Below is part 6 of our 6-part series aimed at helping you Stabilize your business, where we focus on Business Continuity in this post. To read part 5 of the series, click here:
One cannot properly advise on what is not yet understood.
Businesses often encounter situations where they need guidance but are unsure where to turn for advice. Some face critical business decisions that require insights from others with relevant experience. These decisions may involve capital purchasing new software, adopting new technology to scale up their operations, or addressing challenges like cyber security. Regardless of the problem’s complexity, they all require a broader perspective and a pragmatic assessment of the bigger picture.
Assessing your IT ecosystem can help you identify areas of improvement, reduce inefficiencies, and mitigate risks. It can also help you identify areas where new technology can bring a competitive advantage. However, conducting a comprehensive, unbiased self-evaluation can be difficult, and it can be hard to find the time and resources to do it properly. While you may see these assessments be called many different things, we typically refer to these as Enterprise IT Assessments. Don’t let the term enterprise fool you. This applies to businesses of all sizes as it refers to looking across the business as a whole.
What are Enterprise IT Assessments?
Enterprise IT assessments evaluate an organization’s information technology (IT) systems, infrastructure, and processes. These assessments are typically conducted to identify strengths and weaknesses in an organization’s IT environment and identify improvement opportunities.
There are several types of enterprise IT assessments, including:
IT Infrastructure Assessments.
These assessments evaluate an organization’s IT infrastructure, including servers, storage, networking, and other hardware and software components. IT Infrastructure is the backbone of any business. For some, it’s a very simple setup, while for larger organizations, it can be a very complex and finely orchestrated ensemble of technology that enables the business to operate.
IT Security Assessments.
These assessments evaluate an organization’s security posture, including its policies, procedures, and technical controls. In today’s businesses, technology plays a huge role, and with just about everything connected to the internet either directly via a dedicated network connection, wirelessly via wifi, or indirectly by other means such as Bluetooth or peripherals. It’s important to make sure any business is secured. You can read more about it in our Security Assessments blog post.
IT Process Assessments.
These assessments evaluate an organization’s IT processes, including change management, incident response, and problem resolution. It’s important to note that while IT Process Assessments may stand independently, the most successful assessments consider the business processes in their analysis.
IT Capacity Assessments.
These assessments evaluate an organization’s IT capacity, including its ability to handle current and future workloads. Capacity Assessments may arise out of a need to scale operations or optimize operations, but it is possible also to consider these when large initiatives are being considered.
Enterprise IT Assessments are critical for any organization to evaluate and improve its operations and systems. The results of an Enterprise IT Assessment can be used to develop an IT roadmap, improve existing IT systems, and ensure that technology investments are aligned with business objectives.
To be effective, Enterprise IT Assessments should take a pragmatic approach, considering the big picture while delivering tangible and measurable output. The process should involve an in-depth review of the organization’s current IT systems, processes, and controls and include recommendations for improvements and a roadmap for implementation. The goal is to identify any gaps or inefficiencies in the IT infrastructure and to develop a plan to address these issues to support the organization’s overall goals.
Whether conducted internally or with the help of a third-party consultant, Enterprise IT Assessments should be comprehensive, objective, and focused on delivering results. By taking a pragmatic approach and focusing on measurable outcomes, organizations can make informed decisions that support their long-term growth and success.
How StrataNorth can help.
Are you thinking about investing in the stabilization of your small or mid-sized business? Do you need help securing your business? Let us help you. If you are ready to conduct an Enterprise IT Assessment and are looking for experts to guide you, StrataNorth has Security and Technology consultants with decades of experience. We can help you reach Operational Stability and deliver an IT Assessment Plan. Reach out for a no-cost, no-obligation chat with an IT Consultant or Security expert today.
