How to make the most of the technology you have
Have you ever looked at your phone after years of use and found a new feature you didn’t know was there and don’t know how you ever lived without it? The same goes for your business’s technology. If the technological environment isn’t working together for you, then it isn’t working. Making the most of your technology doesn’t just mean using it for the purpose you originally bought it for. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to find out if you’re making the most out of your environment:
- Do my systems communicate with each other and do they have the ability to do so?
Nowadays technology is made to integrate with each other. You can go to Home Depot and get a 10$ light bulb that can change to 20 different colours by using an application on your cell phone! Chances are, there is a way to make your systems work together more effectively, saving you money, time and personnel resources.
- Have I looked into additional features that may already be available with my current system?
It may seem straight forward, but taking 15 minutes to research the capabilities of your system can often reveal capacities that will make things easier for you and your budget. When new hardware is released, it rarely has one intended purpose. We all know that once something is installed, you quickly either throw away or hide the instruction manual forever without ever really looking through it. Those handy little books containing a lot of information regarding additional tools within your device that you could be missing out on. The same is true for enterprise level solutions – they can often do more than what they are tasked for day in and out.
- Is my system up to date with its software?
When was the last time you checked to see if there was new software for any of your devices? Did you set up automatic updates when you received your hardware? If you didn’t your device could be operating at lower capacity than possible. I myself am guilty of leaving my phone without an update for months at a time and realizing later how beneficial these new applications and features would have been. Software is put out frequently in order to enhance your current devices. Every 6 months check to see that your systems are all up to date. You’ll want to do the same across your network, pushing patches out as needed – and ensuring they are all installed.
- Do I even use my technology?
How many times have you invested in a piece of technology only to let it sit unused because you never took the time to fully understand how it works? Nothing will be helpful to you and your business if you let it sit idle. When was the last time you viewed your security cameras? Are you looking at them for traffic patterns to identify how your staff’s actions are impacting sales? Do you identify busy times from the cameras in order to save money of staffing by ensuring the schedule is made to accommodate busy hours? Engaging with your technology can show the biggest benefit and provide you with a better ROI. The world wants IT that does the job for them and while it can do this, it doesn’t always mean that it should. Even automated technology can yield a bigger benefit with a little attention.
- Have I spoken to an IT partner about how to best utilize my systems?
While we always want to be able to do it all ourselves that is frequently not a possibility. By working with an IT partner like Cloud Managed Networks, technology agnostic experts in their field, you may be able to better understand how each piece of hardware can best be used for your business, perhaps in ways you wouldn’t think possible. Are you using your security cameras to understand your stores traffic and customer base? Are you using your sensors to get every piece of information possible? Have you utilized the integration and physical capabilities of Cisco WebEx? CMN helps you understand your technology and think of ways it can be used beyond its intended purpose.
If you want to upgrade your network to better suit your needs or want to understand how to better utilize your current environment then please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or (416) 429-0796 or 1.877.238.9944 (Toll Free).
