Nothing can hold a company back quite like convoluted and confusing processes. Along with organizing and simplifying processes, you should always make sure your software and systems are simplified to work as efficiently as possible. For example, different softwares that are key to your business might have overlapping or redundant features. So it’s important to get rid of any overlap. Also, proper integration of hardware and software is essential setting your company apart.
Here are a few key areas to look at when simplifying and streamlining your IT:
Make The Most Of The Technology You Already Have
We’ve mentioned not getting caught up in buying the newest, shiniest technology, but that’s not it. Sometimes, if things are running poorly or slowly, business owners can jump the gun in thinking they need to buy completely new products. However, correcting inefficiencies and looking for updates to current systems/products should always come before buying new.
You can read more about this in our recent blog about reducing costs here.
Find Softwares that Can Handle Multiple Things
Cloud-based software (such as Office 365) can also make a world of difference when it comes to productivity. It takes care of things like software licensing which can be not only time consuming, but also frustrating. However, with Office 365 all licensing is included, company wide. This means that all your employees will always have the same, most updated version of each Microsoft Office app. Also, data backup, security, and recovery are included and managed by Microsoft, which is huge.
Integrate Hardware And Software So That Everything Works Together
If your technology isn’t working for you, what’s the point? And if it’s not working well together, it may not just not be working FOR you, it may be working against you! It’s important to find a trusted IT partner who can make sure your hardware and software such as firewalls that work as VPN, content filters, and email scanners, to name a few are integrated properly to work smoothly together.
Manage One Point Of Contact For All Your It Needs
It’s important to have a clear line of contact and communication when it comes to IT. Nobody wants to have to bounce back and forth between different support teams when issues arise. Setting clear boundaries, having clear points of contact, and clear processes makes a world of difference in your company culture.
Conclusion
It’s amazing how taking the time to organize and simplify systems and processes can make a world of difference in your company culture, efficiency, customer service, as well as employee and customer retention. And making sure your software and systems are simplified to work as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. Give us a call today for a free assessment of your systems.
