When’s the right time to upgrade your hardware?

To upgrade or not to upgrade, that can sometimes be the question when it comes to your IT hardware.  Many businesses have it in their annual plan and budget as to when they’re going to automatically upgrade (taking into account depreciation schedules), others just keep going with what they have until things go wrong and so it becomes a necessity (which can be costly).  There’s no right or wrong answer, however there are some factors to consider.

Be smart when it comes to spending, not only with your money but with your time as well.  Time costs money and while everyone likes to negotiate a deal, if it’s going to take you weeks to negotiate a small reduction in the overall price, then it’s probably not worth it.  It’s also worth thinking about whether it’s more economical to spend a few pounds getting your current system working more productively and at its optimum rather than splashing out on new PCs and hardware just because you think that’s the right decision, only to find you’re spending weeks installing and getting the team trained up on the new system.   

It’s nice to own new things, but is it always necessary?  Advances have been made more in software rather than in desktops and computers.  It is important to be productive but it doesn’t mean you have to have the latest Mac to do the same job (similarly you don’t have to spend a fortune on smartphones – see ‘What are you paying for?’). 

Investment will be needed at some point. Computers do have a lifecycle; however, you may just find they last longer than you think; it might be that an investment in upgrading the software packages you’re using is more beneficial than a new computer.

If you’d like further information or have some questions over your own hardware set up and whether it’s time for an upgrade, please give the team at BizWise IT a call, we’d be happy to have a chat and talk through the options with you.