Soft-tech or soft technologies appear in three basic forms: people, written words, and help screens. People refer to the individuals to whom customers visit with their technical issues. Written words are written documents like the instruction manual, which guides users to settle their problems and helps screen refer to computers.
The term hard-tech indicates organizations that make innovative resources through strong imagination and dedication.The terminology “hard-tech” derives from the term “hard work”. These firms aim to make human life better. Their documentation acts as a paper help for others in understanding the strategic approach to converting concepts to reality.
Both soft-tech and hard-tech are valuable to us in their unique ways. While hard-tech meets our needs differently, soft-tech runs them through a smooth and hassle-free process. The pairing of these two procedures makes our life better and more convenient.
Soft technologies or Soft-tech
Soft technology deals with intangible (untouchable) resources like using technical knowledge for an organization. Soft-tech delivers the knowledge, procedures and skill sets that contribute to improving a product or service. Soft-tech and hard tech offer helpful knowledge to enhance goods and services. Therefore, both use scientific knowledge to facilitate human adaptation into their media. As a non-tangible technology, soft tech involves following procedures implemented through human understanding.
Difference in nature
Soft technologies are untouchable resources that help improve operational efficiency in organizations and institutions.On the other hand, hard technologies consist of certain products that produce other materials or objects.We shall discuss more soft tech and hard tech in the following paragraphs.
The optimal utility aspect of soft technologies makes human resource designs more feasible.They also help in the development of social dynamics within organizations. The structures within human resources become fluent through these soft technologies. They can become helpful over the individual process of production across organizations.
Meeting goals of varying kinds
Even governmental and political organizations can achieve short-term and long-term goals. They can help in planning that can affect society in both ways – straightforward and complicated. Soft technology can influence education, marketing, operations, statistics, and associated sectors. Soft technologies deal with sociology, psychology and personnel management. In computer science, soft technologies include software.
Soft technology examples –
- Education and technical skill-enhancing software
- Training processes
- Work-productive applications
- Teamwork productivity software
- Customer management and invoice generating programs
- Procedures and processes in choosing personnel
- Marketing tools
- Admin resources
- Human resource
- Statistics
- Economic projections
Any intangible or untouchable resources contributing to the increase in efficiency of production or service will fall under the category of soft-tech or soft technologies. Each of these tools can help industries and organizations to function smoothly. They also save money by reducing the workforce that demands additional expenses. Firms and organizations find soft-tech useful because of this feature. Transitions have already begun shifting costly manual physical labour into cheap automation processes.
Soft technologies can inspire creativity due to their flexible nature. Users can apply their skills to plan the procedure and supervise their approaches.
Hard technologies or Hard-tech
Hard technology or hard-tech makes use of the knowledge base in science and engineering. They involve a combination of software and hardware that can bring a solution for a specific industry.
The processes that are physical, chemical and biological together make up hard technologies.
Physical Process deals with the mechanical, electrical, electronic, robotic, industrial, integrated systems and flexible production. The hard technology or “hard tech” handles the “computer hardware”.
The Chemical and Biological Process deals with technologies in agriculture, food, medicine and biotechnology. They aim to improve food quality, living standards and increase the well-being of all human beings.
As the name suggests, hard technology deals with hardware like production tools and machines. Therefore, industries that use automation engage in a serial procedure to develop hard technologies.
Hard technology examples
- Lamps
- Radio
- Mobile phones
- Fire alarms
- Stretchers
- Solar Panels
- Telegraph
- Missiles
- Car
- Mills
- Railways
- And the like.
Hard-tech includes innovation that improves frequently. Hard technologies face upgrades to add value for the customer’s money. However, depreciation reduces its worth with time. The continuous advancements in hard-tech can also help organizations to meet their objectives.
Changes in demand force organizations to switch strategies to meet the customers’ needs. The developments in hard-tech aim to satisfy buyer requests through creativity and productivity.
Real-life materials that we can touch and feel will come under hard technologies or hard-tech. Hard tech improves the infrastructure and aims to enhance tangible materials for better use.
All the developments in hard tech aim to improve the productivity and utility of tangible elements.
The fundamental distinction between soft-tech and hard tech
The fundamental difference between soft technology with hard technology is its link with technical knowledge. These soft-techs contain the “know-how” useful to produce hard-tech materials. They initiate functional optimization across different institutions or organizations. The influence of soft-tech encompasses education, factories, services, business, religion and state toward functionality.
Another striking difference between hard-tech and soft-tech is its maintenance. The physical components present in hard-tech devices require frequent repair expenses. But soft-tech do not need these costs due to the lack of physical hardware.
But the combination of both – hard tech and soft tech can initiate better operational and procedural performances. The process uses experience, intelligence, and knowledge to optimize a company’s procedures.
Conclusion
Soft-tech and hard-tech both are essential for our life. Each of these two techs serves a unique purpose to improve our lifestyle. But, neither of them are indispensable as they meet the needs of society in different ways. Hard-tech becomes useful for us to simplify our daily tasks. Soft-tech can include automation in the process that reduces human labour and cost.
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