Is Technology Affecting Your Productivity?

Reading Time: 4 Minutes
Is your technology affecting productivity positively or negatively? When used strategically, technology can help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) develop a more productive, efficient and innovative workforce. That’s why companies that prioritize technology are three times more likely to exceed corporate goals, according to the Adobe Digital Trends Report. In a business world that’s evolving at a breakneck pace, your company may not be able to perform at its full potential if it lacks the necessary technology. 

Technology can improve:

• Business communication
• Decision making
• Marketing
• Security
• Customer support
• Resource management
• Time and cost-efficiency 

However, even the most cutting-edge technology can experience the occasional hiccup and slow you down if you don’t keep up with regular updates and support. Performing an annual technology refresh can help you avoid this altogether.

A technology refresh is the process of replacing technology components regularly by evaluating their ability to integrate with other infrastructure components and obsolescence, rather than waiting until the outdated element becomes the most significant impediment to achieving your company’s vision. 

Read: Refreshing your Business Technology Infrastructure in 2022

A technology refresh is crucial because maintaining legacy infrastructure components comes at a cost. It exposes your systems to hackers, reduces overall productivity and may even drive your most valuable employees out the door because they are tired of dealing with outdated technology that makes it difficult to do their jobs. Additionally, as the costs of maintaining obsolete IT components and the risks of failure continue to rise, day-to-day operations can be negatively impacted. 

In short, tech can have a significant impact on your operations – be it positive or negative. So it’s vital to enable your business to be in a position where technology can improve productivity.

Warning Signs that Technology is Affecting Your Productivity

Is it time to refresh your company’s technology? Your team’s feedback and usability experience will be your primary source of information. If technology is affecting their productivity, there’ll sure be complaints! Keep an eye out for the following six signs:

Systems are running slowly

Slow systems consume a significant amount of a company’s valuable time. The slowness could be due to several factors, including a failed integration, virus or lack of updates. It’s critical to find and fix the problem as soon as possible to get back to optimal performance levels.

Experiencing suspicious pop-ups

Suspicious pop-ups typically warn users that their system is vulnerable to a security threat or has a technical problem. Cybercriminals then prey on worried users who want to make sure their system is secure by extorting money to fix issues and eliminate threats that do not exist. One of the best ways to keep such malicious players at bay is by immediately updating legacy systems.

Read: Top Tips to Identify a Suspicious Email

Random shutdowns

It’s normal for systems to shut down to install critical updates. However, if the shutdowns are frequent and unpredictable, there’s a problem that needs to be addressed. While random shutdowns can be due to a range of factors, such as an unstable power supply, virus/malware or corrupted files, it could also be a warning sign that the system is due for an update.

Connection issues

Getting cut off from the internet in the middle of a crucial task or meeting occasionally can be inconvenient, but what if it happens regularly? It could be a sign that your system has a flaw that needs to be fixed. However, if software patching fails to resolve the issue, it may be time to refresh the system.

Lack of integration between your systems, software and technology

Integration is critical for today’s firms because the current technology landscape is evolving rapidly, and businesses may depend on multiple vendors for different solutions. So, if any technology component in your company does not integrate with the rest of the infrastructure, it should be replaced immediately.

Your system acts possessed

You may have seen situations where tabs open and close on their own, the mouse moves in the opposite direction, things open on your desktop at random, and files get downloaded without your knowledge. In such cases, you should consider a system refresh before consulting an exorcist. Systems without proper patching and update history may exhibit strange behaviour. Moreover, these signs could mean there is an intruder within.

Improving your Relationship with Technology

Technological roadblocks can be frustrating, and attempting to overcome them on your own is often overwhelming. This is a frequent complaint we get from people who are unsatisfied with their providers and thinking about moving on.

IT is not supposed to be frustrating. All your business technology should be improving productivity and efficiency, enabling your team to do more in less time. If that’s not your everyday experience, then it’s time do to something about it!

Learn More: Switching IT Providers

The moment of refreshing your technology is actually an excellent opportunity to consider changing IT providers. A project like this involves a transition period and some amount of effort for participants. So by combining it with a switch, you’re saving time and effort in the process. Learn more about it in our article: How to Smoothly Transition to a New IT Services Provider

Get started on your path to a happy relationship with technology by talking to an experienced partner. Knowing that the process is in expert hands gives you peace of mind and allows you to focus on growing your business. Contact us now for a no-commitment discovery call.

Thank you for reading! Please share it with others who may be needing help handling their IT and cybersecurity requirements. Follow us on Social Media for more exclusive content.