AI is a game-changer, there's no doubt about it. From the value your business gets from streamlining operations to its powerful information retrieval, it’s changed, in a very short amount of time, how knowledge-based businesses operate. If you're thinking of handing over your entire customer support operation to an AI, however, you need to pump the brakes a bit. While AI offers incredible efficiencies, completely removing the human element could be a problem for your business.
Many businesses are under the impression that their IT, despite being a necessary cost, is just that: a bottomless pit for the company’s hard-earned money. However, this impression could be a sign that the business is not utilizing its technology effectively. Let’s look at three signs that your organization might need to reconsider its relationship with IT spending and how they contribute to your company’s overall impressions of IT (as well as its productivity).
We live in a time where all business owners should have some working knowledge of technology, but this lesson is often learned only after the fact. Sometimes it takes a crisis to thrust one into action, but we’re here to help you take the first step. Today, we have four lessons that you can learn about business technology today to hopefully prevent a crisis somewhere down the road.
While it might be tempting to take advantage of deals, sales, and even “free” technology, it’s crucial that you acknowledge you’re losing something valuable as a trade-off. The problem with tech is that “cheap” and “quick” doesn’t translate to “effective” and “valuable.” If you’re not careful, you might find yourself a victim of “tech debt,” an issue that can create serious problems for your business.
Running a small business is already a juggling act. Now toss managing IT into the mix and watch the balls start to bounce in every direction. IT for small businesses isn’t just plugging in a few computers and setting up Wi-Fi. It’s an ever-growing web of systems, tools, security measures, and the occasional mysterious error message that nobody understands. Let’s take a look at some of the things that every small business owner needs to look at as far as their technology is concerned.
It’s always good to know what kind of technological assets your business has at any given time, but some business owners don’t keep a detailed inventory. If you don’t know what you have, how will you know what you need? Let’s discuss some of the ways you can manage your IT inventory or make your current practices more effective.
Every organization has mission-critical systems that they rely on in order to function, and the IT technician is responsible for keeping them running. Modern technology and best practices have given rise to a new way of managing business technology, one that knocks the traditional break-fix IT out of the water.
When running a business, you can’t always upgrade your technology to the latest and greatest equipment or software every time something new comes out. Yet, you also don’t want to be left behind, which would be limiting to your growth and mobility. Moving forward can be a daunting task, especially if you haven’t revamped your IT strategy in some time. Paying attention to the details is an important part of avoiding potential roadblocks with your future IT strategy.
If you’re one of the unfortunate souls still using Windows 8 (as opposed to 8.1) on your business’s workstations, you should consider upgrading, and as soon as possible. Microsoft has cut off support for its infant operating system, so if you want patches, security updates, and just a better overall operating system, upgrading to Windows 8.1 or 10 is an ideal solution to this dilemma.
