Signs That Your Technology May Be Failing

failing technology

As a small business owner or a manager, you will eventually come across a situation where you have to determine whether or not a piece of technology needs to be replaced or removed altogether. The first and probably the most critical decision you need to make is how this technology affects your specific product, service, or company. If the piece of technology can still be utilized, it promotes efficiency and productivity, or is simply a benefit to the company, then the answer is clear. Unfortunately, sometimes the answer is not always that easy. Continue reading to learn about the various types of technology and the signs that they might fail.

Failing Server Hard Drives

The most common computing environments use hard disk drives, also known as HDDs. These hard drives typically last between three to five years and will have indications that a failure is approaching. Some possible signs include the following:

  • The disk drive is making strange noises, such as clicking, whirring, or humming
  • Repeated crashes and software errors
  • Repeated disk errors
  • Strange computer behavior

If it has already reached this point, it is likely too late and possibly affecting your business operations. Fortunately, there are various monitoring utilities that will give IT administrators early warnings of a possible hard drive failure. Action can be taken before the failure results in data loss or disrupts your business.

Other computing environments may have solid-state drives, also known as SSD. SSDs are known to last longer, between five to seven years. Solid-state drives do not always provide indications of failure like HDDs normally would. Therefore, monitoring of SSD should be done on a regular basis. The software can be downloaded and will allow the monitoring of SSD.

Besides routine monitoring, there are some signs of SSD failure. These include the constant “popping up” of error messages, files that cannot be read or written, and frequent crashes during the boot phase. Upgrading the hard drive before a major failure of your systems would keep downtime and all the related costs to a minimum.

Networking Equipment

Networking problems can result in the disruption of business operations. The loss of access to the Internet can result in employees being unable to perform their job duties, thus negatively affecting productivity, efficiency, and overall profit to the company. If your company is having difficulty staying connected or receiving the right amount of bandwidth needed, you may have an issue with the router, switch, or another part of the networking system.

What is worse than having failing hardware? Not having that hardware in the first place. If your business needs assistance with its wireless network, mobile computing management system, or any other system, the IT professionals at WheelHouse IT can help. If your IT systems seem like they are failing, we can conduct a full assessment of your company’s technology today. For more information or any questions, please contact us at 954.474.2204. 

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Technology in the Manufacturing Industry

manufacturing

Manufacturing companies are well known to implement innovative technology solutions into their daily business operations and there appears to be no stopping in sight. Manufacturers will utilize technology in order to improve operational efficiency while also reducing costs, especially when the costs of doing business are soaring. Continue reading to learn about the various ways that technology has helped manufacturing companies over the years. 

Improved Digitization

Manufacturers are responsible for converting materials and/or their components into consumer goods using something known as digitization. Digitization is digital services and systems that can assist in the management of a company, communication with clients, as well as the management of automation. Majority of manufacturing companies utilize automation with many of these companies also using robots with collaborative work tasks.

Cobots

Cobots are essentially robots that use smart software, powered by artificial intelligence, to work side by side with their human coworkers. Instead of directly replacing their employees, more than 40 percent of manufacturing companies use some form of cobots within their organization. Cobots are more affordable than the actual robots that are used to replace human workers. 

The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things, also known as IoT, has successfully influenced and changed the manufacturing industry with innovative technologies. Aimed to provide insight into daily business operations, sensors assist manufacturing companies with predictive maintenance. These measures include replacing parts before they malfunction or damage operations in a serious way. Preventative maintenance can help reduce business costs by up to 25 percent. As compared to the downtime caused by operational difficulties, it is a clear investment for these manufacturing companies. 

Machine Vision

Artificial intelligence can also be used for machine vision in the manufacturing industry. In other words, machine vision is a process that allows companies to automate their own quality control processes from end to end. This gives manufacturing companies the ability to run their business operations faster than if they were to depend on others to check each and every point of the quality process. Machine vision can help identify issues and/or abnormalities as it relates to the quality control of a business. This will also give companies the opportunity to achieve the quality level they are looking for while also doing so at a lower cost.

Technology is extremely crucial to the success of any business. Your company can grow exponentially with the right kind of technology. At WheelHouse IT, we can help you and your company choose the right technology to fit your business needs. For more information, contact us today at 954.474.2204.

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Make the Best Technology Decisions for Your Business

business technology

When it comes to business, productivity and profitability are directly correlated. If your company has a high productivity rate, then chances are your company is also highly profitable. On the other hand, if your organization is not as productive, then revenue is most likely down as well. Fortunately, there are simple modifications you can do to enhance your company’s productivity. With the use of technology, you can refine your organization’s process which would in turn increase productivity and profitability.

Automate Technology as Much as Possible

Automation is when a machine completes simple, repetitive tasks by following instructions or workflows. An automated machine runs as efficiently as the human who programmed it. As with most businesses out there, members of your organization will more than likely have several work tasks to complete. Automated processes, such as artificial intelligence, end-to-end management software, and various other smart tools and devices can help alleviate employees’ tasks, all while saving money for your business in the long run.

Improve Your Collaborative Approach

With the proper systems up and running, it is much easier for companies to manage workloads more effectively and efficiently. There are strategies that you can utilize to assist members of your team in collaboration and the development of ideas. Some of the tools you can use are:

  • Customer relationship management (CRMs): CRMs can assist in enhancing client satisfaction which in turn will improve the workflow of your organization. CRM software allows you to manage various job tasks and assign those tasks, keeping members of your team responsible for their specific duties.
  • Video conferencing: Video conferencing can help all employees of the organization, whether they work in the office or remotely from home. This tool allows all members of your team a place to meet and collaborate on any projects the company may have.
  • Collaboration tools: Depending on your organization’s specific needs, there are a variety of tools that can assist in team collaboration. Intranet software allows employees to communicate, collaborate, and perform their job duties efficiently. Software integration is the process of incorporating software parts to allow for increased communication and sharing of data between all members of the organization.
  • Productivity applications: Cloud-based productivity applications provide your team with the tools needed to boost productivity and work engagement. Applications can vary from written documentation to organizing a presentation. As long as users have access to the internet, they can utilize these tools on any device that has a web browser. 

Most Importantly, Customer Satisfaction

Many companies rely on customers to keep their businesses thriving. Previous studies found that the retention of clients is about five times less costly than the acquisition of clients. Therefore, it’s important to involve your customers. The best tool to keep customers involved in the CRM. The main purpose of a CRM is to update your clients and keep them engaged from a business standpoint. Customers will be able to give feedback which provides valuable data for you and your company to make informed decisions.

Your business will continue to grow if it’s operated efficiently and effectively. WheelHouse IT can offer various business technology solutions based on your company’s needs. To learn more, please contact us at 954.474.2204.

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The Digital Employee Experience

digital experience

In today’s day and age, technology has heavily shaped our lives and businesses, particularly in the workplace. It is imperative to understand how your business allocates its time, money, and resources, particularly with technology-related issues that may arise. The digital employee experience, DEX, is an extremely valuable tool that can be used in the workplace.

Defining DEX

All industries incorporate technology, whether it be the scheduling software used in healthcare settings or the Point of Sales systems used in retail stores and restaurants. People must interact and use various digital workplace tools in order to complete their daily work tasks. The digital employee experience, or DEX, is a representation of how people utilize tools provided in the working environment and how they interact with these resources which allow them to be efficient and productive. DEX tracks and assesses the user experience while utilizing the digital workplace tools from an employee’s perspective and how they can be improved. It is important to understand the workers’ experiences with all the resources within the workplace in order to foster a great working environment that benefits the people and the organization.

Why Does It Matter?

When people have some influence on how they complete their work, they tend to work more effectively and be more engaged in their work. Understanding how to navigate and utilize the workplace tools and interfaces may result in better outcomes for the entire company. When employees begin to feel that their work is meaningless, they tend to burn themselves out or leave the company in search of another organization that values their input and feelings.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed lives worldwide. The one thing that did not change during the pandemic was technology. In fact, technology expanded broadly as people shifted from working in an office to working remotely. Even now, many employees continue to work from home or have transitioned to hybrid work. During these times, it’s important for employees to feel like they have some control over the completion of their work. People want to feel like their ideas and feelings are valued by the entire organization. 

As technology continues to advance, resources that may have worked in previous years may no longer be effective or as efficient compared to the new and improved digital workplace resources. Investing in DEX empowers employees by providing a better experience, resulting in better productivity and enhanced customer experience; thus, benefitting the entire organization as a whole.

Managed IT Services and Training Can Improve DEX

To ensure that your company is adequately using the best digital workplace tools provided, training is required. Managed IT services can assist through the entire process from identifying services and digital tools that can be beneficial for the company to provide IT support whenever needed. WheelHouse IT can provide services and solutions that enhance the employee workplace experience by providing the best training and support.

To learn more about how DEX can help your business, please contact us at 954.474.2204.

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3 Cybersecurity Strategies Businesses Must Think About

cyber security

If your business struggles with network security, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most challenging parts of running a business, and even if you do invest a ton of time, effort, and money into your security systems, chances are you could still be doing at least something better. Today, we want to talk about three ways you can improve your company’s security without completely draining your bank account.

Encrypt Whenever Possible

Encryption in and of itself will make your data and communications more secure. Encryption scrambles your data so that it is unrecognizable to your average viewer. Encryption helps to keep your data secure from those who might harm it or steal it. Some common ways businesses implement encryption include virtual private networks, which encrypt traffic moving to and from your network to any connected devices. Other businesses might encrypt data storage, as well as communications. If you want to get started with encryption, a good place to begin is by calling us!

Implement Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication is a practice which attempts to make the password obsolete through the implementation of additional authentication measures. Basically, instead of using one credential to access an account, you use multiple credentials of various types. We recommend that you use something you have (a smartphone), something you know (a password), and something you are (a biometric) to keep as many accounts secure as possible. With so many barriers to your data, hackers are sure to hesitate against your network.

Practice Zero-Trust Policies

Zero-trust policies have gained a lot of traction in the business world, and it’s easy to see why. They are a means to guarantee that whoever is accessing important data on your infrastructure is who they claim to be. If the user cannot verify their identity, they cannot access the data, period. This goes for anyone, not just the average office worker. Even executives are subject to the same zero-trust policies. This helps to make data much more secure and controlled, and while it can be a bit tricky to implement, we recommend trying it out if you can.

Don’t let security be a major pain point for your business. Get started with better solutions today by reaching out to us at 954.474.2204.

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