No matter what your industry, your product, or your service, the importance of technology to your company’s overall success is increasing. That means you have only two options. you can do nothing and allow your company to fall behind the technology tide, or you can dive in and discover what technology can mean for your business. This isn’t a process to undertake rashly or carelessly.
Without conducting your due diligence, your pet technology project can easily turn into a significant loss for your company, in terms of revenue and productivity. When it comes to optimizing you need to understand what your company needs. How prepared your business is to make the tech transition and what steps you need to take to lead your business efficiently through that transition?
Eyes to the Sky
In today’s business world, cloud computing seems to be on everyone’s lips. Industry experts rave over the cloud as the ultimate business solution, the be-all-end-all of business tech. As with pretty much everything worthwhile in life, before you jump on the cloud bandwagon, you need to do your homework. The cloud is a truly extraordinary business tool, especially for productive collaboration between globally distributed teams, and for secure storage and sharing of massive volumes of sensitive data.
At the same time, there’s also a great deal of redundancy and superfluity in many cloud systems. That not only drives up costs but it also unnecessarily increases system complexity. And if you know anything about tech, it’s that when you increase the complexity of the system, you also increase the difficulty of use and the frequency and severity of tech failures. Why invite those problems for no tangible benefit? Try these strategies for building the best cloud system for your company:
- Examine the system with a fine-toothed comb, exploring each element to determine what is truly beneficial and what is just adding unhelpful complexity;
- Recruit a trusted IT expert to help you select and optimize your system components;
- Try out the countless cloud-based apps available to serve your company’s unique needs.
- Consult reviews and background check your servicers, but then be sure to streamline. Avoid the hype and the hard sell, paring your cloud technology down to only those capabilities that will make your company demonstrably more productive and efficient.
An Environment of Trust
Perhaps one of the easiest but also the most effective uses of business tech is in the domain of security. In the age of the profound and growing threat of cyberterrorism, every business is a potential target. But the threats are not only external. Your company’s physical space is not invulnerable either. Fortunately, business security technologies grow more sophisticated by the day, continuously monitoring and adapting to an ever-evolving, ever-increasing danger. These technologies can be integrated institution-wide but must be combined with a culture of cyber-security that incorporates all employees into a proactive endeavor to safeguard the company, its systems, and its data against cybersecurity threats in its many evolving forms.
Preparing for a 5G World
No doubt about it, the world of business is changing. And Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, and machine learning are driving that change. These technologies are shaping the ways we live, work, and conduct business. However, of all the breathtaking innovations that have appeared on the horizon, perhaps the most significant is the impending arrival of the 5G network. If 5G lives up to its high expectations, then it will truly be a game-changer. It will unite all of these other extraordinary technologies on one seamless, fast communication network. Allowing a level of human-human, machine-machine, and human-machine integration we once thought unimaginable.
However, your business needs to be prepared for the coming of 5G. Here are some steps you can take now to prepare your business for the 5G of tomorrow:
- Take inventory of your company’s existing and prospective technology to determine if it is 5G compatible;
- Plan for the additional costs of 5G technology, which will require a greater financial outlay at first. Though these costs will almost certainly be recouped through the network’s broad improvements in efficiency and productivity;
- Prepare your systems and staff, for the new tech that your company will be able to use on the network. To take full advantage of the 5G network, you need to prepared to automate as much of your system integrate artificial intelligence technologies whenever possible;
- Be ready for the thrust of data. The 5G network will exponentially increase the speed and quantity of your company’s data collection. It is crucial to develop a strategy for auditing and utilizing that data efficiently;
- Launch an adoption campaign. The 5G network is significantly changing the way business is done. To avoid disruption and inefficiency in your company, it’s a good idea to begin educating your staff on the coming changes. Show them the benefits of the new system and especially, how it will make their work lives better.
Finding the Right Technology Team
You may well recognize the necessity boosting your company’s technological base but worry that such a trial is simply too far outside of your knowledge. In that case, it’s probably a smart decision to call in reinforcements. Try these strategies for building your IT dream team:
- Consider how much IT support your company needs. You might choose to recruit a full-time technology consultant or even construct a full IT team.
- Think about contracting. If your company’s needs are less extensive or consistent, partnering with IT service contractors can be a terrific alternative.
- Tread carefully in recruiting. It’s crucial that you do your due diligence. When it comes to skilled, accessible IT professionals, the demand today far exceeds the supply. Tech-based skills are one of the top 5 talents currently sought by employers in the job market.
- Don’t rush. Prepare yourself to spend a significant amount of time finding the right person. Be wary of vocal promises and CVs that look too good to be true. The need for well-trained and highly talented IT professionals is great, and that can make decision-makers desperate.
- Be prudent. As you search for the right IT person for your company, don’t let scarcity make you impulsive or careless. Remember, the person you select to build, maintain, or optimize your IT base will have access to your company’s most sensitive information. They must be both capable and trustworthy. Your company’s survival could well depend on it.
- Protect your business. No matter how skilled and trustworthy your tech team is, data breach is a risk any business runs when they choose to store data electronically. Utilizing tech for record-keeping is well worth the risk for most businesses, but any wise IT person knows the value of being prepared to combat the legal fallout of data loss, which includes having a plan to quickly and professionally respond to a data breach should one happen. While you should seek out and hire the best technology experts in the field, you also want to be sure you are protecting their jobs by insuring your business against the worst-case scenario.
The Takeaway
No matter what your business may be, a company’s success increasingly depends on the strength of its technology. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an IT wizard to create a technological framework that enables your business to flourish now and in the future. All it takes is a bit of time, strategy, and patience!
