All hardware loses performance over time, even with regular maintenance. However, there’s a difference between out-of-the-box operations and a computer that takes 15 minutes to boot. Sluggish computers have the potential to become a problem for every organization. More than that, they cause more damage than a few wasted minutes each day. The good news: your organization can improve both the speed of your hardware and overall performance — and you don’t need new computers to do it.

What Are Slow Computers Costing Your Company?

Slow computers aren’t just irritating: they cost your company increasing amounts of money as they continue to drag. It goes without saying that a computer that boots at its own pace or freezes regularly slows your employees down. There’s a quantifiable way to measure these costs: when an employee takes 15 minutes to perform a task that should take 5, you can put a number on the costs. Many organizations don’t realize that those costs extend beyond the time it takes to deliver a project. Slow computers irritate staff and suggest that their employer isn’t committed to helping do their jobs well. The extra five or ten minutes lost on tasks can cause workers to be less productive and engaged throughout the day.

5 Reasons Your Computers Are Sluggish

Computers slow down over time, but if you notice a marked decrease in performance seemingly overnight, then it could be one of these issues:

• Failing hardware
• Viruses or malware
• Too little RAM
• Not enough disk drive space
• Too many or too few software updates

The good news is that all these issues are not only fixable, but they can even be preventable to avoid lags in the first place.

How Can You Speed Up Your Systems?

If your employees find that a reboot no longer provides relief, then it’s time to consider both immediate fixes and root cause solutions. A few quick repairs include:

• Scanning for viruses
• Replacing the hard disk drives
• Switching to solid-state drives
• Optimizing software updates
• Minimizing programs and apps

The cloud is the most comprehensive solution to slow computers, and there’s a good chance you’re using it already. With cloud infrastructure, you remove applications, services, storage, security, and management from your fleet of machines. Even better, it builds in increased collaboration, tighter security, and the ability to scale quickly and efficiently.

Don’t force your employees to suffer sluggish computers. Build productivity and efficiency into every process with the help of Echelon Technologies.