Sometimes it’s easy to see assets being neglected. The trucks parked out back that are rusting and won’t start. The coffee machine that seems to be broken more often than it works. The printers sitting without use for months. But it’s harder to see assets like software being neglected. Software is sometimes viewed as the intangible black hole.
Let’s look at an oil and gas company. It’s easy to see what creates revenue for them – a physical pipe that carries material: oil. We can touch and see the pipe and we can easily see when it’s broken or not working. When pipes malfunction they lose revenue, which is why it’s important to maintain them.
The same goes for software, which is often neglected because you can’t see it. You need to view your software like a business; you can’t leave for a year and expect to come back to it. Similarly, you can’t neglect software for a year and expect it to work when you need it. You also need to combat the steady rise of data hackers with security updates.
First of all, don’t feel bad. It’s easy to neglect your software. It’s much easier to see the neglect on physical items like trucks, printers, and coffee machines, than it is on non-physical items like software. That’s why many organizations suffer from neglected software. However, it’s just as important to take care of the neglect before it becomes a problem.
Some IT professionals will not know how to maintain the software after it is installed due to their lack of programming and database skills. That is understandable. IT professionals are like doctors; they can’t specialize in everything.
On the other hand, sometimes it’s just a system that isn’t used very often and no one really notices its decline until it’s too late.
So what are the consequences? A small annoyance? Hours of downtime for the company? Data theft?
Software can be neglected and it can be devastating for a business. It can lead to downtime, lost sales, revenue and more. What makes it so scary is that it’s not easily seen. Which means is can sneak up on you and you could be too far down the hole before you even know you’re in there.
If your system is due for a check-up, give us a call at 405-285-2500.
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