Businesses naturally treat their primary operations as the most important thing that they do. Companies focus on what they sell, their clients, and how they market themselves.
All of this is perfectly understandable and no business can thrive without getting these basics right. But in modern companies, there’s a fourth element – technology. It’s also now core to operations but many firms still treat it as if it is peripheral.
We argue that this needs to change. Subpar IT networks and slow business computers are making it nearly impossible for many brands to thrive. Businesses can’t get the operational consistency or regularity they need to be successful.
The purpose of this post is to help you change this if your business is facing tech-related problems. We run through some of the costs of slow business computers and a subpar IT network so you can make the changes necessary to thrive. Here’s everything you need to know:
The Hidden Costs
One of the reasons people don’t invest more in IT support and services is that they don’t always see the hidden costs of running networks that don’t support their requirements. It’s easy to see when a customer is angry, but it is harder to observe situations where a colleague has to wait to open an email (because the network is slow) or when software isn’t available to remote workers.
There are numerous hidden costs of a badly run IT system. The most obvious is troubleshooting, something that can eat up millions in lost revenue for the largest enterprises. Professionals must dig through the data and spend hours evaluating systems to solve problems that shouldn’t occur in the first place.
The other hidden cost is just slow systems. Computers that won’t load quickly frustrate staff and make it harder or impossible for them to do their jobs. Just when they need systems to run quickly, they let them down.
These hidden costs can be eliminated by investing in new systems or relying on a third party to implement and maintain the network. Upgrades are possible and are usually administered via the cloud, reducing downtime and inconvenience.
Security Risks
Another cost of a subpar IT network is the security risk. Low-quality implementations often have hacking vulnerabilities that make it almost impossible to defend them.
These security risks can be high in some cases. For instance, if systems crash, it can make data recovery more challenging. Breaches are also more likely, causing firms to lose customer data.
Some of the more annoying problems involve systems failing to start up. Hackers sometimes install malware that prevents computers from starting properly or allowing you to access files. Eliminating these bugs is challenging because computers can’t always switch on to solve the problem.
Again, updating and maintaining modern systems can eliminate this threat. Newer implementations often include security features that prevent hackers from gaining a foothold in the first place. Systems block sabotage attempts before they can get off the ground.
Around-the-clock monitoring is also helpful. Third parties can observe IT arrangements from afar and close down systems in the event of suspicious activities.
Customer Impact
Slow networks and IT problems can also impact customer-facing parts of the business. Companies can inadvertently provide their audience with a low-quality experience, often not realising there’s a problem until they see a drop-off in conversion or revenue.
Bad IT, for instance, can cause websites to load slowly or make it hard to download resources or free trials. It can also impact customer response times, reducing audience satisfaction and making it more likely they will go to competitors.
Again, the solutions to this problem are quite clear-cut – more investment in IT infrastructure. Getting a third-party company to manage the implementation can reduce the burden on your team and help you focus on what you do best. You can often save a considerable sum of money through this approach while also getting higher-quality outcomes.
Employee Morale
It’s worth mentioning that a substandard IT network can also affect employee morale. Workers are less likely to feel motivated if their tools don’t work as expected.
Employees, for example, may feel stressed that systems aren’t responsive enough for them to respond to customer inquiries in a timely fashion. They might want to respond to customer concerns or place orders on their behalf but can’t because systems are too slow.
Workers can also feel frustrated when technology limitations get in the way of them being more productive. Individuals at your organisation might want to hammer through their work but can’t because the technology in the background can’t keep pace with their requirements.
Employee morale is unfortunately a serious consideration. And poor tech is something that can affect it the most. When workers can’t rely on their tools, it begins to turn every day into a frustrating experience, preventing them from achieving the productivity they’d like.
Usually, the solution is to simply speed everything up and improve internet bandwidth. The fewer delays there are, the better in most cases.
You might also want to add improved automation to existing technology to reduce reliance on rote tasks. The more you can pass the donkey work over to machines, the less workers are likely to feel.
Lost Productivity
The final cost of slow business computers and an IT network that’s not up to standard is lost productivity. You simply can’t get as much done when you don’t invest properly in technology.
For example, slow computers force staff to remain idle for more of the day than is optimal. Staff can’t just get their work done. Instead, they have to wait for applications to load and systems to respond.
Depending on the slowness of the overall system, this waiting can eat into significant chunks of their day. They might only get 50% of the work done that they could if computers ran faster, representing a massive cost in lost wages. It could mean you’re paying for days of idleness every month, losing your business money.
So there you have it: the true cost of slow business computers. What actions are you taking to prevent this problem?