According to the Chamber of Commerce, 18% of small businesses fail within the first year. An additional 50% don’t make it past five years, and 65% never reach their 10th anniversary.
Business failure and IT failure often go hand in hand. What if your inventory system is hacked, and you don’t know what you have where? What if a cybercriminal hacks into your customer portals? What if all your computers go down at once? It’s often difficult to come back from.
Read on to learn the most common causes of IT failure and how to avoid them.
Failure to Plan
Careful planning is one of the simplest IT failure solutions. Any IT project without a plan is doomed to fail.
Define clear goals and set a timeline for achieving them. Carefully allocate your resources to prevent going over budget. Delegate tasks to the right team members so that everyone knows what they need to do.
Equipment Failure
Equipment issues may be the most common reason for IT failure. Computers shut down, modems break, and monitors go blank. These problems plague home workers and larger organizations.
Regular maintenance keeps all your systems running. Install the latest security software to prevent breaches and cyberattacks.
Insufficient Training
Up to 95% of data breaches are due to human error. These mistakes include:
- Clicking on insecure links
- Not using strong passwords
- Not using multifactor authentication
Cybercriminals may use social engineering tactics to earn a worker’s trust. Even pressing the wrong key on the keyboard can lead to expensive and time-consuming failure.
Proper training is essential for mitigating IT risks and improving productivity. Train your employees in any new technology you introduce. Workers in every department should know how it works. Teach them the best practices for using it efficiently and safely.
Failure to Adapt
“In the blink of an eye” isn’t fast enough to describe how quickly technology changes. If you can’t keep up, you’ll end up vulnerable to common IT failures. You’ll become an easy target for cybercriminals, and your critical systems could face long periods of downtime.
Preventing this means keeping track of the latest trends and software for your business. Have a plan for implementing them and how they’ll work with your current systems.
Not Using Managed IT Services
Managed IT providers are experts in preventing IT failures and ensuring that all your systems work effectively.
They’ll improve the uptime for all your systems and prevent costly downtime. They’ll also help you upgrade to the latest technologies.
Many companies don’t consider legal issues when attempting IT failure prevention, but they are important. A managed service provider can help you comply with industry regulations, such as data protection laws.
Take Action for IT Success
Common reasons for IT failure include a lack of planning, equipment failure, improper employee training, and a failure to adapt to the latest technologies.
Inception Network Strategies has been a leading business service provider since 2001. Our expertise allows us to provide customized IT services to every client.
We’ll work to help you meet your infrastructure goals affordably and effectively. You’ll maximize the return on your investment. Contact us to start working with a customer-centric managed service provider today.