The end of another year is approaching and we'll all soon be gearing up for another round of resolutions for the new year.
Let's start early. Here are eight IT-related things you need to STOP doing. You don't even need to wait for January 1, 2017 to get started.
So STOP:
- Chasing buzzwords.
Cloud, big data, transformation, encryption, Internet of Things, actionable analytics, and so on. If there's one thing the IT industry is great at it's churning out new buzzwords every year. Now, everything in that short list is a real, viable technology that can deliver benefits for business, especially the cloud. And the Internet of Things is flat-out cool. However, the latest and greatest things in information technology don't apply equally to all businesses. Seek out the technology that helps your business – tried and true technology like document management is more likely to deliver more value to your business now than anything on the “technology trends in 2017” articles we're about to hit over the head with. - Ignoring Security
I know, I know; I've been banging this drum hard over the past few months. Still, facts are facts. SMBs are as at risk of a cyberattack and data breach as any company. SMBs are less protected than larger companies. - Doing it yourself.
You don't have to run your own IT department. With smart use of cloud technology, you don't even have to own your own IT infrastructure – you can rent it in whole or in part. Seek out and find managed IT services partners to help you manage your network, security, telephony, backups, etc. - Thinking of IT as a Magic Bullet.
Information technology can boost your business, increase revenues, help provide competitive advantage, and many other benefits. There is no IT solution to a poor business plan or a bad business process. Applying technology to a bad business process just makes that poor process faster, not better. Take the time to identify business goals and problems and the right technology to reach those goals and solve those problems. - Making it complicated.
Sometimes the right solution is the simplest one. Don't worry about customization to meet every single possibility or you'll never get anything done. Many out-of-the-box solutions are built on best practices. If you think you need customization rather than a simple solution for your business process; it could be that your business process stinks – not the simple solution. - Ignoring the need to upgrade.
Just because it's working “OK” doesn't mean it's working well. Don't chase buzzwords, but don't be afraid to invest in new tools either – operating systems, hardware, etc. - Thinking of IT as a Cost.
IT is an opportunity for you to improve competitive advantage. Much like the telephone, businesses today are expected to have a minimum of IT ability. Businesses that look at IT as an opportunity perform better than those who don't. Click here to read more on this IT value mindset. - Managing your backups.
Or worse, ignoring a backup strategy. Outsourcing your data backup saves internal IT staff time and allows an expert who understands data backup (frequency, how to validate backup success, and more) to ensure that your data is available in the case of a virus, cyberattack, or hardware failure.
If you stop doing these eight things, your IT initiatives will almost certainly help you achieve your business goals. So stop. Today.
For more information on everything to do with Managed IT Services, check out our resource page, here.
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