Over my 30-plus year career consulting on technology, I’ve encountered many mistakes my clients have made regarding hardware, software, and technology in general. As technology has become more integral and complicated, I’ve seen an increasing number of companies struggle with it. These problems aren’t just minor issues; in many cases they could threaten a company’s survival.Consider these questions: Could your company survive a data breach in which your private customer data are made public? Could your company withstand a computer server crash that wipes out your accounting data? Could your company cope with a flawed accounting system that produces inaccurate inventory reports and financial Statements?
In response to the growing complexity of technology, in recent years I’ve been conducting technology review engagements for my clients that are designed to ferret out serious technology problems and issues, with recommended solutions. My specialized brand of technology review engagement employs procedures based on several dozen workplans, questionnaires, and checklists, each focusing on approximately 30 specific aspects of a company’s technology (such as hardware, accounting software, printers, internet, security, backup procedures, training, smartphones, cloud policies, password policies, file-sharing tools, etc.). In conducting these types of engagements, I’ve identified 12 common technology mistakes made by many of my clients; this article describes those common mistakes and offers recommendations for avoiding them.
1. Email messages are unencrypted
Perhaps the top security risk many companies routinely ignore is the failure to encrypt their emails. Some companies forgo email encryption because it can be costly and complicated, while others simply dismiss the threat as insignificant. This is a mistake. You should assume that every email message you send could be intercepted by unscrupulous people and bad actors. Without encryption, all your email messages are vulnerable.
Solution: Set up an email encryption system to protect all your email messages and attachments. One relatively easy approach is to use a free Google Gmail or Microsoft Outlook.com account, as these accounts automatically encrypt your email messages — but only when sent to other Gmail or Outlook.com users. Another approach is to purchase and install an email encryption system such as Trend Micro Hosted Email Security (starting at $27 per user per year) or Enlocked (prices range from free for 10 messages sent each month, to $29.99 per month for 10,000 messages).
2. Old computers are still used
It is common to find old computers lurking around most companies. This can be problematic because these older devices almost always lack new features, freeze up more often, and are slower at performing common tasks such as booting up, launching applications, printing, and surfing the internet. In addition, as we found with the WannaCry and Petya ransomware attacks of 2017, older computer systems can be more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Issues related to older computers can rob employees of productivity and put your data at greater risk.
Solution: Computers should be replaced frequently, perhaps as often as every three years, or within 12 months of each new Windows operating system release. Why so often? In my opinion, most computers typically have a “power life” of approximately three years (though the computer’s monitors can have a much longer life span); after three years, newer, more powerful computer models are generally available. Also, new operating systems are typically designed to be compatible with the latest motherboard, chips, and video card technologies. As such, their performance on older computers can be inconsistent. A few signs that it’s time to replace a computer system are:
The computer is more than 3 years old, and a newer operating system is available.
The computer takes more than 30 seconds to boot up.
Excel or Word take more than five seconds to launch.
The user complains of significant bugs, issues, or freeze-ups.
Not ready for new computers? You might be able to tune up your slower computer systems instead of replacing them, as suggested in the article “Boost Your Computer’s Performance” in the September 2015 JofA.
3. Employees are not adequately trained
The most common problem revealed by technology reviews is that many employees are not adequately trained to use their technologies. You can ferret out these shortcomings rather easily simply by asking employees which features they use in common products, including Excel, Word, Outlook, Windows, and their accounting system. Based on questionnaires I’ve reviewed, many employees have never used key features such as PivotTables, the Subtotal command, or Grouping, Querying, or Mapping in Excel; Tables, Styles, Page Numbering, Columns, or Mail Merge in Word; default Signatures, Junk Mail Blocking, Meeting Requests, Rules, or the Convert Email to a Task tool in Outlook; or Indexed Searching, Voice Recognition, Disk Cleanup, or the Snipping tool in Windows. These examples are good indicators that those employees are not familiar enough with those products to leverage them for their highest possible levels of productivity.
Solution: After being initially trained in using the company’s products, employees should receive continual, periodic “update training” on all the software applications they frequently use. For example, employees might receive two or three days of update training on Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook in one year, followed by two or three additional days of update training on Windows, smartphones, and the company’s accounting system the following year. Similar training classes should then be repeated every other year to ensure employees are well-versed in the software programs and hardware they operate.
4. Accounting system features are underutilized
Most reviews find that a company’s advanced accounting system features are underutilized. As examples, invoices may be mailed instead of sent electronically, inventory needs may be calculated manually instead of being backflushed by the system, and automated sales price capabilities may be completely ignored. The result is akin to pushing a self-propelled lawn mower. This shortcoming is usually attributed to a lack of knowledge about using the system’s more advanced features and functionality.
Solution: To ensure you are fully using your accounting system’s capabilities, assign at least one employee the task of fully mastering your accounting or ERP system’s full set of features and functions, and have this employee regularly share this knowledge with your team of system users. To bolster his or her proficiency, the designated accounting system guru should study educational training videos, YouTube clips, books about your accounting system, blogs, professional reviews, and the vendor’s end-user support pages. In addition, he or she should attend the vendor’s annual conference and annual end-user training courses.
5. Paperless systems are inadequately implemented
Often, a company’s paperless systems are found to have not been fully implemented, as evidenced by stacks of papers, folders, and file cabinets in plain view. Paperless systems offer many advantages, such as ease in locating and sharing data, cost savings in storing data, easier copy and paste capabilities, and more reliable data backup. But in many cases, it takes a leap of faith for employees to fully commit the company’s data to an electronic format. Some employees have a difficult time letting go of paper-based methods. As a result, your paperless system may not result in the paperless environment you intended.
Solution: To ensure your transition to a paperless office is complete, remove all file cabinets (perhaps to an archive location) and conduct “paper patrols” periodically in search of excessive papers or folders. As violators are identified, work with them to make a full transition to the company’s paperless system.
10. Color printing is underutilized
Color printed documents, reports, proposals, and brochures often convey a better company image than black-and-white printed documents. Unfortunately, some companies underutilize color printing or have no color printing capabilities. Additionally, some companies use older color printers that require more expensive ink cartridges to be constantly replaced. As a result, these companies run the risk of coming across to their customers, prospects, and others as old-fashioned, or perhaps, less successful.
Solution: Companies should consider purchasing a color printer with high-capacity toner, such as the Epson WorkForce Pro ET-8700 EcoTank All-in-One Supertank Printer ($999.99 from Epson Direct as of November 2018), which includes up to a two-year supply of ink (according to Epson, based on average use). In addition to saving money on toner and labor related to securing and replacing toner cartridges, this printer can duplex print and serve as a fax machine, scanner, and low-use color copier.
