Regardless of size and industry, businesses should make IT infrastructure management one of its top priorities, especially in today’s highly digitized world.
In a survey by Fuse Technology Group, small business continues to increase their future investments in terms of IT infrastructure, specifically in business management software (50 percent), data analytics (43 percent), mobile devices (37 percent), social media (36 percent), and cloud computing (34 percent). This suggests that many businesses, even the small and medium ones, are leveraging on the growth potential that technology continues to provide.
Here are some reasons why businesses should not only invest in IT infrastructure, but also prioritize its improvements.
1. Add Value to Customers’ Lives
A business aims to provide value to its customers through the services and/or products they sell. A company’s website and its IT infrastructure play vital roles in this value creation.
For instance, a well-thought out website can provide customers and even potential ones the right information at the right time. An online store can recommend similar products or services, which adds more value to the customers’ lives, and further improves customer experience and satisfaction.
2. Potential Loss of Online Sales
Let’s face it, a majority of the customers are online. While there are various ways to reach out to potential clients (i.e. lead generation), the Fuse Technology Group survey also found that 50 percent of online sales are lost because of basic usability principle failures, as well as some online visitors fail to find the content they need.
Every business that has a website makes it their goal to provide the right information, so it’s important to ensure that your clients can find what they’re looking for your website without much fuzz.
3. Speed to Market Increase
A business that’s capable of fast reaction times reaps the advantages of setting up sales offices amidst its growing territories. This enables them to meet the customers’ increasing demands, handle a surge of online transactions, and provide a seamless offline support across various channels.
A strong IT infrastructure is a vital player in helping businesses achieve its goals.
4. Data Collection in Real-Time
A tailor-fit IT infrastructure enables a business to collect data in real-time to improve the way they do business. For instance, insurance companies make use of sensors and GPS services to monitor car speed and even the damages incurred.
In the manufacturing industry, RFID tags help monitor how goods go through the supply chains. These investments help businesses operate faster and more efficiently, which then, affect the customer experience.
5. Improves Employee Productivity
A study by University of Warwick economists found that happy employees are 12 percent more productive in the workplace, while unhappy ones are 10 percent less productive.
Although happiness can be subjective, employers can build a healthy, happy work environment for their employees by providing them the right tools and safe online environment so they can conduct their sales, technical, managerial, and clerical tasks in confidence.
Ensuring that employees and customers’ data are safe is one of the best ways to build a good reputation, which increases both your employee and clients’ satisfaction.
6. Investments in Talents
In a Gallup survey, researchers found that businesses with an average of 9.3 engaged employees for every disengaged employee in the years 2010 to 2011 resulted in 147 percent increased earnings per share (EPS).
High performers are a company’s investments, and one of the ways to keep talents is to ensure that the business is in it for the long haul. This suggests that those who are serious in exponential growth in the next few years should make investments towards a more digitized future, which is a strong IT infrastructure.
