People tend to see IT check-ups like they do any other kind of health check: they know it’s something they should do every so often, but rarely get around to it – either because they’re too busy, because they don’t feel like it’s urgent, or because they’re secretly worried about what it might turn up. But in IT as in healthcare, regular check-ups are vital to staying in good shape: they uncover underlying problems or emerging threats you aren’t aware of, so you can take steps to fix or stop them, before they do real damage.
1. Do your staff have the tools they need?
Despite their best intentions, a lot of businesses run expensive IT operations that don’t meet their staff’s needs. Sometimes because they’re using legacy systems, with workarounds that are as fiddly to operate as they are to manage. And sometimes because their approach to IT doesn’t fit today’s business needs.
A health check will look at whether your staff have the right tools to do their jobs well. And if not, it can tell you about the technology you need to help your business run more smoothly and allow your employees to work faster and better.
2. Are you using the right software the right way?
Software is one of the fastest moving areas of the IT world, offering new ways to simplify and improve the way a business does pretty much everything, from accounting and project management to cybersecurity and vehicle fleet management.
An IT health check will tell you how well your current software is performing, and if there are any other products you could benefit from. It will also review your software licensing status and options – for example, exploring whether you could save money and get a better product, by moving from fixed costs to a subscription model. As well as checking that your software licences are, in actual fact, still legal.
3. How healthy is your hardware?
Managing your physical IT infrastructure can be a complex and demanding job, involving a huge number of parts, agreements and vendor relationships. But it’s also the foundation of your business, connecting your network to your staff and customers. So if something goes seriously wrong, it’s a major problem.
During your IT health check, an expert will give your network set-up a thorough examination and give you the information you need to make informed decisions about adapting or changing your equipment. It’s an area where knowledge, expertise and supplier contacts really do make all the difference.
4. Are you set up for remote working?
We’ve got nothing against bricks and mortar offices, but remote working offers a lot of benefits: as well as saving on office overheads, remote workers are more focused, take fewer breaks and work longer hours. And in today’s post-Covid landscape, working from home often isn’t just a preference, but could be a necessity.
An expert health check will tell you how well your IT set-up is suited to remote working, identify any issues in your current approach, and suggest solutions that make the transition from office to remote working as seamless as possible.
5. How secure is your system?
As cybercriminals keep getting smarter, faster and more ambitious, it’s never been more important to ensure that your IT network is secure. Because the impact of an attack or data breach can be catastrophic – bringing your entire business to a standstill, incurring huge costs and fines, and permanently damaging your reputation.
When you get an IT health check, a security expert will give your network a full cyber security sweep. They’ll identify any weaknesses and make recommendations about how to protect your business and reduce the risk of attack – as well as providing crucial advice so you don’t inadvertently fall foul of the rules of GDPR.
6. How well do you handle tech issues?
Even in the most efficient IT set-ups, things go wrong from time to time. And while these hiccups vary in scale and seriousness – from everyday user issues to more persistent problems – they’re all distracting and disruptive, frustrating your staff and slowing down your business.
An IT health check will look at how well you’re able to deal with tech issues. It will also explore what kind of IT support would most benefit your business – in-house engineers or an outsourced service that offers helpdesk support and on-site troubleshooting. The solution will be tailored for your company size, the number of staff and your budget.
7. How would you deal with disaster?
We advise every business to plan for the worst. It might sound dramatic, but anything from a simple power outage to a sophisticated virus can bring a business to its knees. And the longer you’re out, the bigger the damage to your brand and your bottom line.
That’s why reviewing your disaster recovery plan is a key part of any IT check-up. An expert will check you have all the necessary failsafes: regular data backup, appropriate storage and a robust disaster recovery plan. And if you don’t, they’ll suggest ways to ensure you can get your business back up and running, come what may.
If you’d like to know more about Business Continuity click here.