8 Signs Your Software Is Outdated

Using outdated software at your organization could very well be harming your business. Software is responsible for keeping your operations flowing smoothly and for handling your most vital tasks — from the basics like word processing and email to the more complex ones like cybersecurity.

How do you know if your software needs to be updated or upgraded? Here are 8 telling signs.

1. Your Programs Are Running Slowly

If programs are taking a long time to load, or if there are lags when you use them, that may be a sign that your software is outdated. In extreme cases, programs won’t load at all without crashing or even causing your entire system to crash. Check when you purchased them — is there a considerably newer version? How long has it been since you last replaced or updated it?

2. Your Systems Are Riddled with Viruses

Outdated software is more susceptible to cyberattacks because developers are constantly improving their products to guard against new viruses and malware. That’s part of why it’s so important to keep your programs up to date. If you’ve noticed that your systems are particularly buggy, then you should probably investigate the reason behind their behavior. After all, a cyberattack could wreak havoc on your entire business.

3. Your Tools Are Incompatible with One Another

Today, businesses need and use a number of tools. One hazard of software becoming more advanced is that platforms from different brands don’t necessarily function harmoniously with one another. Ideally, you could purchase all your software from the same provider, but that’s not always feasible.

If your tools are incompatible with one another such that they’re causing bottlenecks in your operations, it’s time to invest in software that can function together more fluidly. This will actually save you money in the long run since you’ll boost productivity and efficiency with newer and more integrated technology.

4. Your Systems Are Frequently Down

Having your system go down can affect your entire business. From computers perpetually freezing to servers malfunctioning to programs failing to start or quitting unexpectedly, the problems can be endless. If this is happening frequently, you can’t keep relying on faulty software to conduct your operations. Investing in newer software will mean that your business will gain back time and reduce frustration.

5. You Can’t Update Your Technology

We’ve all ignored those warnings that we need to update our technology from time to time — it’s a hassle, and we often wonder if it’s really necessary. But eventually, we get around to clicking that update button.

Unless, of course, we can’t. When software is too outdated, manufacturers will stop releasing updates for these obsolete versions. This will cause all kinds of problems — new malware and bugs could be introduced into your technology, your programs will run extremely slowly or crash, and more. Plus, developers release updates and new versions because they ultimately improve the software overall, and you won’t be able to take advantage of these new and improved features.

When you upgrade your software, you’ll be able to leverage all of its benefits, such as increased functionality and better performance.

6. Many Employees Aren’t Using Software Because It’s Not Efficient

One really clear sign your technology isn’t up to snuff? Nobody wants to use it. If the software you’ve implemented is so inefficient that it’s causing problems, then it’s obvious that you need to do something about it. After all, the whole point of using software is to solve issues, not create new ones. If your employees are so frustrated with it that they’d rather do their work manually, then it’s time to take a long, hard look at what you can fix.

7. Your Software Doesn’t Accommodate Remote Work

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work was becoming a norm, whether employees were always working offsite or wanted to bring home tasks to do on weekends. Today’s software — from an email client to word processing to file-sharing — must be accessible from multiple locations, not just your company headquarters.

Cloud computing has been around for more than a decade, and it’s been a fixture of the business world for nearly as long. If your software isn’t accessible via the cloud, then it’s clearly outdated and is in need of an upgrade.

8. You’re Less Productive

At the end of the day, it all comes down to productivity. Perhaps employees aren’t producing the level or quality of work you’ve come to expect of them — through no fault of their own. Or maybe everyone is working more slowly than usual. If your software is impacting your business such that people are less productive, not more, then you need to comb your technology to find out what’s causing the lag.

Software is an essential part of your business. But if you’re using outdated technology, then it could be hurting you more than it’s helping. It’s important to keep your software up to date so that your processes are flowing efficiently and your employees are being as productive as possible.