All businesses have been suffering over the course of the past 18 months. Many that considered themselves to be highly digitalized still struggled to adjust to remote working and market fluctuations, while those who relied on footfall and supply chains may have been on the brink of annihilation. But with the world and the markets slowly returning to normal, this is a chance to take stock and consider where your firm is headed in 2022. This article makes the argument that you should refocus on your tech in the next few months – it will likely become the true differentiator for businesses looking to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the things that many firms discovered in the weeks after March 2021, was that their technology was unsuited to the \u201cnew normal\u201d of hybrid or remote working. They\u2019d been chugging along just fine with programs and software suites that had been designed a decade or so ago, and yet when a crisis hit, everything start to fall apart. To give a couple of examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All of this means that your tech stack is likely to have undergone some changes in the past few months. Now is the time to take stock, given that those changes might have been rushed through without much forethought, which brings us on to security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rise in ransomware attacks and other business hacks has been causing alarm over the past few months. As certified cybersecurity experts<\/a> scramble to respond, thought leadership pieces have been penned en masse about how remote working, cloud-based systems and slap-dash security protocols have left hundreds of thousands of businesses incredibly vulnerable<\/a> to attack, data extraction and extortion. They recommend some of the following steps to protect your firm:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s easy to see why the past few months have been like Christmas for cybercriminals: many new weaknesses have emerged in our collective tech infrastructure. But there are ways to counter it \u2013 revamping your security approach will ensure you\u2019re better protected from the disruption caused by a hack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The software comes and goes like the tide. One year a program is the business world\u2019s hottest property; the next it\u2019s rendered obsolete by a far more impressive set of digital services. The lesson here? You\u2019ll need to be constantly updating and upgrading your software to stay at the cutting edge. Game-changing software<\/a> is released on a monthly basis in today\u2019s tech world, and each program holds the promise of boosting productivity in your firm. To find new and innovative tech, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Engaging with powerful and cost-effective technology is one way in which you\u2019ll outcompete your rivals in 2022. Make the effort to do just that in order to take your firm to the next level of productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s where things get exciting. On top of the current wave of new software solutions are those programs that use AI and machine learning<\/a> to perform key business tasks autonomously. For ambitious firms, this means shedding the dead weight of surplus employees \u2013 either through redundancy or through shifting them to higher-value roles \u2013 and leaving the machines to process your data and generate value in the background. Automation software can help you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s plenty more besides these examples. Clearly, many of them are universal to most businesses \u2013 you, after all, have to manage payroll. But in most instances the really exciting automation is happening in business niches<\/a> \u2013 so, do your research to find the most promising tech for your firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re fortunate enough to be in a fast-growth business, then you\u2019ll probably find that the number of contracts you process is increasing rapidly. This is yet another area where implementing the right technology can help. By investing in contract management software<\/a> as part of your tech revamp, your legal and business teams will be able to reduce the time they spend labouring over routine contracts and streamline the entire contracting process. A strong contract management software will enable businesses to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Given how much a contract management software can offer businesses, an increasing number of legal teams are departing from the manual contract workflow where contracts are created on Word and pushed back and forth via email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you employ five people or 500, you\u2019re going to need IT support. Smaller businesses tend to bring in a consultant or professional from an agency to help them manage their tech, while larger firms are likely to have some IT professionals within their large teams. But even large firms can benefit from the advice, know-how and experience of professionals who work in managed services in IT<\/a>. They\u2019ll be able to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of this and more explains why so many firms look to managed IT services providers for an extra helping hand in managing and improving their tech. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your business is sure to have a website. Many also create apps to help their customers enjoy their products and services from the comfort or their smartphones. Whether you\u2019re operating with both of these key digital assets, or just one of them, 2022 is a chance to take a new look at your digital offerings, consider how and where to improve them. For instance, websites that are over two years old often require:<\/p>\n\n\n\nGame-Changing Software<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Automation <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Contract Management Software<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
IT Support<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Website and Apps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n