fails to ban Netflix, TikTok, and others over the alleged broadcast of offensive same-sex content on Nigeria’s airwaves.
The CSO, also urged NBC to ban other social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, etc with regard to the subject matter.
Donald Ayibiowu, lawyer and programme officer of OJI, gave the warning in a letter addressed to Mr. Charles Ebuebu, director-general of the NBC.
The certified true copy of the letter titled: “Need to ban and bar the continuous broadcast of offensive same-sex contents on Nigeria’s airwaves by Netflix and other specialised broadcast outlets”, made available to newsmen in Abuja, was received by the Commission on April 23, 2024.
The letter said, “We write to draw the esteem attention of your commission to some obnoxious and repugnant same-sex contents being aired or transmitted by some broadcast outfits operating within the Nigeria broadcast space, which platforms includes Netflix and some social media entities.
“These abhorrent contents being campaigned about borders on the promotion of amorous relationships between persons of same sex on the said platforms.
“We received complaints on this topic from well-meaning Nigerians and religious organisations and further discovered that the broadcast contents/materials on these platforms are laced with embedded scenes/episodes where same-sex relationships are practically being propagated.
“We also conducted research on some social media platforms like TikTok, Twitter (X), Facebook (Meta), etc with regards to this subject, and found same hazardous and illegal same-sex content being promoted and transmitted.
“It is clear that there is an agenda to surreptitiously lure the unsuspecting young population of this country to this satanic habit/lifestyle of same-sex practice in Nigeria by subtly introducing same through entertainment and showbiz industry, albeit through the airwaves.
“It is now commonplace to see some of these illegal contents being conveyed on social media and specialised platforms in Nigeria.
“We wish to point out that these contents are clearly being aired or transmitted in contravention of our extant laws such as Sections 4(2) and 5(2} of the Same-Sex Mariage (Prohibition) Act, 2013,” he said.
The lawyer said the act being subtly propagated and promoted via the mediums was targeted at destroying the moral fibre and rectitude, erode, dislodging and polluting the society with unacceptable inhuman values.
He said it was also to erode the age-long cultural practices and sacred religious belief system of male and female gender only as created by God Almighty.
Ayibiowu said, that if the commission failed to block, restrict or scrap the same-sex promotional material/contents from Nigeria airwaves, “we shall proceed to seek further redress in pursuit of our goal of saner Nigeria airwaves”.
Broadcasting
FCCPC to Review Multichoice’s Tariff Hike
Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has promised to review recent price increases in MultiChoice cable subscriptions to ensure subscribers in Nigeria get value for their money.
Recall that the leading pay TV operator, recently announced increase in the subscriptions for its DStv and GOtv packages by at least 25 per cent.
Multichoice announced the increase in tarrifs in a message sent to subscribers on Wednesday and said that the new regime will be effective May 1.
The company stated this in the statement signed by John Ugbe, chief executive officer was titled, ‘Price Adjustment on DStv and GOtv Packages.’
The pay-TV firm cited the rise in the cost of business operations as the rationale behind the price increase.
The company said, “We understand the impact this change may have on you – our valued customer, but the rise in the cost of business operations, has led us to make this difficult decision.
“It remains our mission to provide the best entertainment and viewing experience to you and are committed to continue to deliver high-quality content and unparalleled service. So, from Wednesday, 1 May 2024, the price adjustment will take effect.”
But Adamu Abdullahi, acting chief executive officer, FCCPC, in a chat with Channels Television on its Dateline Abuja programme on Thursday, provided an update on the summons issued to the owner of a Chinese store in Abuja accused of discriminatory and sharp practices.
He also commented on the adherence to the order given to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, stating that sanctions are imminent for all verified infractions identified by the agency.
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