Top 5 IT Solutions to increase office efficiency

In a competitive world, it’s a case of ‘survival of the fittest’ for many small or medium-sized businesses.
If your office is lean and streamlined, you will reap the rewards in terms of time efficiencies and increased productivity – and it comes down to getting your IT right.

So here are five tips on how IT solutions can improve your business efficiency.

1. System upgrades
Many companies are relying on old equipment. Just a look at the shape of your computer monitors will remind you how long you have had them.

You might only need to upgrade the hard drive and ramp up the memory, though a completely new system is often the best choice.

2. Outsourced technical support
You and your employees have enough to do without also dealing with IT security and network problems. Turn to specialists wherever possible: they will apply the expertise your team lacks, from First Line Support (immediate access to a helpdesk consultant) through to Third Line Support for complex matters.

3. Project planning
Strictly speaking, project planning is a management approach rather than an IT solution, but we think it’s important so include it in our ‘top 5’.
Replacing obsolete hardware interrupts the flow of work: think beyond your immediate needs and work out just what it is your business needs to meet its objectives in the longer term. It might be better to do a couple of major upgrades in one go rather than cause disruption through several smaller, staggered upgrades.

4. Offsite data storage
A data centre doesn’t only offer safe storage for your information, it’s also a crucial back-up, should something go wrong in-house. What’s more, when these offsite servers are undergoing maintenance, your business will be able to carry on its normal operations without hold-ups. Even just moving to the cloud will help – with the bonus that your staff will have access to their data and information wherever they are.

5. Smart devices
Talking of cloud computing, for efficient IT on the move, it’s well worth considering investing in smartphones, tablets and similar devices. Employees can effectively take the office with them when they’re out and about, and create presentations or spreadsheets while sitting on a train. A number of apps have come on the market, which help the employee-on-the-move to prioritise tasks.

Finally, the experts at Serval Systems can ensure your IT works for you: contact us today on 01342 895180 or info@servalsystems.co.uk.