Macro Systems Blog
The point-of-sale (POS) system has evolved from a simple cash register into the dynamic hub of your business operations. Beyond that satisfying sound it makes (if you turn on that feature) it now handles inventory, customer data, and more. Your POS is working harder than ever, but is it working smarter for you? As a mission-critical system, choosing or upgrading your POS isn't just about processing payments; it's about future-proofing your success.
When it comes to cybersecurity, organizations have a lot to keep tabs on, even small organizations. In fact, you wouldn’t believe just how much goes into cybersecurity and why your business needs to make it a priority. Cybersecurity is more than just a buzzword on the Internet; it’s a lifeline that will keep your business secure.
As the water cooler whispers about artificial intelligence grow louder, workers are actively becoming worried about the status of their jobs. The idea of robots taking jobs can sound alarming, but knowledge is power. By comprehending how AI works and what it can do for a business, employers and employees alike can gain some perspective and peace of mind.
Business owners have to wear many hats. You're the CEO, the head of sales, the marketing guru, and often, the de facto IT department. It's understandable that with so much to do, dealing with a sluggish computer or a temperamental software program gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. A laissez-faire attitude towards your technology can have serious consequences, however. Listed below: why being lazy with your IT causes more harm than good.
In nearly every office, the printer hums along, a familiar backdrop to the workday. Have you ever paused to consider how much all that printing really adds up? If the average office worker might use around 10,000 sheets of paper annually, as some studies suggest, that is far too high with the modern technology available to us. That’s a significant impact on budgets and the environment.
Many (and hopefully most) businesses have a concrete view of the role that their IT plays in operations: cost center, money pit, necessary evil.
Something we’ve realized, however, is that these impressions are simply warning signs that a business’ technology strategy and approach need some attention. Listed below are three warning signs that might be all too familiar to you, and what can be done to change course and help turn your IT into a contributing part of your overall productivity.
It's common that people need to access the same websites repeatedly for their work purposes, including calendars, applications, and portals. Bookmarking these resources offers a simple way to quickly and easily access them on demand.
Listed below are practices that can help you take these handy utilities to the next level of usefulness.
Technology is meant to be the wind in your company's sails, propelling you forward, simplifying tasks, and making operations smoother, right? Sometimes, it is! Other times, it feels more like a mischievous gremlin has been let loose in the engine room, and certain seemingly small habits can escalate into full-blown operational nightmares.
Here at Macro Systems, we've seen a pattern or two. Listed below is a look at three common technology mistakes that might be silently sabotaging your productivity or even worse, leaving your digital doors wide open.
You see it everywhere, again and again: how much return an investment into proper business technology will bring, with little to no context behind these claims. We want to fix that.
Listed below is a look at why so much information about today's IT options can be less than helpful, and see if we can’t clarify what it means. Simplifying technology for the businesses we work with is one of our primary goals, after all.
Do you know what goes into a successful data backup strategy? If not, understand that your business relies on these contingencies to confidently face the challenges of the modern business world. Listed below is a break down of the essentials of a sound backup strategy, which is more complicated than you think.
Growing your business means making smart choices, which definitely includes getting the right technology. Finding the right tech can often feel like a balancing act: you need powerful tools to compete and grow, but you also need to be mindful of your budget.
At Macro Systems, serving businesses right here in the Metro Washington, DC area, we help you find that sweet spot where your tech investments truly support your goals without unnecessary costs.
Deals are great; offering some money and getting more than you’d expect in return… It’s the next best thing to free. It’s also really nice to get something fast.
Not so fast, though. As nice as they can make things seem, “cheap” and “quick” aren’t often synonymous with “effective” or “valuable.” In fact, selecting the presumably easy route regarding your business technology can ultimately lead to bigger problems in the form of something called tech debt.
Technology is a big deal for any business, but for small businesses, keeping pace isn't just a good idea; it's becoming necessary to the survival and success of the whole endeavor. Every instant gratification and falling behind can have a real effect on an organization’s ability to support their offerings.
Third-party vendors are essential for today's businesses; they deliver mission-critical resources and tools to the organizations that utilize them, including raw materials, software, and other services. Alas, these vendors can also serve as direct lines into your business for a cyberattack to take advantage of for their own purposes.
Listed below: how you can still lean on your vendors without sacrificing your critically important security.
The constant talk about cybersecurity can really be overwhelming. While some Internet tales may be exaggerated, the reality is that these cybersecurity risks are a serious concern for every organization. Is your business truly prepared to confront the sophisticated digital adversaries of our time? Listed below is a look at three prevalent cyberthreats that could inflict significant damage on a business, and what you can do to keep them from negatively impacting yours.
For all the effort and investment a modern business needs to put into its cybersecurity, it is equally critical to acknowledge each team member's role in an organization’s security protections. Many of your employees, through no inherent fault of their own, are themselves a vulnerability as they allow many cyberthreats into your infrastructure via scams and simple mistakes. That being said, this doesn’t have to be the case.
Listed below: why it is imperative that you train your team to be a cybersecurity asset and how to do so.
We're all busy. Whether you're steering the ship or making sure the daily operations run smoothly, cybersecurity might feel like another drain on your time. Imagine a day when everything grinds to a halt, trust evaporates, or significant money vanishes into thin air. These aren't abstract fears, they are all-too-real consequences of cybersecurity oversights, creating moments that everyone in a business, from top to bottom, desperately wants to avoid… and can.