No modern business can run at maximum efficiency without the help of technology. IT innovations enable organizations to cut turnaround times, save costs, and expand their marketing reach, among other things. Whether you want to improve your current processes or take your small- or medium-sized business (SMB) to the next level, investing in IT is a must.
However, any IT investment that doesn’t fit your business needs or is underutilized can adversely impact your bottom line. That's why it’s paramount that you make only the right decisions when spending on technology. Here are things you should avoid doing when it comes to making an IT investment:
Always following tech trends
Jumping on one hot tech trend after another is one sure way to misspend your IT budget. Instead of investing in the latest tech craze, think very carefully about your SMB’s underlying needs and what could drive your organization’s long-term growth. The last thing you want is to shell out a hefty sum for a piece of technology that doesn’t bring significant value to your operations.
Constantly chasing after shiny innovations also means having frequent procedural changes that entail high training costs and cause employee burnout. In doing so, you also run the risk of replacing technology before you can see actual results.
Not having an IT roadmap
An IT roadmap is a strategic-level plan for your organization’s short-term and long-term IT initiatives. Creating one entails looking at your SMB’s goals and understanding what tech investments will help you reach them. Ultimately, it enables you to prioritize and justify IT expenditure. Without an IT roadmap that will guide your IT decisions, it’s easy to lose focus and make unwise decisions, such as overspending on hardware but skimping on cybersecurity measures.
Not building on what you have
Another mistake SMB leaders make is not considering their existing IT infrastructure when investing in new technology, which often results in integration issues that hamper innovation. If your business uses disjointed solutions that don’t work together, it’s likely that you’ll spend time and other resources manually integrating and reconciling information, which defeats the purpose of introducing new technology.
Before you sign up for a new subscription or buy new hardware, think about how it will fit in or streamline your existing setup. However, do not limit your IT investments to what works for your current systems. Eventually, you’ll need to update your technology when inevitable incompatibility issues arise because of technologies becoming obsolete. This point brings us to the next IT investment oversight:
Not considering future upgrades
Don’t make the mistake of not planning for the future. Invest in IT that will enable your SMB to be flexible and adaptable; otherwise, you may fall into the costly and Herculean task of overhauling entire systems.
To prevent incompatibility issues with future IT releases, it’s critical that you partner with the right managed IT services provider that’s always up to date with both IT and industry trends. At HERO Managed Services, we constantly revisit our service offerings to ensure that our clients get the latest best-in-class IT solutions that align with their unique business goals, thus bringing extensive flexibility for the future.
Making decisions without involving employees
While IT decisions are ultimately made by C-level executives, it’s wise to consult with your employees before committing to any tech investments. An open dialogue with your staff allows you to understand their IT needs and preferences, which can help you make choices that will greatly improve overall productivity, lessen the steepness of the learning curve, and eliminate shadow IT.
By contrast, failing to consult with your employees about which IT investment should be pursued can make the latter apprehensive about using new technology. This, in turn, can result in longer training hours and lack of employee buy-in.
HERO Managed Services can help your Florida business use technology to work smarter, not harder. Streamline operations, avoid catastrophic IT disasters, and improve your bottom line — all for a flat monthly fee. Book a FREE IT consultation with our experts today.
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