Anyone running a business at this point should be fully aware of just how much the right tech can benefit them. However, are you also aware of the fact that failing to give it the attention and care it needs may also end up costing you considerably? Here, we’re going to look at some of the ways that poorly managed IT can be more costly than you might expect, and how to get on top of it.
Security Breaches
Ensuring strong cybersecurity for your business should be a first priority. There are severe consequences to a security breach caused by not taking enough time to patch up the vulnerabilities in your IT scope. There’s the potential to lose access to financial accounts, but even if you don’t, you could be fined for failing to protect customer data, or might even end up being targeted in a lawsuit by the affected parties. Cyber attacks and data breaches can be so costly that the majority of businesses that get targeted by them end up never recovering fully.
Data Loss
The loss of the vital data kept on your storage hardware might be a risk most often associated with breaches and other cybersecurity risks, but there are plenty of ways to lose data independently of outside actors, as well. For instance, the server you rely on could experience a major malfunction, wiping out much, if not all, of the data stored on it. To that end, you should prevent the loss of critical information by investing in proper data management, as well as backups. Cloud servers can ensure that you always have an extra copy of the vital data your business needs to rely on, should your own storage hardware fail.
Downtime and Productivity Loss
Things don’t have to be quite as dramatic or severe as a data breach to end up costing you. Poorly organized tech that fails to take advantage of things like Cloud data and computing can result in inefficient work practices. This can disrupt your operations and reduce the productivity of your employees. Managed IT services can help ensure that you’re running a more efficient and effective business by enhancing your tech setup. Similarly, failing to take care of the equipment that makes up your IT may result in downtime, which loses you money since you’re paying your employees to work at a reduced capacity.
Compliance Violations
Often, cybersecurity and other IT issues can arise as a result of not doing enough to comply with the best standards laid out in your industry or sector. However, not being compliant with digital technology regulations can also come with costs of its own, even if nothing goes wrong. If you are found to be non-compliant with industry regulations, then it could lead to fines and legal consequences. It’s important to note that these regulations can differ from business to business, based on location, industry, what markets you work with, and more, so do your best to ensure that you know what steps you have to take to get compliant.
Costing Your Customers
If you have repeated IT issues that cause your services to be unavailable to your customers, then it’s only natural that they are going to lose patience over time, until the point that they’re no longer satisfied and willing to come back to you. Of course, it can be even worse if, for instance, you have a highly publicized data leak or other issue. A loss of customer trust doesn’t just lose you your customers and clients now, but it affects your reputation, making it hard for you to win them back again in the future.
The Competitive Disadvantage
If you’re already worried about holding onto customers, your competitors should get you even more concerned. Poorly managed IT puts your business at a significant competitive disadvantage by hindering innovation and efficiency. It can lead to frequent downtime, reducing productivity and delaying project completion. Inadequate security measures expose your business to cyber threats, resulting in potential financial losses and damage to your reputation. Additionally, outdated or inefficient IT systems prevent you from adopting new technologies and optimizing operations, making it difficult to keep up with competitors. Poor IT management also affects customer satisfaction, as service disruptions and data breaches erode trust, driving customers to more reliable competitors.
Getting your IT setup to where it needs to be might be an investment, initially, but it’s one that will pay off considerably in the money that you save. Keep that in mind alongside the tips above.