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Soft technology: definition, uses and examples

Soft technology: definition, uses and examples

March 29, 2024

The general concept of technology refers to all that set of knowledge, techniques and procedures that, following a theoretical and scientific framework, are developed with the aim of advancing and modifying the environment that surrounds us.

A little-known part of this field is soft technology . Throughout this article, we will analyze this concept, as well as its possible applications and some examples that will help us clarify these ideas.

What is soft technology?

The concept of soft technology is a relatively new term that is used to encompass the set of technological knowledge or administrative, commercial and organizational nature .


Soft technology covers knowledge, procedures, methodologies, disciplines, skills that enable the subsequent development of products and services. For this reason, the equivalent concept in English is "know how", which translates literally as "know how" or "know how to do it"

This concept arises in contrast to the term "hard technologies", which refers to the technologies that exist in the material world, which are tangible.

Although both concepts have in common their relationship with the scientific field that enables the development of new technologies, as well as goods and services, soft technology is the intangible part . Thanks to her, people possess the necessary skills to adapt to the technological environment or organizations effectively.


As it is reasonable, without the soft technology, that is to say without the knowledge, the hard technology would not be possible. It is necessary to possess the previous cognitive abilities that make the creation and advances of these goods a reality.

The main objective of soft technology is to achieve the best possible results in any type of organization, administration, corporation or society; It can be applied in areas as diverse as industries, government bodies or educational areas.

By creating efficient dynamics and procedures within all of these areas mentioned above, soft technology enables the effective use of both the human resources of a company, as well as the optimization of the company's production processes.

Finally, soft technologies can also be used in political and governmental contexts. Knowledge about organizational and administrative processes can achieve the achievement of all kinds of objectives of this area in the shortest time possible and taking advantage of all resources.


How is it different from hard technologies?

As we have mentioned before, soft technology refers to the intangible part of the development of goods and services. That is, to the set of necessary knowledge that enables the operation and progress of companies and organizations. This knowledge is usually linked to sciences such as computer science, economics, sociology and psychology .

On the contrary, hard technologies are what the collective imagination of people associates with the concept of technology. These refer to the material and tangible aspects of the technology, including those that enable the transformation of materials for the production of new objects and the final physical products that are developed in the companies.

This means that both the machinery that enables production, and the final product is part of what is known as hard technology.

What uses and applications do you have?

Since soft technologies constitute the set of knowledge about a series of specific areas, which makes it possible to develop and advance these, there are a large number of tasks and intangible tasks in which they play an essential role.

Among some of these areas we can find:

  • Business Administration
  • Education
  • Accounting tasks
  • Software development
  • Marketing
  • Organization
  • Work Psychology
  • Production logistics
  • Event organization

The objectives of the application of soft technologies is to optimize the performance of companies, government bodies and industries at both operational and organizational levels. In the same way, soft technology also seeks to optimize relations, dynamics and communications within each and every one of these organizations.

As a consequence, regardless of whether the objective of these organizations is lucrative or not, this set of knowledge and knowledge will enable an increase in the performance of these, obtaining better results and, of course, the increase in profits .

Examples of soft technologies

In order to clarify exactly what the soft technology is and how it can be applied, we present a series of examples below. Some cases or prototypes of soft technology are:

1. Human resources

The creation of human resources departments in which psychological approaches and currents of work are used, is one of the best examples of soft technology. The use of knowledge of the field of work psychology and organizations to select the working staff of a company, as well as when organizing and optimizing this organization chart, achieves an improvement in the potential and growth of organizations.

2. Computer software and mobile devices

In this case you can see how hard technology (electronic device or hardware) and soft (software) work together. Without the knowledge and skills of handling electronic devices, the latter would not even exist; Without the knowledge, the operating system that would make hard technology possible would not have been developed.

3. Digital marketing

Since the objective of any company is to increase its profits by selling goods or products, the ability to influence potential buyers is essential. This is where soft technology does its job. Through the knowledge of consumer psychology, marketing and advertising, a company can persuade the consumer in its favor.

4. Food preservation

There are sciences that study and analyze the development and degradation of food. This knowledge can be applied within the food industry, as well as in restoration, in order to extend the useful life of food, keeping it as long as possible, thus generating. greater profitability for companies.

These are just some of the examples in which soft technology facilitates and enhances the development of companies, organizations and institutions.


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