Tip of the Week: How to Align Your IT with Your Goals

Unfortunately, your business’ technology doesn’t last forever. At some point in the future, you will have to upgrade away from your current hardware, which, regrettably, is not as simple as it sounds. Here are some tips to help you out during this difficult process.

Think Before You Act

The biggest mistake that any business can make with technology is making a decision about a solution without thinking it all the way through. All you need to do is look at it from an outside perspective. After all, a lack of planning could result in taking on considerable costs, yielding little, if any, positive return on your investment.

When you are planning to improve your infrastructure, having some sort of plan is crucial, as it can help you avoid these unforeseen costs. This strategy will take some time to implement, but it is well worth the effort. Doing this will also keep you from implementing unnecessary technology. Remember, the most important part of implementing new technology is that it functions in a capacity of generating positive revenue growth.

Will your Company Culture Create Issues?

Your company’s culture will have a considerable impact on the way that technology is implemented. For example, you might be eager to add some new technology, but your staff may hedge. Maybe your staff might be comfortable using older solutions that they have had time to adapt to; or, maybe they just don’t see the potential gain the same way you do. Keep in mind that they will be the ones utilizing any new technology you choose to implement; and, having open lines of communication with them to ensure they understand that the technology you’ve chosen is only to help improve operational efficiency can go a long way toward winning their approval.

Are Your Business Goals Aligned with Those of IT?

The operational side and the information technology side of your business often seem like two separate entities, creating a situation where they have different goals. The issue with this is that it’s wrong. Any technology needs to be aligned with your business’ goals, so changing things up can justifiably feel intimidating. Often this is so pronounced that it feels too risky to invest in anything new. It’s important to keep in mind that involving your employees in the technology implementation process can make any new investments that much more effective.

Are You Prepared to Manage Your Data?

Data is perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when implementing any new technology solution. Consider your infrastructure, as well as what it would need to accommodate, and scale as needed to any new IT solution you want to implement. The other aspect that you need to keep in mind is the security of this data. If you can centralize your data, it’s easier to manage and protect, allowing for easier scalability. Penetration testing can also go a long way toward identifying issues with your data security, resolving potential issues before they even become a problem.

Network Solutions Unlimited can help your business with the implementation process for any new technology solution out there. To learn more about how we can help your business overcome these challenges, reach out to us at (217) 428-6449.