Aligning Tech and Business – Keep the House in Harmony

Is your company’s technology “painted on” or is it “baked in”?

When a company neglects to consider technology as a strategic part of the business, tech decisions are generally made to address short-term needs. It doesn’t necessarily indicate that management is technophobic, but it does tend to create an environment where the Information Technology (IT) infrastructure isn’t optimally positioned for the benefit of the business.

Contrast this to a philosophy where technology was integral to the business planning from day one. Decisions were made based upon how technology can support the entire business process, and the IT infrastructure is actively supporting the business, in an ongoing fashion.

How can a business switch from the “painted on” to the “baked in” model? Here are 5 tips to accomplish this:

Assess

Many companies don’t have a clear picture of their current IT Infrastructure, making it very difficult to plan for improvements, or shift to a proactive management model. So, the first step towards that model is a thorough assessment of the company’s current network, with clear and accurate documentation.

Remediate

Compare the results of the assessment with your company’s ideal network infrastructure and determine where the gaps lie, and close those gaps. This can be a truly daunting task, and is a significant IT project initiative. But it is key to making the transition to a high-value IT environment.

Monitor

Once the assessment and remediation are done, it’s important to not get behind again. Implementing procedures and tools to monitor the network’s “health” on an ongoing basis is very important in achieving that goal. These tools can also generate alerts to IT personnel when “trouble” thresholds are reached AND generate reports to gather trending data on the network.

Analyze

The reports mentioned above are where management and IT truly come together. On a regular basis, IT and management meet, and the IT staff can interpret the results and what it indicates for the need for current and future actions to maintain the IT Infrastructure.

Plan

Once again, IT and management act in concert on this step. Strategically, this goes beyond just maintaining the status quo. With the information and insights gains from the monitoring and reports, how can this knowledge be applied to help the company achieve its short and long term growth goals?

It can be difficult for a company to commit time away from their day-to-day operations to go through these steps. The process can take several months, or longer. But the benefits are long-lasting and the results are controlled and/or reduced costs, greater operational efficiency, and agility – all vital for a company’s future in a competitive marketplace.

An IT Consulting company like Clare Computer Solutions can help a company with any and all of these steps, ensuring a smooth transition to a proactive IT paradigm, and make sure the processes are maintained and modernized as new technologies emerge. Contact them today to get started – and transform your company!

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