When you think of IT, you might think of support tickets and resolving issues that come up with your hardware and business applications. You might not automatically think of your strategic plan. But we do! And we want to tell you why and what’s at stake if you don’t have an IT strategy plan in place.
At Thriveon, long-term, ongoing proactive planning that includes your IT as a strategy for your business reduces risks and optimizes your investments.
Much of IT is thought of as a reactionary cost-controlled entity managed by your finance department, but here is what’s at stake without an IT strategy managed by a C-level IT expert:
Few things are more frustrating for you and your employees than your device or software application going dark on you right in the middle of a task. Technology can be fickle, but these interruptions should be few and far between. With a proactive IT strategy in place, far fewer tech issues interrupt your day.
With unnecessary interruptions comes a loss of productivity for you and your employees. When technology isn’t planned for and support tickets abound, you’ll find a reduction in time spent actually doing your job. You’re too busy fixing the problem or on the phone with a support line. This can add up over time, and continual issues lead to loss of work and time.
Read: What is the Proactive IT Difference?
With the loss of time often comes the loss of money. In technology’s case, if you are not deliberately planning for what programs suit your unique business needs, you will end up spending more in the long run. Disparate systems that don’t integrate well can add up, and if they don’t talk to each other, it can create more problems than solutions.
If you’re spending on niche products that don’t allow for integration across other platforms, you run the risk of less efficient processes. When an IT expert helps to guide and plan processes using technology, efficiencies in processes are managed and improved.
When you have an IT strategy, technology across the entire organization is thought of, planned out and budgeted for. It is no longer up to the individual department head to find the best solution for their team, especially when they are already in dire need of new technology.
As a business leader, understanding and engaging in evolving technology trends is essential, yet it is a lot to keep up with; you are busy managing the day-to-day operations. Your department heads need to be focused on sales, operations, finance, etc. Meanwhile, IT gets lost in the mix while security and functionality issues run rampant. With a solid IT strategy in place, a dedicated Fractional CIO can supply the most up-to-date best practices in IT, recommend premium technology packages and find solutions for increased efficiencies and productivity, resulting in reduced overall costs and happier employees.
To learn more about our proactive IT process and to hear about an IT strategy for your business, schedule a meeting today.