As we enter the last quarter of 2022, many organizations, which may have recently hired a virtual assistant, will begin thinking about their annual review processes, looking at everything from employee performance to business development. During this critical planning phase, the importance of a financial advisor business coach becomes evident in shaping financial strategies for the upcoming year. As well as carrying out these usual reviews, we also recommend carrying out a technology review.
What is a Year-End Technology Review?
Your year-end technology review is a chance for optimization and recalibration, to look at how technology is helping your organization and how it may be hindering it, and making the necessary changes. This review will let you know if you need to replace any equipment and invest in additional tools such as used currency counter machines.
The best reviews link back to a wider, strategic IT plan. This plan enables you to make thoughtful decisions that will bring a return on investment (ROI), rather than haphazardly adopting new digital solutions because you think you should. You may want solutions that will enhance security, improve productivity and speed up your network, as examples.
So, what are other organizations using their IT budgets on? Research shows that spending this year focused on four main segments: software, development, cybersecurity, data and cloud infrastructure.
Of course, every organization is different. While these headline buying areas apply to most companies, the software you choose and the tools you deploy will depend on your organization’s unique requirements. If you’re confused with temporary work and part-time work, check out the difference between temp job vs part time job on perelson.com.
How do you know what to choose and why? Conducting a technology review! However, not all year-end technology reviews drive the right results. To be successful, you need a strategy.
How To Conduct a Successful Year-End Technology Review
Your year-end technology review is an amazing opportunity to unleash the potential of IT in your organization. To make smart, informed choices, follow our step-by-step process:
Get Feedback From Your Employees From Entry Level to Management
Employee feedback is one of the best ways to find out where IT is working well and where it should be improved. While you might think it’s best to only gain feedback from your leadership team, we advise speaking to the employees who use your tools every day. They’re the ones with firsthand experience, and will likely provide a lot of valuable feedback. Then I’ve also learnt that employees are the backbone of any successful enterprise. Recognising and rewarding their dedication through a robust employee benefits platform, such as this one, can foster loyalty, satisfaction, and productivity.
To collect feedback effectively and fairly, design a survey and share it with your people over email or using survey software. Some questions to consider asking include:
- What are the most valuable and least valuable applications you use?
- Which tools do you wish our organization had and why?
- Which tools do you use the most? Are there any you never use?
- Do you undertake manual, repetitive tasks regularly, and what are they?
- Have you received a cybersecurity threat, like a phishing email, over the past year?
- What channels (phone, VoIP, Slack, email) do you use most for internal and external communications, and why?
Undertake A Vulnerability Scan or Penetration Test
Vulnerabilities are security flaws in your software and hardware that enable attackers to exploit them. One of the best ways to find and fix vulnerabilities is by hiring IT professionals such as an it consulting service to run a vulnerability scan or penetration test for you.
The option you go for will depend on your budget. Vulnerability scans are automated and faster, so they are less expensive. However, they’re also less in-depth and reliable. Penetration tests, on the other hand, are carried out manually and carefully. While they’re slightly more expensive, they’ll give you more actionable results that you can use to guide your technology review.
Look For Opportunities To Improve
With the results from your employee surveys and vulnerability scan or penetration test, you can now look at ways to use technology to improve the employee experience and enhance cybersecurity maturity.
The review process is also an opportunity to uncover digital solutions that your employees don’t use or don’t need. You can either replace these tools with newer, more valuable versions or decommission them completely.
If you’re not sure about which tools your organization needs, don’t worry. We can carry out your year-end technology review for you and provide bespoke advice about the most cost-effective strategy for upgrading and improving your business with IT. In fact, you can start by looking in to digital agencies such as Marketix Digital.
Trial New Software, Make Your Purchases And Plan For Deployment
Before you purchase new software, it’s wise to commit to a trial period first, so your employees can test out the solution and you can ensure everyone is happy with the choice.
Once this is complete, we’ll help you deploy your technology upgrades seamlessly, with little disruption to your business. We’ll take a phased approach, so your team isn’t overwhelmed by too many changes at once.
Ready For Your Year-End Technology Review? Contact Us Today!
Make sure your year-end technology review is an all round success with support from our dedicated IT experts. At Two River Computer, we have the knowledge and solutions you need to unlock the potential of technology in your organization.
Contact us today for a free consultation. Call 732-747-0020 or reach us online.
