In this edition of the DatCom Business Briefing, we’ll focus on renewing technology.
Small business budgets are tight and smaller companies are looking to save money. It seems unwise to invest in information technology (IT) during uncertain times. But technology upgrades can pay for themselves quickly by improving performance and boosting productivity.
We’ll explore how focusing on your technology assets and making necessary and proactive upgrades can result in business efficiency, robust security, happier employees, and other improvements to your business.
Why renewing your technology is important
- Maintain security – As the tech vendors move forward, they no longer support older machines and software with essential security patches. Moreover, you may not be able to upgrade your Wi-Fi access points if older devices can’t connect to them.
- Relieve frustration – Slow computers prevent your employees from working smoothly and efficiently. As frustration mounts, morale decreases, and employees may turn to their faster mobile phones to check social media. Why not? What else are they going to do while waiting? Meanwhile, your business suffers.
- Keep up with essential software – As Microsoft and Apple update their operating systems, they phase out older models. Web-based software services require adequate memory to function properly.
- Retain customers – Customers will switch to your competitors if they sense that you’re unwilling to update your clunky website or telephone system. They won’t feel like you care for your customers if your services suffer from outdated technology.
4 Areas to Rejuvenate Your Technology
Hardware
Computers, printers, and other hardware become less efficient over time for various reasons. New software won’t run. The manufacturer withdraws technical support. Someone will have to hunt down drivers to work with other hardware or software. Worst of all, when some innovation comes along that will allow you to vastly improve your processes, you won’t be able to use it easily.
It may seem cost-efficient to use something until it wears out, but that costs more and causes more downtime than strategically replacing your hardware according to a technology plan and budget.
Software
The latest operating systems are designed for greater productivity and efficiency. In the past, software developers designed software according to their own logic and you had to adapt. But now they rely on user research experts to create applications that flow.
Your software may feel comfortable, but a time will come when it suddenly cannot do something related to an essential business task. And then what will you do? You’ll adapt quickly and under pressure, suffering more bumps and bruises along the way than if you had been proactive.
“Digital transformation”
Large companies are making headlines with “digital transformation” for one reason: Increased efficiency, agility, profits, and customer retention. You may feel like your business is too small for digital transformation, but that’s not the case.
Your business has been going digital for years, but you’ve been adding new elements piece by piece. Every time you take a step forward, you experience ripple effects in other places. DatCom encounters businesses every day that have multiple pieces of software to accomplish the same tasks running across multiple departments. Their employees use different file formats and create a digital mess.
It’s time for that to change because it impacts your overall success.
Digital transformation is a broad area and looks different for every business. One company is using software few people have seen, while another is reducing its use of paper documents, or simply seeking compliance in a key area by going digital.
Your focus should be on finding the next step for your business. You can spin your wheels in frustration looking for the next right step, or you can seek help. At DatCom, some of our clients are coming forward to talk about their frustrations. They see how quickly, efficiently, and effectively we do one project, and then the client opens up about other problems and frustrations they have with technology.
Technology Management
An essential key to upgrading your technology is knowing when to act, to create efficiency, to save money, and to overcome your current technology struggles. Most small businesses can’t hire a highy-skilled CIO (Chief Information Officer). And even if they could, they might not be able to support that person with a full team.
DatCom’s Guardian services bring you a team of experienced professionals who will help you manage every step of your journey, whatever that may be. Our clients get a full technology department for much less than they would if they hired their own time, at a fraction of the price.
In most cases, IT projects can cause downtime if you don’t have enough people on the job, but DatCom provides more technicians for faster project rollouts. And when we aren’t engaged in a specific project, we’re guarding your business against cyberattacks and monitoring for equipment outages and downtime. If there’s a piece of your technology that’s underperforming as it ages, we know exactly when to act before you suffer downtime.
Need help with the next step for your business technology?
