Few words can send shivers down the spine of business owners as fast as the word "downtime" does. Downtime ultimately results in added costs through lost productivity. Even just a few hours of downtime can be extremely disruptive and costly depending on the scope of the issue and the type of business. And it’s not just disruptive to employees, it can also spill over to customers, creating inconveniences they may not be willing to deal with.

If you want to take effective steps in reducing disruptive and costly downtime here are some of the tips that can help.

Engage in Preventative Maintenance

What’s the best way to fix a problem? The answer is simple, preventing it from happening in the first place. That is exactly what preventative maintenance and repairs address. Adopting this practice can drastically cut down on downtime. Did you know that preventative maintenance is also cheaper in the long run? It’s a win-win.

Put Monitoring Measures in Place

This can go hand-in-hand with preventative maintenance in terms of saving the company money. Monitoring allows businesses to get a better, more complete picture of production, systems, processes, projects, tasks, and so forth. When you track and monitor, you can quickly spot areas where improvements can be made. 

Automate Processes Whenever Possible

Automation is another tool that can have a huge impact on downtime. Automating processes and systems means there is less room for human error, it can speed up the process, there tends to be better monitoring, and it will eliminate duplicated and unnecessary steps. While it’s true there is a limit on what you can automate, chances are the company isn’t using automation to its full advantage at the moment.

Managed IT Services Can Eliminate Tech-Related Downtime

One of the biggest sources of problems in a company that ultimately leads to downtime is IT-related issues. Perhaps a certain software isn't working, the network crashes, or the system as a whole isn't streamlined so it's being bogged down. These are issues that can be complex to deal with, which is why outsourcing IT solutions can make perfect sense. 

Outsourcing places all the IT-related responsibilities in the hands of the professionals who have the proper training, knowledge and equipment. They will monitor, watch for potential issues, and jump to action whenever needed so that downtime due to IT issues is rare if not unheard of.

Understand That Planned Downtime is Necessary

With all the talk of reducing downtime, it's also worth noting that planned downtime is different and it's necessary. This is when the company has a chance to perform updates, maintenance, and repairs. The difference is that because it is planned, it's done at the best possible time such as during non-business hours. 

It’s Well Worth the Trouble

Embracing these and other measures directed at reducing downtime is well worth the trouble. The results will be cost savings and more streamlined and dependable productivity. Reducing downtime should be a priority of all businesses no matter the size or industry.