It may defy your gut instincts, but tech experts insist that it’s unwise to scale back on IT equipment spending right now.
It’s a strategy that’s become extremely common for companies in recent months: skirting by on obsolete equipment and waiting till the last possible moment to make necessary changes, fixes or upgrades.
But this is one “cost-cutter” that can do far more harm than good in the long run.
Here are three reasons why you shouldn’t wait to make new hardware purchases.
- Gear grows old, outdated and eventually unusable. Laptops, PCs, servers, etc., always need to be replaced. Delaying the inevitable is not only a futile strategy, it may backfire at the most inopportune moment.
- Older equipment + increased downtime = less productivity. While leasing or purchasing new equipment may be costly in the short-term, trudging along with older gear will result in significant outages and downtime. The amount of productivity lost during these delays will likely end up costing you more in the long run.
Also, many companies have seen recent layoffs, hiring freezes, etc., which mean fewer IT staffers around to diagnose problems, pinpoint fixes, replace failed parts and test repairs. - Running outdated gear costs more. Trying to get a few more years out of PCs and servers ends up costing more in the long run than it would if companies replaced the equipment within the recommended time frame. Everything from lost efficiencies to compatibility problems to service and maintenance add up to major expenses.
Experts recommend that companies replace 25% of their systems each year for maximum efficiency.
