Technology is continuing to advance and it is benefiting businesses in many areas. There are tech advances in almost every industry, so it only makes sense to use these changes to upgrade your business. When your business is running more efficiently, you will have an increase in your productivity and profit. Here are nine of the tech upgrades you should consider investing in.
#1. Switch to VoIP
If you are still using traditional phone services, you should consider upgrading to a VoIP phone system. These systems will lower your telecommunication costs, but they also offer a more reliable connection to your employees and clientele. Purchasing a hosted plan gives you the ability to say goodbye to having down time while you wait for tech support to schedule a visit. All you need is a phone and connection to the Internet.
#2. Use Cloud Storage
One of the best technological advances that has happened is the ability to store things in the cloud. Instead of having to worry about work not being able to be completed if you are not in the office, you can access everything online. There are many packages available to increase your storage capacity, and it opens the opportunity to allow employees to work from wherever they are currently located.
#3. Get Mobile
Let 2016 be the year that you get more mobile in your company. If you want to increase your productivity, you need to be able to make sure your employees have the programs necessary to do the work. Instead of having desktop computers in your office, use a docking station and have each employee own a laptop. You can also eliminate the number of wires that are running around your building with docks.
#4. Increase the Number of Monitors
In addition to increasing productivity, you will make your employees happier if you have more than one monitor at their computer. They do not have to toggle between applications, as they can have multiple applications open and spread out over the two or three screens. It is also going to help their vision and lower headaches, as they will not have to strain to see smaller windows.
#5. Use Faster Flash Drives
Flash drives are another great way to take projects with you wherever you go. There are flash drives of different storage capacity, but there are also drives that are much faster to use. This means you can write and copy data at a much faster rate. Small documents will not be affected, but anytime you are working with large pictures or video files, you need to make sure you are not spending hours waiting for the transfer.
#6. Add a Single-Serve Coffee Machine
Your break room is where your employees have a chance to unwind in the middle of the day. You want to make sure it provides a large amount of variables so you can reach each person. A coffee maker is a great idea, but not everyone likes the same type of coffee. Instead of having a multi-cup coffee pot, consider purchasing a single serve coffee machine that uses pods or individual cups. Each employee can select whether they want to brew a cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa without having to worry about it affecting another employee. With the increase in office moral, you will find the productivity and efficiency of their work go up as well.
#7. Bump Your Internet Connection
In the age of the Internet, speed is everything. In 2016, consider investing in Internet connection that is robust and faster. Many Internet providers now have a super-fast speed that they will offer to businesses. However, you may find it even better to have two Internet providers so you have a backup plan if one of your lines is down. The less downtime you have as a business, the more productive you will be overall. Unfortunately, technology does hiccup, so set yourself up for success by having a backup plan.
#8. Switch to Solid State Drives
As mentioned above, you want to make sure you prevent the hiccups that happen with technology. Solid state drives have longer lifespans and they also run a lot faster than standard hard drives. Your employees will notice the faster speeds when it comes to opening applications. The faster speeds are guaranteed to increase satisfaction with your employees because they will not have to wait for their programs to run. Solid state drives are also more reliable than hard disk drives, which means you are less likely to run into tech problems.
#9. Use Motion Sensors
Finally, a great way to reduce waste in your company is to use motion sensors. Your employees will not have to worry about turning lights on and off because they will go on when they sense movement. This will lower your utility bills as well, which increases your profit. In addition, in your bathrooms, consider upgrading to motion sensor sinks, soap dispensers, and hand dryers. You will decrease the amount of water you waste, as well as prevent the spread of germs. You want to help your employees prevent getting ill, so any method in reduction of spreading germs should be considered.
These are only nine of the tech upgrades you can make in your business so it is able to run more efficiently. As technology continues to increase, you will want to make sure you are making changes as well. Everyone started switching immediately when there was another option to dial-up connections. This should continue with your company in all aspects.
Look around your building and look for something that will make it more efficient in every area. The more efficient you are, the happier your employees are, and the more profitable your company will become. This is the end goal for all successful businesses.
Images: ”Upgrade – 3d text render illustration concept with a arrow in a circle on blue-grey background /Shutterstock.com“
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