Tech is quickly becoming ubiquitous in business. There is rarely an office that isn’t full of glowing monitors and noisy keyboards. The benefits that a good tech setup provides are beyond count and well-known. But what we tend to rely most on also tends to become our greatest weakness. If you’re relying more and more on tech in the business, you have to be prepared for the real risks that come with it.
Licensed Image from Shutterstock – By Brian A Jackson
Legacy isn’t always good
We might be afraid of changing our work methods too often but if you’re using software to do your work, it is sometimes a necessity. Legacy software and hardware are no longer being supported by their developers or manufacturers. They get no more updates, there’s no live assistance for troubleshooting, and often they become more and more incompatible with later devices and software you might want to work with. Be careful not to get stuck relying on legacy tools and look for the tech upgrades you need from time to time.
DIY? No thanks
Unless you have a tech network large enough to demand full-time attention, hiring an in-house IT support team to solve errors and provide managed maintenance isn’t usually a good idea. More often than not, your demands aren’t enough to keep them busy and they sit around waiting for work. It might be more cost-effective, instead, to rely on managed IT services outsourced from experts outside the business. Beyond cost-effectiveness, you’re a lot more likely to get people who know what’s expected of them when it comes to business tech, rather than a new, inexperienced hire.
Don’t forget the team
All that hardware and software might the most advanced and effective way to get your work done but it’s not going to matter very much if your team doesn’t know how to use it. Your tech is a collection of tools first and foremost, not a solution in-and-of itself. With every new major implementation, you have to spend time and maybe even money integrating it and training the team how to use it. It’s a good idea to trial it in a smaller capacity with a few earlier adopters so they can help you with the training when the time comes, too.
What backup?
Backup is crucial when it comes to tech. You need to backup your data with both physical storage and Cloud solutions or risk losing one of the most valuable assets in the business. You need to have backup internet connections in case your network goes down and you’re left without access. It’s even worth having a BYOD policy as a backup for when devices stop working and cause a massive work interruption that could have you getting zero work done on any given day.
This isn’t supposed to be an argument to scare you off scaling up your tech in the business. It is often the best way to end up with a more productive, efficient, and error-free workplace. But if you’re not prepared for the real risks that come with it, it can be your downfall. So, prepare.