I believe that most, if not all, of us are generally happy with technological advancements. Overall, we can just consider two elements. First is the way smartphones have rendered obsolete, or are rendering obsolete, certain products such as the diary and the alarm clock. Second is our behaviour with regard to online shopping and the way we communicate.

Each of these examples probably reflect some of the positive elements of technological development.

Many of us do business with persons we have never met and who we have no idea how they look. And we have built excellent relationships with them. Moreover, many business transactions are now done online and companies have expanded thanks to their online capabilities.

However, there is also the other side of the coin that we need to consider. Is technology making us lose the human touch? If we are indeed losing the human touch, is it something positive or something negative? To what extent can technological innovation replace the creative human touch? Will business prosper as a result of this?

Does technology help a business in keeping a balance between human relationships and results, or will it tip the balance in favour of results forever? Is technology becoming bigger than the human being that created it?

These are questions which must challenge many people and to which there are certainly no ready-made answers. I do not intend to provide answers in a few hundred words. However, what I want to do is provide what could be the other side of the coin.

Are we really communicating more effectively?

Let us start with the workplace. When was the last time you opted to get out of your seat to talk to a nearby colleague instead of sending them an e-mail? Is there an increasing part of the workforce that is spending less time talking to colleagues face-to-face?

That is despite the fact that lack of communication is consistently mentioned as the key problem in the workplace and that teamwork is ranked as one of the most important attributes persons look for in a job.

Are we really communicating more effectively and is teamwork really stronger as a result of technology? Research is suggesting that the growing use of technology is diminishing the human touch at work and as a result the level of collaboration between staff is diminishing.

Employees are increasingly viewing their job as a process rather than as a profession because they do not relate enough with colleagues. Their job does not involve enough human content. Many employees yearn to get together in a room and regain the human touch.

Let us talk a bit about customers. Many businesses have made it a point to introduce technology to reduce the cost of customer service. Admittedly some elements of customer service may have been too bureaucratic and technology has empowered customers in some respects. Online purchase of goods and services is one such way in which customers have been empowered.

On the other hand, try contacting a company with an enquiry and you will find out that in most cases, this can only be done by e-mail. Once the e-mail is sent, you will receive a cold answer that your e-mail is being seen to. Even telephone contact is discouraged, let alone face-to-face contact. Some businesses have lost the feel of the service with a smile and I fear that we may be losing our customer care skills.

I strongly believe that a business needs to keep up with technology to remain competitive. However, it is equally important that a business ensures that technology does not kill the human touch, be it at the workplace or when dealing with its customers.