For many organizations, hardware and software tools have been added in a patchwork over years of operation. This means that some organizations use too many tools and are spending too much on software they don’t need. Your technology should make completing your work easier, not cause problems. Here are a few things you should think about when evaluating your technology.
Are you duplicating work?
Nobody wants to do work twice. Your technology should make it easier to complete tasks, so you shouldn’t need to enter information in two places for the same result. Review the function of each piece of technology in use, and try to see where things can be streamlined. If you are using two tools, like a contact management system and a tool for sending newsletters, see if it would make sense to invest in one tool that can do both. This will make it easier on your team, since they will need to learn fewer tools, and on your organization since there is less to manage.
Who needs specific tools?
Some teams need specialized software, like your accounting or design departments, which wouldn’t be relevant to the rest of your organization. While it might seem easy to give everyone access to certain software, like design tools, you may end up paying a lot more than you need to. Take some time to evaluate job functions and see if you are providing access to individuals who don’t require it, and make sure people don’t retain access if their roles change and their need goes away. This can also help you maintain security across your systems since you can apply the same thinking to file permissions across departments.
Will your technology keep up with your growth?
There are free tools or older software that might have worked for you up until now, but it is important to think about the future of your organization. If you are expecting to add new products or service offerings, will your current technology make that easy to manage? Will it be able to handle an influx of employees or client data? By investing in tools that will grow with you, you can save a lot of time, energy, and money in the future.
These are just a few of the things you need to consider when assessing your current technology. If your organization is interested in an IT assessment, please contact us to learn more.
Leave a Reply