Isn't it funny how things always go wrong at the worst possible time? Got a deadline? Your computer crashes. Need to send that email by COB? Suddenly your emails won't send. But what if there were a way to prevent Murphy's Law when it came to your IT solutions?
Technology should make our lives easier
Emails, intranets and websites were developed to facilitate communication and business in a way that is both accessible and structured.
But as much as we love to use technology, it's a complicated and complex beast that requires an expert hand to ensure it works optimally. Although one of the wondrous things about technology is that it's always evolving, it can also be an office's undoing when outdated software causes bugs, crashes and system downtime.
But staying on top of IT trends and system updates can keep your business running smoothly. David Gringruz from Melbourne's IT Switch talks us through the three crucial solutions to ensure that anything that can go wrong: won't.
- Find and treat issues before they occur
"Issues can occur for a range of reasons: software updates, system bugs, malicious attacks," explains Gringruz.For this reason, ongoing proactive IT maintenance can help prevent these (and other) issues from affecting an IT system before they happen.
- Software Updates:
Minor updates are regularly rolled out to ensure software and websites are working optimally. However, at times installing these updates can cause issues in itself, or waiting too long between making an update can affect the optimal functioning of a system. "One of the best things a business can do is stay abreast of industry trends and software updates," says Gringruz. "Otherwise, your system could get left behind."
- System Bugs:
Sometimes system bugs co-exist harmoniously, barely noticeable by users who develop a workaround. But they can also cause havoc when one bug severely disrupts another. Gringruz advises troubleshooting system bugs early to prevent system failure when it matters, effectively preventing loss in business activities.
- Protect against Malicious Attacks
While intentional malicious attacks can be hard to control, there are plenty of tools in an IT specialist's arsenal at the ready to provide ongoing defence that makes it harder for hackers to successfully affect a system. Staying abreast of system patches and firmware updates prevents hackers from using known hacks on older, outdated software.
"One of the easiest ways for a hacker to penetrate a website or IT system is through outdated tech," says Gringruz. "Software updates and system patches are developed to solve known problems – because if they're known to the company, they're known to the hackers."
- Increase productivity
When systems go down, so too does employee morale and motivation. On the upside, when your systems are working optimally, staff engagement and performance has endless possibility to outperform.
- Reduce downtime and outages:
System downtime and outages can cost business more than employee time and wages: it can cause irreparable damage to a brand's reputation within a client base. If an IT outage affects the delivery chain of products and/or services, the reputation of a company with its stakeholders can be damaged.
"I've seen large scale, national logistics companies who count revenue by the minute come to a standstill because their IT system crashed," said Gringruz. "It cost them more than just the time it took to fix it – it affected their client relationships too."
- Ensure employees perform optimally
A business is only as good as its employees, and employees are only as good as the tools and materials they have to work with. By ensuring your team has the best resources available, you can guarantee a higher chance of producing outstanding products and services.
- Proactive maintenance
- Expert advice:
Through proactive monitoring and maintenance, business manager's can be advised on how systems are performing, and if any necessary changes or upgrades are required to prevent system failures and lost productivity. "Regular reporting on system output gives business manager's transparency in how their system is working and where it could improve," says Gringruz. "This gives business manager's an edge knowing what's working and what's not."
- Stay a step ahead:
Technology helps business stay at the forefront of every industry. With insider, industry expertise, leading business manager's keep their IT systems up to date and ahead of the competition. "It's really a no-brainer," laughs Gringruz. "Technology is constantly evolving alongside a business – they should be growing together."
A cost-effective solution
When things go wrong, it always happens at the worst possible time. Finding someone for an emergency IT fix can end up costing a business much more than ongoing maintenance that could have prevented the issue in the first place.
"Proactive IT maintenance is actually the cost-effective solution in the long term," says Gringruz. "When you can make small fixes and monitor a system in its live environment, it actually ends up costing a business considerably less in the long term than attempting a reactive, ad hoc fix when something breaks."