As one of the most famous head coaches in NFL history, Vince Lombardi has several quotes that can be applied to success. One particular statement to note is “If you are five minutes early, you are already ten minutes late.” As it turns out, this quote inadvertently refers to technology. The technology industry moves a mile-a-minute and businesses are always looking for ways to innovate and make significant improvements to technology.
The benefits of the cloud are almost too numerable to count, but you shouldn’t let this dissuade you from other possibilities. After all, what works for one business may not work for another. For organizations that don’t find the cloud to be the best method of data distribution, an in-house infrastructure is absolutely critical. How can you determine which of these solutions is ideal for your business?
As you design your business’ IT infrastructure, it is important that you look months and years into the future, rather than just what you need in the moment. A good managed service provider will understand that--which makes it your job to find a good one. The following questions will help to more quickly narrow down your search to find the best provider for your needs.
Technology is a major factor that can determine your business’s fate, yet some organizations don’t necessarily recognize IT problems before they make themselves apparent. Unfortunately, by the time you notice any issues with your IT, they are usually turning into problems that cause your business considerable troubles. To keep issues from evolving into major problems, it’s up to you to ensure that your technology is maintained in a proactive fashion.
A responsible business owner looks at the repercussions of their actions, however, it’s not always easy to determine what the right action is. Something to keep in mind is that, if it benefits the long-term mission of your organization, chances are that it’s the right thing to do--especially with technology solutions.
For an example, let’s take a look at the procurement process for new technology acquisitions. Some laptops will run a price tag of $200, while more advanced models could extend up into the thousand-dollar mark. It’s important to remember that when buying new technology, a higher price tag generally means that you’ll be purchasing something that’s more reliable, more powerful, and more functional. However, those that are too focused on short-term decision making will wind up staring at that price tag and questioning their decisions. They might choose to go for the less expensive model in order to save some cash in the short-term, but this could be a big mistake.
Administrators and managers who go all-in on new hardware don’t just do so for bragging rights--they do so because it’s certainly worth the cost in the long run. Reliable technology is invaluable, especially if workers can’t do their jobs because their technology solutions don’t work properly, you’ll feel it in your budget. Investing in quality hardware can help you avoid this issue entirely.
You can apply this train of thought to how technology can affect employee productivity, along with their morale. If they are using inexpensive hardware in an attempt to save some money in the budget, chances are that they will know--especially when the hardware breaks down frequently and they have to deal with frustrating downtime.
A short-term thinker might not see this as a problem, as they believe their workers can suffer through it and appreciate what has been given to them to do the job they are paid to do. However, a long-term thinker will see this for what it really is: a problem. Only by equipping your organization with quality technology solutions can you expect them to get the most work done. InformationWeek explains: “better devices lead to higher productivity and morale. According to a UK survey, more than two-thirds of workers felt negatively about their workplace, in part due to outdated technology and practices, with the average worker being frustrated with office tech around three times per day.”
Now, think about how much more productive each of your employees will be if they use technology that actually works the way that it should. Their morale might even improve as well, and with it, the quality of their work. This keeps you from suffering due to the cost of employee turnover, which is more than enough reason to purchase quality technology.
These words of wisdom can also be applied to how you take care of your technology after you’ve acquired it. Viewing your organization’s technology as a short-term expense will inevitably lead to you spending more money than necessary on IT maintenance. If you take a proactive, long-term approach to it, however, you’ll wind up saving money in the long run by preventing issues from escalating into major problems in the first place. This saves you both time and money, which is hard to argue with.
If your business wants to take full advantage of its technology solutions and IT infrastructure, reach out to us at 800.394.2301.