12 Steps to improve your IT strategy
2. Review and document IT costs. What measurements determine the cost of IT? Pull accurate financial data and study the numbers. Make sure to include costs in service, warranty, hardware, and software.
3. Identify IT challenges and create a quick list to review with an IT consultant. Small business managers see the effects of IT strategy on the business. What obstacles have a negative effect on productivity? Make a list and meet with your IT partner to create a game plan.
4. Discover ways to make business easier by leveraging technology. Map out business processes and pair them up with efficient technologies. Consider IT outsourcing. As a result, the return on investment is higher when businesses leverage technology.
5. Perform a security assessment to determine the current state of your IT security. Compromised IT security will expose your business to hackers that target small businesses. Many companies offer IT security services. Few have the experience to actually understand how to address the ever-changing landscape. Here’s where Infinity Technology Consultants shines! We specialize in working with small businesses improve their IT security.
6. Create a backup and disaster recovery plan. Business continuity is an often overlooked segment of IT. Every business should have a strategy for maintaining backups of data. Businesses should also plan for various ‘what if’ disaster scenarios in case. A business continuity plan will cover both areas of data and business management.
7. Avoid costly mistakes with employees with proper training. The need for technology training extends to every person in an organization. It pays to have a formal training program to help ensure that there is coverage for all areas of the business.
8. Create and build relationship with IT vendors. How many IT companies do you currently work with? What do you know about their capabilities, products, and services? Cultivate that relationship and see areas to improve your own IT operations.
9. Create a list of goals and map them out for the year. Most companies start with a business plan that details the goals for the company. Management experts recommend updating the plan several times over the first few years. Part of this reassessment should include the role of IT and goals for IT as a major component of the business.
10. Make a list of any immediate IT needs that you would like to see resolved in the coming weeks. There may be immediate needs that need guidance from technology professionals. If your company has immediate needs review them with your future IT partner.
11. Review any current and future IT projects. Review these needs with your future IT partner. Create a plan of action together and communicate and coordinate together.
12. Have a professional IT consultant perform an IT analysis for the most value! The best things in life are free. Sometimes. At Infinity Technology Consultants, our IT analysis isn’t free. We charge for it, $599 to be exact. But, if you’re serious about making improvements to your technology we should talk.