When is it time to update your technology? Has the question got you thinking about when you last upgraded your technology?

People do seem to fall into two categories – those who are perpetually looking for the latest innovations and those who use what they have until it isn’t working properly, or when it breaks down completely. Technology is advancing even while you are reading this and it would be impossible to keep renewing your systems.

However, there will come a time when the technology you have doesn’t do what you want it to and becomes outdated. It is no longer ‘fit for purpose’. Hardware can fail and processes become inefficient. So how do you know that it’s time to update your technology? In this article from Relativity, the business technology specialists helping clients globally from their base in East Sussex, we look at the top nine signs that your systems need replacing.

Signs That it’s Time to Upgrade and Update Your Technology

1. The device is no longer supported by the manufacturer
2. Performance is slowing down and/or crashing
3. Employees are frustrated
4. Reduced productivity as technology is holding employees back
5. Your IT does not support you being agile
6. More vulnerability to a cyber attack
7. Your hardware doesn’t support software upgrades
8. Your business is growing in terms of scale of operations
9. Operating costs are escalating

Frustrated Employees Will Be Less Productive

If your systems no longer get security updates, it is time to replace them, as you are more vulnerable to being hacked. If your systems are taking too long to respond, it will lead to more downtime, employees getting frustrated which will ultimately demotivate them leading to lower productivity. Systems need to be compatible throughout the whole workforce so that there is harmony between the different departments.

What Will Updating Your Technology Bring?

• Improved security
• Enable growth and better performance
• Increased productivity
• Enable effective marketing
• Improved customer service
• Reduction in running costs
• Utilisation of mobile technologies

How Can Relativity Help You Update Your Technology?

Ever-changing technology does create opportunities, but it does present challenges for businesses of all sizes. In order to work effectively, businesses must be smart with their investments into technologies. It’s important to adopt the right solutions for the specific challenges and needs of your business. Updates to technology can massively benefit your business, but there is a cost involved. Get in touch with the experts at Relativity and we will be able to advise you on the most suitable technology for your business so that you get the maximum return on your investment. Call us on 01825 280123 or email info@relativity.co.uk for more information.

Our process is fine, we are as efficient as we could be. Are you sure? Lets look at the process to make a cup of tea: Fill kettle, wash dirty cup, put in tea bag and sugar in cup, turn on kettle, wait to boil, pour boiled water into cup, get milk out of fridge, remove tea bag add milk as required.  It’s a process that gets you a cup of tea but is it an efficient process. Not so much, turning the kettle on as soon as you fill it will reduce the time to make a cup of tea as would getting the milk out whilst the kettle boils or what about washing up cups whilst waiting for the kettle to boil will save you doing it next time.  Now this may only save you say 10 seconds, but assume you have 10 cups a day, thats 100 seconds, over 260 days of the year that’s 26000 seconds or nearly a day. 

Ok, so analysing and streamlining how your staff make the tea may not be the best place to start but looking around your business for small savings in efficiency may make a big difference in your office. So how should you go about reviewing your process? What should you consider?

All very simple points to remember and that is what the process in your business should be, simple. If you would like more information on business processes and the integration of technology into the business process contact us.

OK, I admit it straight away I am going to say Strategic, but as one of my roles is acting as a virtual Chief Technology Officer (vCTO)/Interim IT Director for companies, I would say that. So why do I ask the question in the first place? I am always stunned by the number of people I come across who think of technology as just a tool and do not use it to help drive their business strategy. What makes it funnier is that the strategic planning is invariably pulled together through the use of technology. Word documents and Spreadsheets are used to write the business plan, email to ask for comments and suggestions from business stakeholders and mobile phones to get advice. Yet does it get actual consideration? Very rarely. So I would like to take the next 5 minutes to discuss why technology should be a driver in your business strategy. So let’s think about a few strategic decisions a company might make and possible technology solutions.

In each of these scenarios the Business Strategy has been decided and technology does become a simple tool to implement the strategy. But let's look at these from a Strategic Technology perspective.

All of a sudden technology looks to be one of the drivers for your business strategy rather than just the tool to implement it. So why does technology so often stay as the tool? Often this is simply because technology is not represented at board/strategic level, the CFO/Finance Director, who is often left in charge of IT is too busy preparing Management Accounts to be keeping up with technology or your business is just too small to warrant the cost of this role.  But there are a few things you could consider:

Technology is constantly moving forward and should be seen as something to help drive your business forward. Getting good advice or forging a relationship with a technology specialist will help your strategic planning for the future of your business.