Technology has remarkably affected the workplace: it has helped us work more efficiently and faster than ever before. When it comes to a halt, though, a system failure can cause high-stress levels, severe service interruptions, and (prolonged) business downtime.
Even something relatively minor such as a frozen webpage or the never-ending loading spiral of death can result in frustration, lost payroll, and potentially a loss in customer loyalty.
Common Causes of Downtime in Business
Downtime can have lots of different causes, however most of these fall into 1 of 3 categories:
Network Outages
Outages are challenging to avoid. They are usually unexpected and often the result of events beyond your control. Events such as bad weather can disrupt the power supply, damage hardware, and disrupt communication channels. And you are often dependent on others to fix them.
The best way to combat downtime resulting from network outages is to be prepared and reduce the potential impact should they occur. Larger companies usually have enough of a financial buffer to purchase backup generators to keep their network online at all times, but this is not always be a realistic option for smaller organizations. An alternative and often more affordable strategy is cloud-based application hosting, allowing employees to work from anywhere at any time, even when operations at your office are temporarily halted.
No matter your organization’s size and budget, it is important to plan for the unexpected and implement network fail saves. Creating a detailed and rehearsed recovery plan and implementing a data backup solution will prevent permanent data loss and allow you to return to business in the quickest possible way, should the worst happen.
System Failure
Hardware failures like the dreaded blue screen of death and obsolete software can lead to inefficient performance, incomplete work, and missed deadlines. The best way to minimize any negative impact on productivity is to schedule regular maintenance, perform updates and patches when indicated, and proactively monitor the health status of your devices.
If you don’t have in-house technicians to run regular maintenance checks, research the pros and cons of outsourcing your tech support to a local IT support partner who will do the work for you.
Human error
Human error accounts for 22% of system downtime. When an employee accidentally deletes information, unplugs a cable, or mismanages a cyber scam, it can result in costly downtime and lots of unwanted stress. Implementing proper security measures (i.e., multi-factor authentication, spam filters, fraud detection software, and file encryption) can reduce the risks of a data breach but will do nothing to prevent that slip of the finger that causes an application to crash or that document to “disappear”.
Although human error is not always avoidable, proper training and frequent communication regarding best practices can prevent some of the more common mistakes.
What Cost Can Downtime Have on a Business
Downtime can have a significant effect on the financial performance of your business. For example, Amazon lost $1.3 billion in revenue because of an outage that lasted for 5 hours. This might not be anywhere near the scale of what a loss could do to your business, but when does downtime become irreparable to your company?
Aside from immediate financial losses, there are other consequences to consider. Damaged brand image, lost business opportunities, productivity, and permanent data loss can all be part of a long list of long-term aftereffects of downtime.
Although often unpredictable, you can help reduce risk and minimize the impact on your business by:
- Monitor your network and devices constantly
- Ensure your devices and applications are up to date
- Implement and test backups regularly
- Train your employees, and
- Develop a disaster recovery plan.
If you feel you’re in over your head and are searching for a responsive IT support partner, give us a call. Meeting Tree Computer can help you prepare for the unexpected and aid you in the recovery of your system.
Meeting Tree Computer – Real IT Support for Real People is only a phone call away at (845) 237-2117.
