Many businesses across the UK continue to use outdated hardware and software – often still running systems that have been in place since the organisation first started.
There are more advantages to having updated IT systems than simply faster start-up or a prettier interface. Business-focused software and hardware is developed with specific reasons in mind, each suitable for new challenges and demands. The key is to consider new technology, what the potential benefits are and what the long term efficiency and cost implications could be rather than buying.
By investing in relevant and business specific technology, organisations can benefit in a number of ways:
Achieving operational efficiencies
Older IT systems often become incompatible with newer ones and as a result perform at a much slower speed. This will inevitably impact a business internally, as systems begin to run at a very slow rate or become unusable, but also externally as sharing information becomes very difficult with those using more current systems.
Improving visibility of information available for decision-making
At one stage or another, most businesses will have relied on storing some of their information in a basic spreadsheet. However, as the size of this information grows, and the level of detail increases, it becomes impractical to continue with such tools. When decision makers are looking to extract vital information they can no longer rely on simple spreadsheets and instead must utilise such tools as databases and automated systems that will collate relevant data on an ongoing basis and allow live updates at any time.
Staying competitive
Just as businesses should not fall into the habit of buying any new tool or technology made available to them, equally it’s important to realise that if many of your competitors and industry peers are working with a certain system, it’s probably with good reason. By failing to keep up with others’ investments and ways of working, organisations can run the risk of becoming a non-competitor.
Improving customer engagement
The more detail that a business can get on their customers the more they will be able to accurately engage and target them for future business opportunities. The key to doing this successfully is to extract relevant information in order to target the appropriate customers. As such, it’s essential that all information is easily accessible, clear and easy to refine in order to extract the relevant customer groups as they’re needed. Businesses that do this well are likely to improve customer retention as they can offer a more tailored and personal service.
Scaling for the future
Investing in IT can be an expensive business, so it’s important that any significant purchases are well thought out and match not only your current needs, but the future needs of your business. If IT systems are scalable and have limits well above current requirements, then this will inevitably lengthen the time that they can be in service and as such, negate the need for unnecessary re-investment in the short-term. Although it can be difficult to predict exactly how a business will perform in the near future, it’s essential that those in charge of IT are not short-sighted in their purchasing and instead consider how the business is likely to change over time.
Organisations should evaluate the IT systems they have in place in order to make sure that they are offering staff all that they need in order to remain productive and competitive.
By assessing these common business needs at regular intervals, business owners can be confident that their IT systems put them in an ideal position to grow and be profitable.
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Original Source: SME Web, Tony Speakman, FileMaker’s Regional Manager in Northern Europe
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