Some would say that your business can only be as good as your technology allows it to. And if you really think about it, it’s true. You can’t exactly achieve greater heights if your business is weighed down by dinosaur-age technology that makes no room for improvement. In contrast, when you invest in new technology, you have more room for growth, development, and innovation needed to push your business forward.
When is it time to update your business technology? Here are the signs that can answer your question:
Your legacy system is holding you back
Companies still use legacy systems because it’s what’s most familiar to them. Every part of the system has already been turned inside out and when a problem occurs, it’s often easier to deal with. Moreover, legacy systems can decrease operational costs as well as operational risks, helping businesses go as usual without having to worry about a new and unfamiliar problem that might come their way tomorrow.
However, sticking to an old system may not be the best move for your own business. It does its job and it does it well, but you might not be maximizing your potential by refusing to modernize. The next thing you know, you’re lagging behind competitors and slowing down your own growth. If it’s already starting to happen to your business, it might be time to look into legacy application modernization options.
Your productivity is suffering
Slow, outdated computers can do a number on your business’ productivity. Employees can’t maximize their work hours if it takes them ten minutes just to boot up their computer. Similarly, they won’t be able to finish tasks efficiently if the software they use is too slow and too inefficient, to begin with.
Poor productivity due to slow technology is a clear sign that your business needs an update. It won’t be long until your sales start to get affected, and before that even happens, your employees can get unnecessarily burn out due to working with slow systems.
Downtime is too long and too frequent
Human error, security issues, server bugs–there are many things that can cause an IT downtime. Infrequent downtime is considered normal for any company and is usually not something to worry about. But when downtime is too long and happens too frequently, it could be because of outdated servers, faulty Internet connection, or too old hardware, among many other tech reasons. In any case, an update can cut downtime in half in both time and frequency.
Frequent cyberattacks
Cyber attacks, no matter how small, should be taken seriously. Even if you are a small business, cybercriminals can still target you–in fact, small businesses are more targeted by these criminals because of their vulnerability.
If cyberattacks are happening more frequently to your business, it’s high time to start looking into an update. Older technology is more vulnerable to security issues, and thus make your business more susceptible to hacking, malware, and other cybercriminal activity. And as you probably already know, cyber attacks can cause your business to lose significant amounts of money, amongst your reputation and client trust.
Inability to update
If you want to update your software, you may have to update your hardware as well. The old hardware does not have the capacity to support newer software. In some cases, you may be able to run new software on outdated hardware, but it can be so slow that it’s useless. Needless to say, this can easily hinder your business’ growth, rendering you unable to use the software you’ve invested in and effectively wasting money.
If this is the case for you, it’s a clear sign that your business needs new hardware to support the software you need.
Excessive energy bills
When your energy bills are unusually high, it’s not always because of employees leaving their computers on after they leave or overcharging their devices. If your business technology is composed primarily of outdated tech, that is likely the reason why your energy bills are so high.
Old technology tends to suck up more electricity than their newer counterparts, even if they are being used for the same number of hours ten years ago. New pieces of tech are considerably more energy-efficient, so investing in a much-needed update can help decrease your operational costs, as well as reduce your company’s impact on the environment.
Sticking to old technology can work for a while, but not forever. While your business is not suffering (much) from the obsolete tech yet, make the necessary updates to catalyze your growth and development, as well as get rid of operational problems that old tech provides.
