Companies not seeing the true benefits of IT 28 April 2005
According to hi-tech research firm Gartner just one third of spending on IT in midsize companies directly improves business performance. The research states that nearly two-thirds of the IT business in midsize organisations is spent on IT infrastructure - e.g. networks and servers - and utility applications - e.g. email and payroll.
Gartner is therefore advising enterprises to adopt a strategic approach to their IT spending to better align it with their business needs.
Many of today's technological advances can improve profitability and increase efficiency - the trick is targeting the applications to suit your business. Here are four applications of IT proven to increase productivity and help build a successful business.
Broadband
For small companies one of the most cost-effective ways of using IT to boost productivity is broadband.
With speeds of up to 2mb broadband means if you need to download data, send and receive large files and handle large amounts of information online - then broadband can definitely increase your productivity.
It also has other advantages in that you can use your phone line and use the Internet at the same time and a flat monthly fee means easy budgeting and no nasty surprises.
Wireless working
Taking broadband a step further wireless working with a system such as BT Openzone can free employees and allow them to securely access your office network from motorway service stations, airports, conference centres, hotels and cafes around the country - giving users the flexibility to conduct business while on the move.
Research from the National Opinion Poll (NOP) states that average users achieve an extra 22 per cent productivity a day amounting to a productivity increase of around £4,300 per user, per year.
Good design
Investment in a good website can be a great marketing tool and could dramatically increase your profits.
The main issues to consider when building a website are usability, accessibility and speed.
Websites should be targeted to the needs of the customer not those of the business and be easily accessible by all -not too many flashy colours and icons, just easy navigation. They should also be simple and quick to load - surfers will not hang around to wait for a website to load even if it does look fantastic.
It's also worth updating your website regularly People are more likely to come back to your website if you update the contents regularly. People are more likely to come back to your website if you do and this also helps with boosting rankings on search engines such as Google or Yahoo!
Security
With all networks you have to worry about controlling access to your network, securing individual computers and backing up data.
According to the DTI, two-thirds of UK businesses suffered at least one premeditated or malicious incident in2004, up from just under half in 2002.
So the message is, invest in up-to-date antivirus software, install a firewall and implement a disaster management policy - just in case the worst happens.
The DTI offers a comprehensive guide to how IT can improve your business; you can connect to it here.
