When it comes to IT, change is the only constant. And while a business may be flourishing at one point, it can quickly plummet to the bottom in no time by failing to keep up with the times. Being able to overcome IT challenges is one of the keys to success in today’s digital landscape.
Efficiently and effectively dealing with IT problems that affect employees and customers can help a business succeed. Here are the top IT challenges facing businesses lately, along with how a Managed IT service provider can help your company to overcome them.
Lack of Cybersecurity Awareness
This is a big one. The vast majority of employees are clueless about social engineering attacks and phishing attempts. Hackers are keenly aware of this detail and, instead of finding technical loopholes in cyber security, prefer to target employees directly.
Even the best cyber security measures are only as good as the people operating them. Targeting employees is useful because they have access to sensitive data. Organizations should not take IT security lightly. Employers must make a concerted effort to invest in the skillset of their employees. Every business must take all the necessary steps to invest in end-to-end protection using latest encryption.
Consider hiring a managed IT service provider to help your employees get up-to-date with cybersecurity.
Outdated Tech Stack
Many businesses resist change and are uncomfortable with the mere idea of experimenting with new tools. This is a major problem for businesses in the digital space because they can suffer from the inadequacies of outdated tools, including their security vulnerabilities and inefficiencies.
It is vital for businesses to leverage the opportunities of new tech. A case in point is cloud computing. Cloud is scalable, economical, and highly secure. It allows businesses of multiple budget amount to leverage technologies such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) and IoT (Internet of Things) to improve the quality of their services.
However, a key challenge in transitioning to the cloud is the lack of skills. This is why many organizations are outsourcing their tech needs to managed IT service providers like Microsys Inc. If you don’t have access to talent who have the current skill set to work with cloud technology, consider working with an expert who will train your workers.
Data Loss
Data loss can occur for a number of reasons, ranging from power outages and cyberattacks to equipment malfunction and human errors. It was reported that 96% of all businesses experienced an outage at least once in a 3-year period.
Data loss can have devastating consequences for businesses, including loss of revenue, lost productivity, and compliance failure. Some companies are at a higher risk of data loss than others.
There are a number of steps that businesses can take to prevent data loss, starting with frequent backups and maintaining copies on off-site locations. You can also use cloud storage to ensure prompt data recovery in the event of data loss.
Make sure to frequently test your data recovery plan by carrying out practice drills. Your managed IT service provider can identify gaps in your Business Contingency Plan (BCP) with regards to data and suggest recommendations to prevent data loss.
Problems with Personal Devices
In the age of the hybrid workplace, it’s essential for a business to keep a policy on personal devices such as smartphones and tablets. These electronic devices have access to a significant amount of confidential information that could affect your business.
Compromised mobile devices can jeopardize your entire corporate network. As such, it is imperative to have all employee’s password-protect their devices and apply MFA (multi-factor authentication) as an additional layer of protection. This will prevent cyber criminals from stealing information even if they breach the employee’s personal network.
IT Compliance
Compliance requirements depend on the size of the company, type of industry, business model, and geographical location etc. Failure to comply with specific compliance regulations can result in hefty fines and penalties that can put a business out of operation.
For more information on compliance policies and best practices, consider working with a managed IT service provider like Microsys Inc.
Automation
Automation is the need of the hour if you want to stay ahead of your competitors. Effective automation can not only boost productivity but also reduce overhead costs. Businesses in the manufacturing space can reduce manufacturing costs while increasing the speed of time to market.
However, finding automation tools and integrating them into the existing workflow can be challenging. Some of the biggest challenges include compliance problems, automation failure, and a skill gap.
It doesn’t help that older systems do not allow for automation; thus, you will almost certainly have to invest in new technology. A managed IT service provider can help you in this area by identifying processes that can be automated and the most appropriate tools to help you Stay ahead of the game.
Information Silos
Information silos severely limit the exchange of information because data isn’t shared in a central place. This forces employees to raise tickets for accessing data that can take up needlessly long. In some cases, some of your business units may have to make decisions based on limited information, which could impact the product’s quality.
For example, the marketing division may not have access to data that the research department collected. This can prevent the marketing team from creating an effective promo campaign, and that could ultimately impact your product sales.
Businesses should aim to consolidate their information repositories to allow employees to find information without running into difficulties.
Lack of Skilled IT Personnel
One of the most significant IT challenges faced by businesses is the ability to have trained people that can use various IT tools while having high-quality outcomes. Before introducing a new IT tool, you must ensure that your employees are familiar with the solution you intend to integrate and are getting the most out of it.
A lack of skilled labor can jeopardize project timelines and reduce product quality, lowering customer satisfaction.
You can tackle this challenge by partnering with a tech partner like Microsys Inc for both small- and large-scale projects. A managed IT service provider can help you foster your technology ecosystem seamlessly.
Wrapping Up
The above items are some of the key IT challenges faced by organizations today. A managed IT service provider from Microsys Inc can help you streamline your transition to IT through proper planning and by engaging key stakeholders.
