Technology doesn’t stand still and engineers and software developers typically spend their days working on the next version of your voice recording system, adding functionality and features, streamlining processes and increasing resource efficiency. New hardware and software is being designed to work faster, smarter and more securely than ever before.
But my old system works fine, why would I spend money upgrading it?
Let’s assume you don’t need every one of those new features, is it still worth upgrading? For a while manufacturers will continue to refine their old product, fixing issues that might arise, perhaps adding a feature from the latest version to show you what’s available. However at some point, work stops on the older versions altogether and everyone works on making the new product even better.
Hanging on to a stagnant voice recording system can have detrimental effects in ways you may not realise.
- Outdated voice recording systems cost more time and money to maintain. If problems develop, there are few people left to write patches and updates because all those software developers are working on the latest version.
- Productivity gains from newer voice recording systems aren’t being realised. Those new, streamlined features are speeding up searches and reporting, they’re making administration quicker and easier, they’re saving people time which can be spent elsewhere – Just not for you.
- Staff morale can suffer: your staff don’t exist in a microcosm. They know they’re nursing an outdated system, they are the ones struggling with the day to day issues and quirks your older system creates.
Ultimately those bottom line savings from not upgrading are being eaten up by these hidden costs.
Get ahead of the curve.
Don’t leave the upgrade until you absolutely have to do it, when there’s no more support and the voice recording system is limping because bugs have crept in or your hardware is out of date and doesn’t run the latest operating system, you’re just making your life unnecessarily hard. Plan your upgrade in plenty of time and take charge of it, so you can dictate when the upgrade takes place instead of the issue being forced by circumstances.
Give yourself the luxury of planning the downtime and managing all the resources. And if you’re planning a full system upgrade, then you can manage the transition from the old system and add in contingencies in case things don’t go as planned.
Of course, this doesn’t just apply to software upgrades. Patching is very important, too. Your voice recording system may not display any of the problems which a patch fixes, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be affected in the future. There’s nothing to gain in waiting until you already have the fault.
Keep in touch with your voice recording maintainer and find out if you have the latest version of software; don’t just call them when you have a problem! Check out the manufacturer’s website and find out what’s in the pipeline, what new features are being developed and how you can use them for your business. Above all, get ahead of the curve!
For further information on your voice recording technology, contact Business Systems (UK) Ltd now
