Technology is a complete necessity these days. It’s been proven that, by strategically integrating technology, businesses can solve major operational problems. Today, we will ask three questions about business tech that any technology-savvy individual should know and explain why you should know them.
Question #1: Do You Have the Right Technology to Fit your Business’ Needs?
This is a question almost anyone that works for your company can answer, but in the grand scheme of things, are you able to efficiently produce your products using the IT you have in place today? If the answer is no, then you absolutely need to consult with ActiveCo Technology Management.
If the answer is yes, you may be surprised at some of the big benefits small improvements to your IT can make. Although you may think your IT is in tip-top-shape, you’ll be surprised to discover there are several productivity-enhancing options that you have yet to consider.
Often, our technicians find that businesses are using antiquated hardware and software, paying too much for their services, or not proactively managing their company’s IT, leading to costly downtime and inefficiency. This leads us to our second question:
Question #2: Are Your Servers, Workstations, End Points, Networking, and Security Being Maintained?
You may have a home computer that you don’t manage. You turn it on when you need to use it and don’t worry too much about how efficiently it is running, until it begins to stall, applications close for no apparent reason, and its overall performance starts to lag. However, if this were to happen with your work computer, you’d have a bit of a problem, right? Now, think about how all the people you pay to work for you feel when their workstation starts to go on the fritz – frustrating, isn’t it?
Expecting someone to excel at their job on a computer that doesn’t work properly is like asking a lumberjack to do his job with a steak knife. Sure, it may do the job, but it’s going to take a lot longer and a lot more effort. This is why it is crucial to make sure that all of your organization’s workstations, servers, and other hardware are properly maintained, and that the software tools you rely on daily are patched and up to date.
It typically takes a certain degree of experience to gain the practical knowledge needed to do a job proficiently. Managing technology is no different. You have to know when to move away from a certain technology, when to embrace others, and everything in between to ensure it is well maintained and working for your business. Remember AOL? In retrospect, they should have used their profits to update to broadband. They didn’t – which is why we had to ask if you remembered them. Learning which technology to use and when you need to use it can go a long way when trying to take your company to the next level. This can be done with the right knowledge.
Question #3: Do You Have Access to the Knowledge Your Business Needs?
What hardware do you have? What software do you use? How much do you spend on downtime a month? How much do you spend in printing costs? Questions like these are simple ones that shouldn’t take long to answer, but when you can’t answer them, or other basic IT questions, you typically find someone that can. At ActiveCo, there is one thing that we have in spades: knowledge about business technology.
When a business owner comes to see us about their technology, we don’t immediately jump into the sales process. The first thing we do is ask questions. Sometimes we do a complete network and infrastructure assessment before we begin to talk money. Our business technology expertise is based on a knowledge of systems and finding the right solutions to your problems.
The difference is that we have the experience and knowledge to provide the value you are looking for from an IT partner. Call us at 604-931-3633 to have a conversation that you won’t regret – it may open your eyes to a new way forward.