Halloween may be quickly approaching, but many companies run into terrifying technology issues year-round. Read on to learn about the most common challenges of technology in business today and what you can do to solve them.
Scary Tech Problems Haunting Today's Businesses
Companies today face very different tech problems than in past decades. Here are some of the most common technological challenges facing businesses today.
Cyber Attacks
Cyberattacks are devastatingly costly — as of this year, the average cost of a data breach in the U.S. is approximately $9.44 million. Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, making it difficult to protect legacy systems.
Upgrading to modern, cloud-based technology can help you proactively defend your attack surface by letting you access the latest updates for your systems.
Data Loss
Even in the 21st century, many companies still store their most mission-critical data on legacy systems. While this strategy worked well in the past, conventional on-premise hardware systems are vulnerable to data loss from various causes, including natural disasters, cyberattacks and hardware malfunctions.
Regularly backing up your important data to hard drives is one way to prevent data loss, but it's significantly less accessible and available than automated, cloud-based backup software. Backup as a service (BaaS) solutions ensure you have a copy of the most recent version of your data available whenever you may need it.
Lack of Strategic IT Planning
The sharp increase in technological solutions has led many companies to haphazardly implement digital solutions without an overarching digitization strategy. This kind of disorganized digital transformation often results in an inconsistent user experience (UX) for both employees and customers, which can negatively impact business.
Incomplete Utilization of New Technology
Just because you've purchased a best-in-class tech solution doesn't mean your organization will see an incredible return on investment (ROI) right away. Many companies purchase and implement new solutions but lack the proper skills or infrastructure to use them. As a result, they fail to maximize their investments.
Often, this is the result of poor planning. Companies sometimes invest in new technology without considering proper implementation or usability, and many vendors can only offer limited support.
How to Overcome Technology Challenges in Business
Now that we know the monsters lurking in the dark, we can figure out how to defeat them. Here are some solutions for the scary technology challenges your organization might be facing right now.
IT Strategy Planning
When your organization's business and technology goals align, your digital transformation is more likely to be successful.
For example, your business might grow significantly over the next few years. Planning ahead for growth and investing in technology solutions that let you scale quickly and easily are key for future-proofing your company and getting the most out of your investment.
Working with an IT consulting firm can help you identify key areas for improvement and the most effective solutions for those areas. Try to find a firm that will support you through the entire process, from ideation to implementation, for maximum chances of success.
Cloud Adoption
Implementing cloud-based services is an effective and cost-efficient way to modernize your organization. The cloud is highly scalable, meaning your cloud services can grow proportionally with your business. Cloud services are also significantly less costly than maintaining legacy systems due to their lower maintenance requirements and high availability.
You need to outline a clear strategy for cloud implementation for your project to be successful. Important questions to ask include:
- How will the cloud solve the problems your organization faces right now?
- How will you secure your cloud environment?
- Will a single-cloud environment meet your organization's needs, or will you need to implement a multi-cloud strategy?
- How will you deal with legacy infrastructure and applications that may be incompatible with the cloud?
Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is the process of integrating digital technology into every area of your business, from customer service to inventory management. Cloud migration and application modernization are critical elements of a successful digital transformation.
Some of the top benefits of digital transformation for companies include:
- Streamlined collaboration: Cloud-based communication and collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, Google Drive and Slack let employees work together on important tasks when miles apart.
- Effective project management: Digital project management tools let businesses track project progress and keep teams on task.
- Improved customer service: Customer-facing business applications, such as online storefronts, mobile applications and automated customer service, can improve customer service, which leads to increased sales and customer retention.
Taking a mindful, holistic approach to digital transformation is key to a successful digital transformation. Encourage buy-in from key stakeholders by clearly outlining all the ways your organization can benefit, and create a detailed road map that maps out critical milestones for your transformation strategy.
An IT consultant can help you devise a comprehensive strategy to work toward digital transformation.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an evolving field, but it's incredibly profitable for many companies. Using AI technologies like robotic process automation (RPA) and machine learning (ML) can:
- Improve process efficiency: Automating time-consuming processes with AI robots lets you get more work done in less time, boosting organizational productivity and freeing your employees to focus on more urgent tasks.
- Eliminate human error: Tedious tasks like manual data entry are inherently prone to human error. Leveraging AI bots to take over these responsibilities improves work quality and virtually eliminates the risk of data errors.
- Expand service offerings: AI capabilities let you offer services that may not have been possible for your business using more conventional technologies.
Essentially, proper AI implementation can help you grow your business without needing to bring on additional staff.
How Technology Partners Can Help
Since 1994, Technology Partners has advised businesses on how best to implement modern technologies across their platforms. We work with our clients on a personal level to tackle technological problems while keeping the big picture in mind.
Our experienced IT consultants are the best of the best. You can count on your Technology Partners consultant to help you with:
- IT staffing: After a brief interview to determine your desired technical skills and cultural traits, we source and provide highly qualified candidates for your in-house IT team.
- IT solutions: We help our clients identify and implement the best tech solutions for their unique business challenges. Whether you need to develop a mobile app or improve your website's usability, we'll be with you every step of the way.
When you work with us, you'll be able to address all the technological issues plaguing your organization while staying within your budget.
Contact Us Today for Fearless IT Consulting
There's no need to fear when you have Technology Partners in your corner. We can help you design and implement a custom IT strategy that meets all your organization's unique needs.
Get in touch today for more information.
