Technology is going to glitch; some days more than others and odds are that your productivity will be impacted when it does. Glitches can originate from an internal or external source and can cost you in both time and money.
Can they be avoided? We think that at the very least malfunctions or attacks can be minimized and here is how.
Tech Issues That Could Already Be Affecting Your Productivity
Tech issues that you are not aware of can be slowing down your employees, simple problems that can easily be rectified.
- Unintentional loss of data: Unreliable technology, blackouts, and employee errors cause data loss, one of the most common issues that contributes to the productivity loss of your employees. When staff must restart projects, and redo tasks because items are not saved – they waste time having to retrieve data.
- Ad hoc employee access: Do you have a logical filing system that staff can easily follow to access the files they need? Do they know where the software they use is kept and how to use it? Monitor your systems, talk to your staff and hold regular training sessions, and create documentation so that employees can seamlessly conduct their work.
- Computer shutdowns: Are some of your systems or technology outdated? Are they prone to shutting down in the middle of important tasks or freeze just before a document is saved? Update software and technology to enable employees’ productivity with workstations that work.
- Slow/unreliable network connections: Apart from holding workers back, a slow internet connection can significantly affect productivity. In the current marketplace, reliable and fast internet is easy to access in most areas and there really is no reason to stumble along with a subpar connection.
- Lack of spam filters: When inboxes fill up with spam, workers slow down dealing with it and run the risk of accidentally downloading a virus. With a spam filter in place, the time spent by employees checking emails is dramatically reduced.
- Delays in tech repairs: Downtime caused by technology breakdowns. Minimise the amount of time it takes to fix technical issues. Ideally have an IT company on speed dial who can fix breakdowns immediately.
The Bare Minimum of Protection
There is a minimum of protection that you should have in place, more is better depending on your business, size, and network configuration.
If you are not at least doing these things, you are seriously at risk of a crisis:
Back it up
Make it a habit to back your files up every day, even better automate the process so you don’t need to remember. Make it easy to recover your files, this helps to mitigate the interruption to productivity.
Check backups regularly
Automation is great but fallible, regularly check your backups to ensure they are complete and viable. It needs to be recoverable in case of a crisis. You don’t want to find out your backup is corrupt when you need it in an emergency.
Store backups safely
The next step to having a backup of your data is to store at least one copy offsite. Robberies, natural disasters, and fires can be devastating, even more so if you lose all of the data you need to begin trading again.
Don’t catch a virus
Install virus protection on your system, you may need an assessment by an expert to implement the solution that gives your network the most comprehensive coverage. Regularly check to make sure that your virus protection is always turned on and keep updates current.
Configure your firewall
Regardless of the size of your business, you need to always have a firewall in place. People attack business networks for lots of reasons, sometimes just simply because they can. Preventing an attack is much easier than needing to recover from one.
Install security patches
Security patches are an essential part of your system. They are created to address reimagined viral attacks, new attacks, and loopholes that you are not already protected against. Simply update them as soon as they are available for maximum protection.
A Few Last Words
Productivity through technology is often overlooked. These simple ways of boosting your productivity are easy to implement and can make a real difference to your bottom line.
