What are Some Common IT Issues Faced by businesses?

Many issues can arise when using technology but if you’re adequately prepared and have a plan in place any adverse effect will be minimal. There are many issues which can arise when using IT technology but five of the most common are below:  

5 common IT issues faced by businesses

1. Network and data security

Security isn't only a problem for large companies, every company is at risk of being hacked. Small businesses are at greater risk because many of them don't have a security policy. Complacency is not an excuse.

2. Data Backup Issues

Data backup is something that every business should do, yet many SMEs make the mistake of not backing up their information. A good data backup plan is the last line of defence against a successful ransomware attack. If you were to get hacked, and cyber criminals were asking for a ransom to return your data, if your data is backed up and protected, you can ignore the ransom and use your backups to restart your systems. Depending on the frequency of your backups, you might lose some data, but that's much better than ALL of your data or paying a ransom.

3. Too much paper

Look around your office, how much paper do you see? That paper is slowing you down. It can take 15 minutes to retrieve a file from a filing cabinet. Do you want your employees wasting time looking for files? How much of your business' value is locked in hard-to-find paper documents? An often-cited PricewaterhouseCoopers study revealed that 7.5% of documents are lost and another 3.5% are misfiled. Over a year, 1 out of 10 paper documents will go missing and need to be recreated (those missing documents can be a compliance issue too). Research from AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management) spotlights how much there is to gain from removing paper from business processes:
  • Two-thirds of businesses adopting paper-free processes report a payback within 18 months. 50% see payback in under 12 months.
  • Respondents felt that driving paper out of processes would improve the productivity of staff by 29.7%.
  • Respondents felt that removing paper would improve response speed to customers or staff by a factor of four.

4. An effective IT strategy

An effective IT strategy can help your business achieve its goals, it can save you money, help employees be more productive and allow you to attract more business. You need to work with an IT provider that can help you create the IT infrastructure that will support your business today and help you plan for the future at the same time.

5. Confusion about the Cloud

“The cloud” is everywhere. If you've uploaded a photo to Google, used a document-sharing service like Dropbox or accessed one of the various music services; then you've used a cloud service. Put simply, a cloud application exists on a server elsewhere, not on your premises. Any IT-managed services that you need to support your business can be accessed as a cloud service. The cloud is simply another way to meet the IT needs of your business without having to invest in as much of the underlying infrastructure yourself. You just pay a subscription for the service as you use it.  

Further information

Genesis can help you with all your IT requirements, whether you need new equipment or help to maintain the equipment you’ve already got. Get in touch and we can arrange a meeting to discuss call 01482 210999 or email info@genesisit.co.uk