News

Events

Entertainment

Restaurants

Shopping

Business

Real Estate

Education

Education

Internet Services

Home / Features / How To Maintain The IT Side Of Your Business During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Special Features

How To Maintain The IT Side Of Your Business During The COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of technology for businesses.

With consumers unable to visit shops and establishments physically, organisations have to rely on their websites and apps to communicate and connect with their customers and audience. By using these tools, companies can also continue conducting their business with a few limitations that are still manageable.

Additionally, with employees encouraged to work from home, companies need to have the right platforms to facilitate this. With the right tools, workers can carry on with all or the majority of their usual tasks. As a result, businesses can remain open and avoid the dire financial consequences caused by the health crisis.

But with the heightened reliance on technology and various digital processes, there is a need to maintain the different platforms and tools you use. You may also have to improve some procedures to interact with and serve your customers better and ensure the productivity of your employees.

An IT solutions company in Dubai shares some tips for maintaining the technological and digital side of your business during the current pandemic and beyond:

1.Beef up security

With nearly all businesses and transactions happening online, it is crucial that you increase the safety and security of all your digital platforms and processes, including your software and hardware.

You, therefore, need to beef up your cybersecurity system to protect your business and consumers from possible online threats. These dangers include hacking, phishing, malware, and DDoS, among others.

You also have to ensure your company is capable of protecting all sensitive data. You can do this by boosting the security of your online accounts that contain critical information.

If you don’t have an in-house IT team, you will do well to call on a trusted service provider to strengthen the security of your network and digital platforms.

2.Expand your tech artillery

During the pandemic, businesses will benefit from technological tools that boost transparency and responsiveness. Moreover, having access to real-time data will enable you to make smarter decisions.

Due to these reasons, you need to have more tools that will help you run your business more efficiently.

Examples of tools that you should have in your arsenal are CMMS, POS, and HRIS software, and online communication platforms.

With these digital tools, you can track customer sentiment and behaviour, engage with consumers, and improve supply chain transparency and responsiveness. All these will help you sustain your business during and after the pandemic.

You will also be able to communicate and work with your team efficiently regardless of where they are.

These investments can make you stand out from the competition, whether there is a health crisis or not.

3.Improve your website

Since you rely on your website for connecting with consumers and conducting various transactions, you have to ensure it has everything you need to help you do business as usual.

If your website is not yet e-commerce-enabled, consider doing this now. Make it easy for customers to purchase your products on your website.

Additionally, update your website while the health crisis is still in effect. Publish a statement regarding your business’s approach to the pandemic, what your next steps are, and any changes you are making.

You can do this through a pop-up or banner. Regardless of what you choose, make sure it is something that visitors can see and read immediately.

4.Support work-from-home arrangements

With your employees working remotely, ensure that they can do their job properly.

Start by creating a clear technology direction that covers which video conferencing tool everyone should use. If you are working with a cloud service, VPN, and network service providers, you have to ensure your service providers can meet the increased demand.

Additionally, if you are thinking of providing some of your employees laptops or computers so they can work efficiently, carry out a careful cost evaluation to check if you can afford such added expenses.

5.Invest in future-oriented technology

Aside from investing in technology that improves your organisation’s cybersecurity and facilitates remote work, you will do well to capitalise on tools and solutions that will fast-track your digital transformation and help you stand out from the competition before and after the pandemic is over.

Organisations that plan to invest in extensive IT upgrades now can start by conducting a comprehensive assessment of their current state. Once done, prioritise any technology project backlog you have and implement them so you advance your new strategy.

Keep in mind that businesses which invest in technology during or immediately following economic downturns can emerge stronger. As such, start making your tech plans for the future now.

If your company has already been maximising technology even before the pandemic, it is highly likely that you are well-prepared and handling the changes more successfully now than other organisations.

However, you still need to create a plan on how to use these tools and solutions more efficiently so you will be in a better position to stay ahead of the competition once the pandemic is over.

AUTHOR BIO:

Sharon Mallorca is the Sales Manager at Create IT in Dubai. Established by innovative digital agency Create Media Group, Create IT has rapidly become the Middle East's leading IT Support and IT Solutions company, providing the highest quality IT support and services to a growing portfolio of global brands.

We accept Guest Posts