Anything that can ensure your business’s long-term success is worth consideration and IT is one of the most effective tools to help you move with the times, stay relevant and realise growth. Here are a few simple things to keep front of mind, so your IT purchases last the distance too.
New tech purchases and system upgrades
Business and market relevance are most important when you’re investing in any business technology.
Decision makers should be asking questions about how any new hardware or software supports the core business objectives, which function, process or procedure it will improve and how it will generate return on investment.
Good spend will be easy to justify when you meet to decide on next year’s IT budget, and the benefits will be clear.
Simplifying systems
One of the simplest ways to future proof your business is by making it as easy as possible to manage.
Complex systems, over-customisation, workarounds and shortcuts make life very difficult when it comes to upgrades and business change.
A simple but effective IT infrastructure wins out every time, particularly for smaller set-ups.
Keep processes lean, have a clear IT roadmap and use an agile approach, so you’re never so heavily invested you can’t afford to step back or change direction.
Invest for growth
IT spend should always be an investment. That means buying smart, being able to justify the costs and being clear up-front about how it will benefit the business.
Every pound, dollar or cent spent should be feeding into an agreed IT strategy and be able to prove its worth.
If you need help working out how new systems, devices or hosted services can help improve your operational efficiency, it’s important to ask for professional help from an IT consulting service.
A simple system assessment or talking through your plans with an expert, could help sense check your thinking and allow you to move forward with more confidence.
Embrace mobile devices
Mobile devices have opened a world of flexibility and cost savings to businesses in every sector.
The ‘Bring Your Own Device’ generation have brought about a new level of flexibility that’s bearing fruit for employees and employers.
The level on which businesses can benefit from mobile devices will obviously vary, but most consumers expect to transact and fact find from their mobile and only those who keep pace with their expectations are likely to survive.
Recruiters confirm good tech and being open to remote working are key to attracting and retaining talent.
Social media ensures even the smallest of businesses are under constant scrutiny and evaluation, with good and bad experiences capable of travelling around the globe overnight.
Embracing this new(ish) world and the growing use of devices isn’t really in question, it’s more a matter of how your business adapts in ways that make sense functionally and financially.
Don’t be limited by legacy systems or software
Outdated applications and legacy systems are a reality for lots of businesses, but when it comes to business IT, ensuring your systems are up-to-date, fit for purpose and well supported by an IT service desk, is a must.
It’s particularly important for businesses that rely on software that requires regular patches and updates, otherwise it can leave the business open to a myriad of risks and vulnerabilities.
The rate at which hardware and software has evolved can be a huge positive for businesses too.
Off-the-shelf products, hosted systems, expert outsourcing and advanced software are readily available, and any one of them could transform your business efficiency.
Evaluate cloud-based services
Cloud-based services are proving to be game-changing for businesses that want total access from multiple devices, anywhere in the world.
It can help consolidate services, reduce the number of providers you need and reduce costs considerably, so it’s easy to understand why the move from more traditional systems to this virtual service model has been so marked.
With market penetration already so high and predicted use only set to rise between now and 2020, it seems likely even more services will make the transition to the cloud and costs will keep it competitive.
It’s a big shift for some businesses, but one that could keep you lean, flexible, cost efficient and more connected, so definitely worth investigating if you’re not there already.
Invest in your people
It might sound like something we throw in there just to tick a HR box, but nothing will future proof your business like your people.
Understanding your business and the kind of people you need to drive it should be an important part of your business growth strategy.
Attracting, motivating and retaining key employees is business-critical, as is understanding how the workforce is changing around you.
Take Millennials for example. In less than ten years, they’ll make up more than 75% of the workforce. They’re probably one of the most researched working groups on the planet too and their work styles, mobile habits and drives will not just inform, but set the direction for many industries.
This mobile, tech-savvy, ambitious generation will not just make up entire workforces, they’ll set the pace around consumerism - making their needs and wants more important than ever.
This is something businesses want to be ahead of. It’s said that ‘you’re only as good as the team around you’, and the team around you (including management) is set to be a millennial majority, so it makes sense to use their fresh thinking and innovative spirit to drive your business forward.
Learn how you can future-proof your business with the right IT software and support by downloading our free eBook on The Role Of IT In Your Growing Agency:
