UNDERSTANDING TECH RAGE
The need for instantaneous results when dealing with technology has created a phenomenon best described as “technology rage”. We all know that overwhelming feeling of stress, anger, and anxiety when technology is not functioning correctly. Whether it be slow performance, connectivity issues, or frozen applications; it makes people bounce off the walls with frustration. Luckily for Jacksonville Businesses, Kustura Technologies is here to help prevent technology rage from taking over your office.
FINDING A MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER (MSP)
Statistics show over a third of Americans confess to experiencing technology rage. Within that group,
- 46% cited viruses or malware as the cause
- 16% were unsure what caused their technological malfunctions
- 12% blamed themselves (aka operator error)
- 10% suggested it was due to specific installed software
- 8% believed it was insufficient memory (RAM) issues
Ask yourself this question, how many of these examples would you be able to troubleshoot on your own? These numbers prove that utilizing an MSP is key when trying to stop technology rage from taking over your office.
Perhaps your company has someone internal who handles IT or an actual IT department. You may think investing in a Managed Service Provider isn’t worth it. Kustura recommends reaching out to local MSP’s who offer back up supplemental support on a time and materials basis (we do, by the way). Having back up support can make a huge difference in the event of an extreme IT emergency.
This is extremely helpful if your IT Department is at the corporate level and is located out of state or out of city. MSP’s can act as a “Plan B” option if your company requires either immediate support or troubleshooting for a problem beyond the scope of knowledge of the company itself.
Regardless of your business plan model, MSP’s are great resources for your business to utilize because they can help take the stress out of technology for your company. For example, Kustura Technologies can help prevent technology rage by optimizing your workstations, providing routine cybersecurity audits, and offering remote support whenever an IT issue arises. MSP’s are the best option for not just stopping, but potentially eliminating technology rage from your workplace.
However, if your company is more of a “Do It Yourself” type of place…continue reading to learn a few ways to prevent technology rage on your own.
DETERMINING TRIGGERS
According to a recent study, most people experience at least two types of technological malfunctions a day. This is why the first step in preventing technology rage at work is finding out what triggers your office the most. Some of today’s most common workplace triggers for technology rage include:
- Error messages causing key applications to freeze
- Web pages and programs taking forever to load
- Computer system crashing during the middle of a project
So how do you find out this information? The easiest option is to send out a quick email survey company-wide. Ask your team members to elaborate on any technology issues they are facing. This allows everyone to submit their input. Another option and the most effective is having a Managed Service Provider (MSP) like Kustura Technologies perform a free Technology Rage Prevention Assessment (Click here to schedule yours today). These assessments will provide your company with a clear overview of what the problems are and low-cost solutions to fix them.
Regardless of which route you take, it’s essential to request feedback as to what is causing the most issues in your office. You’d be surprised at how many technology problems your company may be having that no one is speaking up about.
DEVELOPING A PLAN
If any of the triggers mentioned above sound familiar, this can cause a negative impact on productivity. For your company to find solutions to these technology rage causes, we recommend creating an Optimization Check List. An Optimization Check List is simple to make.
To Do Tasks
First, develop custom “to do” tasks that will help lower the chances of technology rage from happening. For example, shutting down workstations every Friday afternoon. This tiny step can prevent many potential issues from occurring first thing Monday morning.
In fact, an article published by Penn State stated, “There are many good things that happen when a computer restarts – you often hear that a reboot is the first troubleshooting step when things go wrong! A restart can clear all of the contents of your RAM in the most efficient manner possible, giving you full use on restart, and a restart closes all background processes that should have closed themselves and didn’t. In essence, a restart gives you a fresh slate to start the next workday.”
Develop Resolutions
The next phase of this checklist is to brainstorm ideas that will help resolve your company’s short term IT issues. For example, let’s say your company only has three licenses for specific software. Any time a fourth person tries to log in to that application using 1 of the 3 the logins, it freezes for everyone else. Create rules to prevent these problems from happening more frequently.
Designate Emergency Contacts
The last part of this checklist should be designating people who can help. If your company hires an MSP such as Kustura Technologies, you could add our tech support phone number as the last step. If your company uses someone internally or has an IT Department already, make sure their contact info is easily accessible in case of an IT emergency.
Let’s pretend we work for a small business that specializes in printing business cards. Here is what their Optimization Check List might look like:
- Before leaving the office, all associates need to shut down their PCs.
- Please make sure all printers are turned off before the last person exits the building.
- Please do not share login info with other teammates. If you need access to an Adobe Application, email department head.
- In case of a technological or printing emergency, call John Smith at corporate office. His phone number is 904-867-5309 ext. 777.
If your business already has an IT Provider in place, ask them for recommendations when creating this list. Utilizing this tool on your own or through an MSP can help prevent common technology issues from happening within your office.
FINDING CUSTOM SOLUTIONS
This blog post is designed to give your company the tools needed to combat technology rage. Depending on what approach your business chooses, remember this phenomenon is not something that can be resolved overnight. Understanding the root causes of technology rage at your company is the first step. From there, your team will be able to develop a plan to include to-do tasks, rules and procedures, and emergency contact information. These recommendations can help your company create custom solutions to stop technology rage from taking over your office.
If you would like to learn more about Kustura Technologies and the services we can provide your company, contact us today by calling 904-855-8885 Ext. 113 or online by clicking here.
