As we kick off a new year, now is the perfect time to assess your IT systems and ensure everything is running smoothly. After all, your IT is what keeps your sensitive business data secure (think customer details, P&L, etc.). Not to mention the fact that it’s a vital productivity tool.
Is Your IT Being Managed By The Right Team?
The first thing you'll need to assess is whether your IT is being managed by the right team. If the wrong people are in charge of your systems, they're not going to function optimally, and this can be highly detrimental to your business. To avoid running into issues on this front, compare managed service providers near you, and check that you're getting the best plan and support possible.
How Is Your Hardware Handling Your Requirements?
It's an unfortunate fact of life that our technology becomes outdated very quickly. Most companies release new products every year, and this can very easily lead to your business falling behind in hardware capabilities if you're not on top of things.
While it's perfectly acceptable to make use of technology that isn't brand new, you’ll want to assess your devices at least yearly to ensure they're still up to the task.
Is All Software Up To Date?
Unlike your hardware, which can be prohibitively expensive to update every year, your software will generally have free updates as long as your subscription is active. Software updates often include important security and functionality patches, so it's vital that all new versions are installed as soon as they're released.
You may also receive new features upon updating, so it's a good idea to look into whether any of the additions can be beneficial to your business. Many apps are expanding their functionality, and this could save you money by helping you reduce the number of subscriptions you hold. If new capabilities open up in current software, it’s always worth checking if that allows you to unsubscribe from other services.
Do You Have Appropriate Backups?
The biggest mistake you can make with your data is to not back it up. No matter how careful you are, the risk of data loss is never zero. For this reason, it's vital to ensure that you have a secure backup of all data.
This can be done either in-house with a physical backup or on a separate server to your standard operations. Alternatively, you can outsource your backup for enhanced security and to be sure that everything is as protected as possible.
Note: Your backup should never be stored on the same server as your standard operations, as this can lead to you losing everything if your server goes down.
Are Your Systems As Efficient As Possible?
Finally, while security is of the utmost importance, efficiency comes in a close second. So, once you've ensured everything is running as it should be in terms of protecting data and keeping everything up to date, it's time to check whether the way your team does things is as optimised as it could be.
On the technology side, this could mean establishing automations and ensuring your systems are regularly cleaned up and properly organised. It's also worth addressing the human side of things, and ensuring everybody has sufficient training on the devices and programs they need to use.
This list doesn't cover everything, as there will be many crucial IT processes that are specific to your business, and these need maintenance too. But this list does offer a good starting point for ensuring you kick off the new year on the right foot.
