Upgrading your business software is a necessity. Whether your company has grown significantly or not, technology evolves and not keeping up with the times can have a negative effect on your business.
Ashish Deb is a senior IT project/program management consultant from Toronto, Ontario. He has spent over 15 years working in the Canadian and international IT industry. Currently, he is the owner of NewAge-Solutions Canada Inc., which helps companies improve their IT systems so they can operate as efficiently as possible. Mr. Deb is well versed in understanding the telltale signs that a company’s business technology is no longer functioning as it needs to. He outlines five signs that it’s time to update your company’s business software.
Slow Response Times
Sometimes systems encounter problems. This is normal. But what isn’t normal is for those same systems to take a long time to recover. According to Ashish Deb of NewAge-Solutions Canada Inc., one clear sign that your business technology needs updating is when the system takes too long to respond after a problem occurs. A slow response time is often due to low internet connectivity or faulty servers. In this day and age, no one has patience for downtime when it comes to technology. Staff find it frustrating, as do business owners as it means less efficient work and possibly even a loss of revenue. Thus, the best thing you can do if you notice serious lags is to update your business software. In order to have a clear picture of how your current technology is performing, be sure to check in regularly with your team members, asking them how frequently they experience IT issues.
Growth of the Company
Businesses often get stuck thinking that whatever software they had when they first started out will continue to operate smoothly as the company grows. This just isn’t the case. Just as you would scale other aspects of your business once you start seeing growth, you should also be scaling your software solution. Ashish Deb knows firsthand how important it is that a company updates their technology as they grow. If they don’t, it’s going to be a major headache for them in the long run.
Systems Under Attack
Yet another sign that your business solution needs updating is when you find that you are frequently being attacked by hackers. In most cases, older technology is more vulnerable to cyber attacks. This is because technology of the past is often incompatible with the latest and best antivirus software. Ashish Deb warns that hackers are getting better at what they do, finding new ways of gaining access to your systems and stealing data. Thus, if you are the victim of security breaches or cyber crimes, it’s certainly time for an update. Security is of the utmost importance for businesses, so to ensure that your company’s information as well as your customer’s information remains safe, it is critical to have the most up to date software.
Expensive Energy Bills
Business owners might be interested to know that in addition to speed, efficiency, and security, there is a financial incentive to updating your business solution. Ashish Deb claims that outdated technology is far more likely to use up larger amounts of electricity than new technology. So, if you notice that your energy bill is higher than a lot of other companies you know, your software could be the culprit. If you’re looking to reduce your monthly utilities bill, consider updating your business solution.
Manual Processes
The last sign that your business software solution is in serious need of an update? If your team is still relying on manual processes. For example, if your employees still have to manually input business data, then it’s time for an upgrade. Not only are manual processes tedious and time-consuming, they leave room for human error. By upgrading to a more modern software solution, data can become automated and analyzing said data can become a streamlined process. In the long term, this will help your staff and business run more efficiently.
Final Thoughts from Ashish Deb
Overall, there are many signs that make it clear it is time to update your business technology. When you notice one or multiple of these signs, Ashish Deb recommends hiring a team of IT consultants to help you find the best solution for your business. Companies like NewAge-Solutions Canada Inc. are experts at helping companies’ IT systems run as efficiently as possible. From overhauling your company’s outdated infrastructure to suggesting solutions to make your software more efficient, consultants will be able to help your business succeed.
