Published on December 26th, 2021 | by Ali Dino
010 Tech-Related Problems Every Business Faces Today
There’s a massive difference between utilizing technology and understanding it. We’ve entered an era of accelerated technological revolutions where the world’s becoming increasingly accustomed to Artificial Intelligence and automated procedures. It’s reported that robots will replace one-fourth of the American workforce by 2030. However, modern-day companies often face some challenges while dealing with technology. Today, having an IT department in the company isn’t enough when your people aren’t tech-savvy. These problems can become a headache for business owners and hamper any company’s productivity. Overcoming these challenges promises the survival of your organization.
Technology Challenges Every Company Encounters Today
But why do companies face so many tech-related issues at all? We’re thriving in the age of social media. Around one-third of the American workforce comprises baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964. These people aren’t used to working on laptops and computers. However, the other one-third include millennials.
Moreover, just 5% of Americans have level-three computer skills. In the UK, merely 6% of people can call themselves tech-savvy. In Canada, this number goes as high as 7%. Now, you can realize why many huge companies today suffer at the hands of technology. That’s why we’ll describe some pretty regular tech-related problems every business faces in 2022. Your company should resolve these issues:
1. Security Threats
Hackers today have become smarter. During an ongoing pandemic, their attacks have taken a more sophisticated appearance. Reports indicate that a small company can’t stay in business for long if a data breach occurs. So, you must hire the relevant professional right now.
Digital learning helps people become familiar with cybersecurity. So, you can hire someone who has just finished a relevant qualification or encourage employees to enroll in a cybersecurity masters online course from a reputable institute.
Distance learning speeds up the upskilling process for your employees. Skilled experts can protect your data from digital threats from criminals online. They can detect vulnerabilities in your systems before it’s too late. Make your network hack-proof by having some cybersecurity professionals.
2. IT Costs
Many small businesses can’t afford tech-related facilities because of huge IT costs. They can’t afford tech support and hardware/software-related services that make their security vulnerable to marauding hackers. But you can overcome this challenge by employing freelancers or outsourcing IT-related tasks. You can engage these freelancers for part-time services and protect your business from collapsing. When your business flourishes, you can hire the whole team full-time.
3. Temporary Patches
Employees are often accustomed to finding temporary patching for hardware/software issues. They don’t look for permanent solutions that will stop these problems from arising at all. These fixtures may further damage the machine you’re trying to repair or the software you can’t operate. So, finding the root cause of these issues can eliminate the problem at its source. We recommend employees avoid implementing patches on tech-related stuff and consult an expert for solutions.
4. Unnecessary Access
There’s a thing called ‘too much access’ many business owners haven’t heard about today. They are too trusting of their workers and don’t understand the ethical problems arising from your workforce being privy to every single bit of information. Studies reveal that 48% of employees in today’s small-sized companies have more access than they need. It may cause some grave security concerns in the future. So, we suggest restricting an employee’s access to the information you deem vital.
5. Too Many Cables
This problem may appear childish, but it exists and causes a nuisance to many employees today. Our electronics perform several functions, because of which they remain plugged into different machines. But with more equipment come more cables scattered on the floor, tripping people and causing them frustration while unplugging. However, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed by excessive wires at your workplace. A simple solution involves keeping track of how many cables are connected and how to manage them in a clutter-free manner.
6. Hardware/Software Issues
Sometimes, rebooting your machines doesn’t work because the hardware/software may have been damaged beyond repair. Even repairing isn’t an option when we’re talking about making a machine functional again. Repairing your machines may cost more than buying a brand-new device in the long haul. The same goes for the software applications used by the employees. So, you must learn the life-cycle of each machine or ask the IT people to follow up on when a device or program needs repairs.
7. Compliance Issues
Many companies are confused about compliance with regulations, which may cost them millions of dollars in an instant! Did you know the average cost of a data breach in 2020 was nearly $4 million? So, you need to understand these regulations – or better – hire someone who can understand these laws for ensuring your compliance. Again, you can outsource these tech-based legal services by getting some freelancers on board. But be sure to adhere to regulations for your firm’s survival.
8. Backup & Recovery
Most Americans – statistically speaking – have the habit of creating data backups every year. It saves people from accidental and uninformed data loss at the workplace. Studies reveal that 29% of workers have accidentally deleted data from cloud drives, after which it became unrecoverable. It would be best to look out for hackers attempting to breach security. So, create robust data security and recovery plan. Fetch cybersecurity professionals for consultation and back up your data regularly.
9. Power Surges
Yep, it happens! A single surge of electricity can ruin your office’s electronic equipment just like that. So, we suggest investing in sufficient power-surge protection since these spikes may cause outages that lead to data loss and damaged equipment. Keep some auxiliary power boxes in the office to ensure people have some time to shut down their workstations after a power breakdown. Invest in enough battery devices to stop power surges from deleting your data. Also, the IT staff conduct regular checkups more often.
10. Staying Updated
Today’s technology transforms speedily, and small-sized businesses often struggle to keep up with these frequent changes. Your company must remain current with these successive developments now to prevent faults in your systems. Unfortunately, just a tiny percentage of companies care about staying updated. So, most small-sized businesses miss out on important updates. Moreover, some firms still haven’t invested in the cloud. Their data remains pregnable by clever hackers. That’s why we recommend your company becomes familiar with strategic IT planning for surviving in this tech-reliant age. Otherwise, your company’s profitability shall remain at risk.
Conclusion
With every business becoming tech-dependent today, two-thirds of Americans now consider themselves tech-savvy. However, statistics indicate most people have unhealthy online safety habits. So, these incidents of negligence may lead to tech-related problems facing every enterprise today.
For instance, reports suggest that IT downtime makes companies lose $1.55 million every year. So, what are some issues threatening the productivity of your company? They include rising security threats, problems with backup, compliance with regulations, and many more. Several companies face hardware/software issues too. The solution lies in employing the services of trained tech-support and cybersecurity professionals for your company today.