Undoubtedly, the economy is stressed right now. Struggling Reading business owners are worried about rising energy and petrol prices, and many of them think things will get worse before they get better. Reports state that 72% of businesses are getting ready for a coming recession.
Even though everyone would prefer an improvement in the economy, adversity frequently encourages innovation. This can be observed in the many firms that, in order to become leaner, more effective, and more resilient, have embraced disruptive digital technologies in recent years. The commercial technology industry has changed drastically over the past 20 years, and the cloud has made ground-breaking, paradigm-shifting solutions available to even the smallest businesses.
In 2023, it could be appropriate for your business to start its digital transformation. Your IT expenses could be kept to a minimum, your operating costs could be reduced, and this approach would provide you more time to devote to generating more money. Let’s look at how these objectives might be met while keeping in mind the usual traits of value-adding IT solutions.
Flexible Pricing
IT decisions in the past were governed by huge long-term financial commitments that required significant capital expenditure in servers and networking equipment for solutions that (hopefully) would give good returns on investment over time. Unfortunately, the rigidity of this approach frequently led to the overprovisioning of some services, which would have a poor return on investment, and the under-provisioning of others, which would inevitably lead to performance bottlenecks.
Fortunately, the widespread adoption of subscription-based pricing in the cloud makes it simple to match resource provision to moment-by-moment demand. You may acquire the finest computational power for your needs and scale up resources as necessary if a relational database setup is required. Monthly subscriptions make it simple to provide access to business software for a certain number of end users, with the freedom to cancel or add accounts as needed. The end result is a more controllable, economical IT expenditure that perfectly satisfies your company’s needs.
Reduced reliance on on-premise hardware
Less reliance on on-premises hardware leads to lower capital costs and the ability to supply resources to match demand, as we’ve already mentioned, but there are other benefits that are a bit less obvious.
You may avoid the expenditures of hardware lifecycle maintenance and the concern about crucial components approaching their end of life by hosting services on third-party infrastructure. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about the setup costs or inconveniences frequently accompanying on-premise installs.
Access-anywhere capabilities
In 2020, more than half of UK workers found themselves working from home, at least in part, as a result of the covid pandemic. Even if many of us have returned to the office, allowing workers to work remotely may be financially advantageous for your business. If you allow your personnel to work remotely, even on a rotational basis, your office desk space may be less crowded. You will be able to do more thanks to this without purchasing a bigger office suite.
Studies show that certain individuals are more productive while working from home as well, and the practice is commonly associated with a positive work-life balance and lower levels of stress. According to recent polls, 43% of those who work from home see the ability to save hundreds or even thousands of pounds yearly on travel expenses as one of their top perks.
Although not everyone or every organisation is a good fit for remote work, keeping the option open could help you, as an employer, save money on overhead costs, boost employee retention, and produce a happier, more productive workforce.
Built-in automation
Not all corporate operations and office tasks raise income or increase client pleasure. While many are essential for the smooth operation of your business, they frequently consume a lot of staff time that could be spent on activities that add value instead.
Fortunately, process automation is routinely included in modern business software programmes to lessen the burden of mundane, repetitive work. There are solutions for every aspect of a company, including marketing, accounting, human resources, and payroll. Others, like Microsoft’s Power Automate, offer integration with hundreds of data sources and highly customised process automation. Other automation solutions are more focused on specific business sectors.
Automation does not mean that your precious employees will be replaced by machines; rather, it means that they will have more time to focus on crucial duties that will enhance client experiences and boost profit margins.
Data security as standard
Given that the average data breach costs UK firms £1200, taking the necessary measures to secure the personal data your company holds might be a good investment. The UK’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) establishes the obligations put on enterprises in this field and requires that personal data be handled securely using “adequate technical and organisational methods.” If these obligations are broken, there can be repercussions on the legal and financial fronts as well as long-term reputational damage.
The ideal moment for an IT revamp of your business may be when you are reassessing your security posture and ensuring the proper security procedures are in place to safeguard data throughout your network. Along with enhancing security countermeasures, it is also important to take into account the use of next-generation cyber security systems, which use artificial intelligence and behavioural analytics to detect attacks more effectively. With the frequency and severity of cyberattacks increasing both worldwide and in the UK, a little investment made now in your cyber security might pay dividends in the long run.
Your Trusted IT Partner
We are a renowned, knowledgeable team of professionals based in Reading. We understand what your business needs to succeed, our local experts will exert every effort to achieve project goals. We anticipate problems that others would only address. Our track record of completed projects gives us the ability to foresee issues, develop solutions, and assist you in implementing modern telephony.
We are proud to be a part of the Reading business community. We are committed to helping our clients succeed, and we believe that the latest digital technologies can play a major role in that success. If you are a business owner in Reading, we encourage you to contact us to learn more about how we can help you with your digital transformation.
