By Susan E. Campbell

All business owners look for ways to increase their bottom lines by working smarter and Internet technology often helps them to do just that.

But businesses can rely on technology too much, said Allan D. Robison, president and CEO of EXEControl Global Solutions headquartered in Clifton Park.

“Computer programs are written so that people do the right things at the right time, like order materials before inventory runs out,” said Robison. “But when the software tells you to do something that doesn’t sound practical, someone ought to question it.”

Robison said there was a time in Hershey’s history when its ERP system told the company not to make more chocolate bars.

By Jill Nagy

Today’s offices often combine open areas with private conference space, may be furnished more like a living room or cafe than a traditional office, and allow for people to work either sitting or standing up, according to two Saratoga office designers, Lisa Boyle of the Boyle Group and Dorothy Rogers-Bullis of drb Business Interiors.

Boyle sees a trend toward “well-certified buildings,” similar to LEED-certified but focused on the health needs of the people inside the building.

“It’s a huge trend,” she said.

It may include ergonomically designed chairs, stand-up desks, task lighting that focuses on the work surface, locally controlled heating and cooling, and a lot of greenery. She noted that millenials, who now constitute a third of the workforce, are very concerned about their health and well-being.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

IT provider StoredTech has again been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the fast-growing companies in America.

The company was added to Inc.’s top 5000 list for 2018, something StoredTech owner Mark Shaw said is due to their unwavering focus on customer service.

Inc. is a monthly publication focused on growing companies. It named StoredTech 2,555 out of 5,000 in 2017.

In 2016, the company was ranked 1,113 in the magazine’s ranking of 5,000. According to the magazine, StoredTech showed a 167 percent growth over the last  three years.