How you use technology can make or break your business. Ideally, your tech should help to reduce mistakes and problems – it shouldn’t be the cause of added mistakes and problems. Below are just a few ways in which you can keep your tech running smoothly so that your tech is a force for good.
Streamline and integrate your tech
Using too many different programs or too many different brands of machine can make things confusing for you and your employees. Things can become particularly confusing if your software and machinery don’t play nicely with each other.
Consider whether it’s time to start simplifying your tech. Instead of having to switch between lots of different programs, consider whether you can find a way of accessing all of them through one program. Similarly consider whether it could be worth sticking to one brand of machinery (different machines supplied by the same brand are likely to be operated in a similar way and may also come with interchangeable accessories).
Know when to upgrade old tech solutions
As your software and machinery gets older, it could start to perform more slowly and run into more faults. Software, for example, can start to encounter bugs and even viruses as it becomes older and loses support. Old machinery is meanwhile more likely to experience wear and tear.
Make sure to upgrade to new software once old software loses support and replace old machinery before it starts to encounter lots of problems.
Consider outsourcing tech support
Having tech support on hand could allow you to fix problems quickly. This can help to prevent downtime.
While you can hire in-house IT technicians, this can be quite expensive. Outsourcing managed services is a lot more affordable and allows you to still get help from experts quickly (most IT problems nowadays can be solved remotely). Managed IT services may also be able to provide general maintenance and monitoring, often preventing problems before they occur.
Train your employees thoroughly
Technology is only useful if you know how to use it. If employees have not been trained how to use tech properly, they may fail to use it to its full potential or may make careless mistakes that cost you money.
Take the time to carefully train new recruits how to use software and machinery. Unless you’re hiring employees who are already competent and trained in that technology, you shouldn’t assume that they know how to use it. You should also make sure to retrain employees whenever you introduce new tech.
Fix problems as soon as you can
Some problems have to be fixed immediately – your business cannot operate unless they are fixed. For instance, if your router completely stops connecting to the internet, this is something that has to be fixed straight away. Other problems do not require immediate repairs, but can still be inconvenient. For instance, your router may have occasional moments when it cuts out, but may connect to the internet most of the time. These are the types of problems that often get ignored, but they can still negatively affect your business.
Make sure that you’re not ignoring problems just because they’re not an emergency. Even if the problem doesn’t get any worse, it could still become a future source of frustration. Obviously, there’s no point repairing something minor if it could be quite expensive to fix. However, there’s no reason to ignore a minor problem that’s cheap to repair.
