UK Firms 'Slack When It Comes To Tech' Claim

It’s fine if you’re not keeping up with the Kardashians. It’s not fine if your business is not keeping up with the latest in tech.

Almost a third of businesses in the UK are not keeping up with new technology needs in their workplace, a new report by Epson suggests. Epson surveyed 3,600 European IT buyers in various verticals, including retail, education and healthcare. According to the report, 29 per cent of businesses in the UK are not up to date, and 41 per cent said they’re aware they’re behind, but are not really doing anything about it.

Another 15 per cent said they weren’t aware of their business’ needs.

Implementation of new technologies usually comes as a ‘strategic decision’ (62 per cent), or after ‘employee feedback’ (50 per cent).

Epson reminds us of a survey from 2014, when it unveiled that implementing new technologies leads to corporate success: “85 per cent of European businesses agreed that new technology provides a competitive advantage and working with more efficient technology can account for 21 per cent increased employee productivity,” it said.

There’s a bright side to the report, as well – 66 per cent of IT decision makers are apparently conducting trials to see what effects new technologies would have on their business. Another 27 per cent say they add new technologies every half a year, besting everyone else in Europe.

Commenting on the survey results, Paul Steels, Vice President, Epson Europe, says: “The survey results show that companies need to respond better to today’s business needs and employee expectations – especially now with Generation Y moving into leadership roles and Generation Z entering the workforce. Keeping pace with new technologies so that workers are not left with outdated equipment needs to be a priority in the era of business digitisation. Of course, budget pressures play a role in IT buyer’s decisions, so switching to products that are cost-effective while addressing the issues of today’s workforce is crucial.”

“Companies that don’t keep up with technology needs will start to see a bigger productivity gap as the technology evolves. Many companies are already reaping the benefits of wearable, collaborative, and automated technologies; but even something as basic and essential to daily office life as more efficient printing solutions can make a huge difference. Today’s IT buyer has a lot of power and a lot of responsibility when it comes to contributing to company productivity,” Steels concludes.

Author: Sead Fadilpašic
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Published under license from ITProPortal.com