4 Ways Old Technology is Hurting Your Business and You Didn't Even Know It

Keeping up with the latest trends and staying ahead of the curve in technology can be difficult. It seems like we're inundated with messages almost daily about the "latest" and the "greatest" new pieces of technology. Relying on old technology and outdated methods can limit your productivity, make staying organized difficult, and leave you missing out on new opportunities. Not being on par with the latest technology can affect your business in more ways than one. There's no need to be feeling outdated with technology when there is so much available. 

This is our list of the 4 ways old technology is hurting your business. The good news is, for each of these negative circumstances, there is a solution.

Old Technology Increases Downtime

Do your printers or computers seem to come to a crashing halt on a regular basis? It's almost like our technology knows when we have a tight deadline or you have a big meeting coming up. Sometimes it feels like the technology is out to get us, but really its just trying to tell us something.

Your equipment is trying to tell you that it's time for an update. Continuing to use finicky and outdated technology can hinder your productivity, increase downtime, and even limit your capabilities. Updating your devices is a great way to increase productivity and save money. Over the course of time, your employees and customers will thank you too. The extra good news is, there are different ways you can go about updating your technology. Whether you want to take an all at once approach or do a little bit at a time, undergoing updates is a great way to get back some productivity hours.

Inefficient Document Management

There are a lot of outdated pain points associated with physically printed documents. Handing the documents off to different people, time lost searching for misplaced paperwork, lack of security with sensitive information, the list goes on. Long gone are the days of having a paper-intensive office. Having to deal with stacks of paperwork or countless file cabinets isn't just an issue employees have to deal with, your customers can experience the pain too.

Not evolving with the way technology is moving can hurt your business and hurt the way your image is perceived by customers. If a customer comes to your office to pick up paperwork and you have to sift through months of old and unrelated paperwork to find what they need, you are annoyed and so are they. Adding a much simpler and faster process of managing documents electronically will leave everyone involved pleased and set your business apart among your competitors.

Outdated Phones Can Lead to Poor Communication 

Remember the old phone commercial saying, "Can you hear me now?" That phrase may be fine for TV, but it grows old when you're having to repeat yourself over and over because of old phone equipment or a bad connection. This frustration with outdated technology can be heard on both ends of the phone call. If your business is using a dated phone system, you could be missing out on critical features that come with updating your technology. Some features on new systems can add to mobility, the user experience, and improve the quality of the experience for your caller.

One great solution for upgrading your technology is by implementing VoIP or Voice over IP. VoIP is also known as internet telephony, it converts voice vibrations to compressed digital signals that translate to internet protocol. In short, this means your phone service is run using the internet. As long as you have a connection to the internet, you will be available to your customers. This service allows businesses to handle calls in a professional and efficient manner that doesn't hinder the quality. VoIP is a reliable and affordable way for the modern office to stay connected.

Out of Compliance with the Latest in Cyber Security

Using a dated cyber security plan or not even having one at all can be a risk to your business that you cannot afford. 60% of businesses fail within 6 months of experiencing a data breach. Businesses can not afford to not have a plan in motion. The cyber security game is constantly changing and it is in a business's best interest to stay on top of these changes to protect themselves and their customers.

There are multiple answers for how your business can work to update the technology needed to combat cyber issues. You can look within your company and look into updates you can make internally, or you can outsource to an IT professional or service. When your business chooses to outsource to a Managed IT Services provider, you will receive expert level support from a team of individuals dedicated to securing your IT infrastructure. Outsourcing is like hiring an entirely new IT department to support you and your business needs, without adding a new group to your payroll and benefits. A whole team is there to support you and proactively handle your cyber security without you ever having to worry.

Upgrading Your Old Technology with SumnerOne

There are some things in life that is acceptable to be stuck in your ways about. Technology and business are not in that category. Staying on top of the changes and updates available when it comes to office technology is a great way to keep your customers and employees happy all while maintaining a competitive advantage. If you'd like to learn more about transforming your office technology, give SumnerOne a call. Our team of experts has you covered from your printers all the way to your IT infrastructure. Contact one of our local Midwest offices today.

Originally published November 13, 2018, updated January 9, 2019