Why an IT Assessment is a Good Investment for Your SMB
CEOs and small/medium-sized business owners (SMBs) alike often look sideways at the idea of a regular IT assessment. They cite the cost and question a loss of staff productivity. On the contrary, an IT assessment is an investment in your company and its future success.
An IT assessment offers your organization a look at the bigger picture with a fresh, unbiased set of eyes.
Are you experiencing any of these familiar signs:
- Your email and essential business functions work, but sporadically.
- Your team cheers every morning when they can access their workstations.
- You are spending more time handling IT questions than working at your desk.
- Your IT costs are rising as a percentage of your total expenses, but your team is regularly complaining about their IT support.
Consider the advantages of a network assessment using Focus Data Solutions’ Three Pillars of Success: Strategy, Infrastructure and Support.
Strategy
A professionally conducted assessment paints a clear picture of how your current technology is helping your company achieve its strategic objectives. You’ll learn if your IT management is aligned with your business’ goals while receiving valuable input about how to integrate your IT team into your leadership structures.
Infrastructure
Network management and cyber security are key elements of your IT infrastructure. Is your network and computer hardware helping or hurting your productivity? A network assessment:
- Identifies hardware or software that is out of date
- Provides recommendations about equipment that needs to be updated or upgraded
- Uncovers areas of your IT system to be optimized
- Suggests ways to increase the network’s performance and reliability
- Reveals redundant or unused resources that may be eliminated to reduce costs
Cybersecurity is a non-negotiable part of any company’s IT management plan. Confirming that your IT security posture is hardened is an investment worth making. Consider these statistics.
In 2021, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported a 7% increase in cyberattack reports, with losses totaling more than $6.9 billion. Most of those attacks were on SMBs. (As many as 61% as reported by Verizon’s 2022 Data Investigations Report)
An IT security assessment pinpoints vulnerabilities. A review of the latest security patches and updates will indicate if your network is receiving routine, proactive maintenance. This proactive security work is essential to fighting cybercriminals that target SMB networks.
Support
If IT is hindering your employee’s daily work, an assessment can uncover the root cause of the issue.
An IT team evaluation reviews the effectiveness and efficiency of your help desk support and IT resources within the framework of your business strategy and budget goals.
Is your staff avoiding your help desk team or IT support services by finding their own workarounds? IT assessments uncover “shadow IT,” exposing where employees are using unauthorized programs and applications to complete their work. Nonfunctional IT support and staff reliance on shadow IT severely reduces the effectiveness of your IT management, increases costs, and raises dangerous security concerns.
A closing note. IBM and The Ponemon Institute reported that the average data breach cost for a business with less than 500 employees is $2.98 million, and the average cost per breached record is $164. Do you have these resources in your budget? Whether you employ an in-house IT team or are in an existing outsourced relationship, an impartial assessment is a worthy investment in your company’s IT and cybersecurity management.
Focus Data Solutions offers a variety of IT assessments to assist with your evaluation needs. Visit our website IT Strategy to learn more and request an introductory consultation.