As a finance guy, I get it. The temptation is there to try to squeeze one more year out of your older PCs and laptops before replacement. However, here are four reasons why it’s best to stop procrastinating on a computer refresh project.
Skating by on the break-fix model is all fun and games until your PCs are so obsolete, spare parts cannot be found to fix whatever’s broken. That puts you at risk of having to replace it anyway, without the benefit of having planned for the expense or the down time.
According to Techaisle, small businesses are spending an average of $427 per PC that is four years or older on repair costs. Essentially, you’re spending significant money repairing an older computer that could be applied toward a new one, when the older one will have to be replaced soon anyway.
Older PCs limit your employees’ ability to effectively multi-task. The more applications they open, the slower their computers will run—if they don’t randomly shut down altogether. This is frustrating for employees, costs valuable time and can lead to work disengagement.
What’s the point in investing in the latest anti-virus, anti-spam, firewalls, and other security measures if your hardware isn’t new enough to maximize their effectiveness? Holding on to computers puts your data, systems, and reputation at risk. Invest in new PCs that reduce the risk of a major security disaster.
As a business owner or manager, it’s easy to try to stretch your resources as far as possible. Skimping on technology refresh cycles, however, is not the best way to do so.
Matt Brown in the Sourcepass Chief Financial Officer. Reach out to Matt at (877) 678-8080.