Getting Value from Your IT

We have developed a certain reliance on technology over recent years – for some this was born out of the desperation of the pandemic, but for most this has just happened naturally over the years. Those that were forced to make the adoption of new tech rapidly have realised that they need to change the ways they work to more modern methods, or else risk being left behind the competition.

One of the main changes that has been made is a widespread conversion to remote working, because this decision was taken on a whim and with very little forethought. It is likely that, in the rush to implement these new ways of working, things were done for ease rather than for effectiveness – uncertainty around technology is common in all business sectors so this is no surprise. IT companies commonly deploy tech for you and then leave you to your own devices, not knowing what to do with it or how to manage it, and this makes things even harder for business owners that are already in a difficult situation.

Business owners now need to slow down, as the pandemic is practically over and the days of taking problems as they arise has reached its conclusion. It is now time to use some forethought and prepare for the future of your business IT.

The majority of organisations don’t purchase IT that aligns to their working processes, and most teams are forced to develop their own workarounds, most of which are inefficient and can hinder the work process altogether.

Let’s take a look at the way teams are having to work without modern technology in their organisation.

Vital business functions – The traditional way

Communication

The ways we communicate have changed in line with the way we work – the way we work is flexible so our methods of communication need to be flexible too. Many now use Microsoft Teams and Zoom, both of which have left the telephone slightly surplus to requirements. Business owners need their team to remain professional when using their business number and direct dial – the last thing you want is to appear unprofessional because of re-dial. If you have a traditional PBX phone system that sits in the corner of your office it must be updated – a dated phone system is guaranteed to prevent your business from achieving your goals.

Collaboration

Like communication, the ways we collaborate are also evolving with the times. Some business owners have made little to no changes in the way their team communicates for years, while some are still only using Email, which – for all its positives – is like collaborating with a hand tied behind your back. With Email your message can take hours to get across, and if your team are all working on the same document there will potentially be many copies of it everywhere, inevitably causing confusion as to which is the latest and master copy. Modern methods of collaboration will allow your team to work together from anywhere in the world, and in real time.

Workflow process

Having a well outlined workflow process is essential, as you must know what is happening and when. The modern workplace demands that our workflows are as efficient as possible, but some businesses are not achieving this. Some are still wasting valuable time by using their skilled team members to complete mundane tasks – because they don’t want to employ someone new with that task as their primary role, but they think they have no other choice. In the modern age there are tools available that allow your team to continue with the skilled tasks that they were employed to complete whilst placing the mundane tasks in the hands of technology.

Document management

Old file servers don’t allow a modern team to work as effectively as it should, because they require employees to manually send documents to one another, whereas modern technology irradicates the need for this laborious and time-consuming task all together, which in turn allows your team to be more productive with their time.

We will go into more detail of the modern alternatives in the next article, all of which will allow you to remain compliant, secure, professional, contactable, and – above all – efficient, at all times.

Achieving value from your tech

4TC take time to understand the daily challenges that your business faces. We then provide cost-effective tech solutions to these issues that will help you save time, protect vital data, and enable you and your staff to be more effective with time management. We will ensure that your staff are using the technology at their disposal in a way that works for them, whilst making sure that they are educated on how to use it as productively as possible. Utilising your IT to its full potential is essential to guarantee that you and your business can thrive and grow into the future. If you would like to find out more on how 4TC Services can provide affordable tech management for your business, drop us an email or call us now for a full demonstration.