Can technology improve productivity? As a business owner, it is critical that you and your employees are getting the most out of your company’s technology. Technology plays an essential role in managing performance and encouraging employees to help drive your business forward. As a result, your IT environment spearheads your company’s overall productivity.
Here five ways IT can improve productivity for your small business:
Make sure you use the right technology.
Increasing productivity with technology is possible with the right tools.
For example, if you want to increase your business’ overall productivity, you can’t expect your employees to become faster, better workers if their old computers are consistently lagging in essential programs like Word and Excel.
Therefore, it is critical that you evaluate your IT budget with warranties and aging technology in mind. It is impossible to move forward if your tech is two steps behind you.
Get the most out of your current technology.
Technology requires maintenance. To help keep your tech running smoothly, you must stay on top of its patches and software updates.
These updates can also prevent very costly breaches and leaks and helps keep sensitive data protected. The main reason is that the majority of malware out there doesn’t accurately target new and unknown security vulnerabilities. Instead, it goes for known exploits in the hopes that companies haven’t updated.
Use a calendar application.
Calendar applications are the most underutilized productivity tools by far. A calendar creates a guideline for your day, so naturally, your productivity can flourish with some rails to guide it. We, at MRW Systems, are avid Calendar users. Not only can it help keep track of scheduled meetings, but it also can ping reminders for tasks that are due.
Use a password manager.
Management of passwords is essential. Nothing is worse than having to dig through sticky notes to find a password for an application. Not only does this shuffle take time, but it is very frustrating. I recommend managing your credentials across devices with a password manager, like KeePass, PasswordSafe, or LastPass to name a few. Password managers can improve productivity by making your internet use a lot safer and more accessible.
Get on the Cloud.
The Cloud can improve productivity for organizations by enhancing the ability for users to access their data remotely from multiple types of devices. It also allows the organization, as a whole, to be more mobile. For the Cloud to be a business enhancer and not a setback, it must be designed, implemented, and managed correctly. There’s a lot of Cloud Solutions out there, so make sure you talk to an expert before making the switch.