Technology ages. Much quicker than most of us want it to. It seems like there is a new phone or tablet hitting the market every other month and each promises to be the newest breakthrough in mobile technology. As first-world individuals, we are trained to discard old technology while desiring and demanding the next big thing. We go as far as pre-ordering devices months in advance to ensure we have it on day one. We have just got to have the newest phone, tablet, computer or video game system.
Just about everyone is guilty of it. New technology excites us. We want to use and embrace it and maybe even show it off a little. So, when it comes to running our businesses why are we so stubborn to take the next leap forward when it comes to old technology? The simple answer is obvious: it’s the cost. Why won’t the executive with the flashy new phone upgrade past the dot matrix printer? Okay, that may be a little extreme (can you even use a dot matrix nowadays?) but you catch my drift. Right?
Should your accounting office have 3D 4k resolution touch screen monitors? No. But they should have the most recent version of Microsoft Office and Windows 10. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a business office working off Windows XP with Office 2003. Not only does this make it difficult for these offices to communicate with those outside of the business, it also creates problems when support for these systems is no longer offered.
As business operators it’s imperative that we stay at least on the technology curve. Otherwise we will find our old technology holding us back from our maximum level productivity. When productivity dips, it is a direct threat to your financial success. You don’t have to be an expert. Unsure of what technology is holding you back? Ask your employees; they will tell you what is preventing them from doing their jobs. They want to be productive and successful but it’s hard to be motivated when you don’t have the right tools to do the job efficiently.
Now that you have this information, what is the next step? Consult a third-party IT services company. If you have an IT member on staff, be sure to make them part of the conversation. Third-party firms not only provide outside-the-box thinking and recommendations. By providing them access to your current IT team, it will help them identify your old technology hurdles and provide recommendations on how to replace them or upgrade them in a thoughtful way.
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