Is Sluggish Tech Affecting Your Business?

With time being of the essence in the legal world, can you afford to be held up by tired IT systems?

IT service provider Managed 24/7 have put some research to a daily frustration for many – our computers are preventing us from being able to do our work. Slow-running systems, connection failures and badly installed new equipment are contributing to a 25- minute-a-day productivity deficit for those in the legal profession, according to the figures.

Whether another party is slow to sign and return legal documents, or other vendors are working to a different timescale, property purchasing and selling can be held up for a variety of reasons without adding to this with something that can be fixed, such as your IT system.

“The legal sector has been one of the hardest hit in these statistics.” Said John Pepper, CEO and founder of IT service provider Managed 24/7.

“In a sector with a reliance on high-cost staff and a focus on billable hours, it has a significant impact on productivity and profitability.”

Perhaps this rings true for you, and you find yourself having to take more tea-breaks while you wait for your faltering PC to catch up than is justifiable. If so, here are some issues you should address:

Equipment – How old is your computer and the software you’re using on it? If you have new equipment that’s not functioning how it should, can you call your provider or ask for help on a forum?

Connection – What’s the broadband speed in your area? Is it worth looking at a different provider?

Software – Are all your employees up to speed with new software? Is your current software clunky and prone to issues? If so, what are other firms using?

Security – Have you installed the latest updates on your software? Do you have the necessary firewall and anti-virus software?

The daily slew of profanities aimed at screens is part of a nationwide problem which is putting us behind our global counterparts, as Pepper notes,

‘The UK is facing a productivity crisis. The UK currently ranks seventh in the G7 and 17th in the G20 for productivity per person, and fixing our outdated and poorly managed IT systems and support should play a significant role in closing this gap, especially in the UK legal sector.

‘It takes a German worker four days to produce what his or her UK counterpart does in five and this crisis is resulting in the UK lagging well behind other developed nations. In light of recent outages such as at British Airways and the NHS, it is time for the UK to address our IT issues to ensure we aren’t left behind by our more technically adept neighbours.’

This giant issue starts with small solutions, and can start with you and your business. Remember if you are investing in new equipment or adopting cloud data management to check your insurance is still covering you. Contents insurance can account for IT systems, while professional indemnity and cyber liability will help you defend against claims arising from lost data or data hacks.

Speak to the experts at NC Stirling for more information.