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Loss of working hours
More than 50 million hours a year are lost in UK businesses due to connectivity failures. This equates to £3.7 billion. Time waiting for connection to return is not the only time lost though.
There is a knock-on effect in backlogs of emails, orders, requests, and other tasks that take time to clear after the connection is restored. Unsaved work is lost as systems go down and data silos could even increase error rates due to fragmented communication and inaccurate data processing.
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Online systems disrupted
In increasingly digitalised businesses anything from security checks and CCTV, to reports, sales and audits are stored online. When faults occur, essential services become unavailable.
Even short connection failures can be costly and difficult to navigate.
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Interrupted business operations
Initial sales will obviously be affected by connection failures as systems are unable to process orders. However, the longer-term effect can reach much further. Anything from stock replacement to manufacturing could be disrupted leaving shelves unstocked and sales depleted even months after the issue is resolved.
In Easter 2025 M&S suffered a cyber-attack which resulted in the company suspending online sales. Stores saw shelves lay bare for months with disruptions wiping £500 million off its stock. The implications of the digital downtime were also felt for many months after the issue was fixed with stores struggling to restock shelves, cancelled orders and unfilled deliveries. The cost of downtime doesn’t end when connectivity is restored.
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Customer dissatisfaction
Constant failures can be detrimental to customer service. Dropped calls and slow systems cause constant frustrations and drive customers away.
Nearly two thirds (63%) of customers refuse to buy from a company after repeated poor service.
It also makes it difficult for businesses to respond quickly when issues do arrive creating an ongoing circle of poor service.
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Delays in decision making
When connectivity fails usual business operations change. Time is focused on rectifying connectivity issues resulting in day-to-day meetings and even ongoing decision-making being delayed. It may not at first be noticed as schedules are reprioritised to focus on the immediate issues, but the time taken in fixing connectivity can mean important decisions have to be postponed.
Files or research might not be completed in time to meet deadlines and customers are left waiting for responses. This can result in lost sales and strained business relationships.
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Increased IT costs
It goes without saying that when connection fails there will be repair costs. However, emergency call outs and crisis support are more costly than regular maintenance. It means businesses can be left with a hefty bill to quickly fix issues to get themselves back online.
These ‘quick fixes’ often aren’t the same as long term strategic upgrades either as they rely on what can be delivered quickly rather than waiting for more tailored, planned solutions.
Regular maintenance and planned upgrades may seem costly when things are seen as working but waiting for errors to arrive before dealing with issues can be a costly error.
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Brand perception
Poor connection and online failures not only cost a business financially but also damage its reputation. Reliability is important in any industry and constant system failures leave customers wary. It erodes credibility and trust giving the perception that the company is unreliable or unsafe.
Small issues may seem like minor frustrations but over time they build up and can cause larger reputational damage.
In modern businesses the importance of reliable, secure connectivity that delivers consistent results should not be taken for granted.
Connectivity errors may seem superficial, but the damage can be far reaching.
Understanding the true cost of connectivity failure means recognising the broader implications of systems being offline.
If you would like to explore how you can futureproof your connectivity, then our team is here to help. We can help you create a system that not only provides the most efficient solution for now but can grow with increasing demands in the future to prevent costly connectivity failures reoccurring.
To explore what those next steps for you might be, please either book in your free consultancy call or we are running free Indoor Connectivity Audits to highlight how connectivity could be affecting your business.
