Over the years, technology has become more complex to implement and manage. Yet without it, you couldn’t stay in business. IT is a critical part of every department in your business, something you simply couldn’t do without.
Technology is always in motion. As soon as you invest in a system, a newer, more updated model is close behind. As it evolves, teams are left managing legacy systems and applications that don’t do what you need them to do. So you piecemeal different strategies together to get the job done.
That’s when the problems start.
IT Complexity
Seventy percent of executives say that IT complexity is a growing challenge. While 85 percent of them say reducing IT complexity is a priority, only 27 percent say they’ve managed it effectively.
What causes IT complexity? Top causes include:
- Operating systems and technologies incompatible with other systems and technologies
- New and changing regulatory compliance requirements
- Creating and operating in a hybrid IT environment
It’s understandable how we got there. Technology is ever-growing, ever-changing. No business can afford complete technological overhauls consistently. So they buy and install as they need new ways of doing business, or as new regulations require new compliance factors.
Most management teams know they are living with complex systems that aren’t giving them everything they’re required to do. But taming it is another thing entirely. While there isn’t a foolproof approach, there are steps you can take to reduce the complexities within your own systems.
Make Everything Visible
Do you know all of the technology you’re dealing with? It seems like the answer should be yes, yet we’ve found it’s often no. Individual departments need technology for specific reasons. They look for workarounds, smaller applications that give them the desired results. People look for the easiest ways to do their jobs, and implement the easiest way to do it.
Put words to your entire process. The more you know about individual jobs, the easier it will be to see how they feed up and work together. Only then can you truly assess the multiple silos of technology in your own practice, and discover ways to consolidate and make the process easier.
Get Rid of Legacy
Most businesses have technical debt, legacy applications that get stuck in the system, never upgraded and eventually left behind. If it’s still there, lingering, it’s a problem. It can impact everything about your business, especially security.
Reducing your IT complexities means removing anything legacy and migrating it to another service or application. Get rid of your technical debt once and for all, and work with a system that can be updated and work for you today.
Creating a Strategy
Technology is complex by nature. You buy software and hardware. You invest in programs and applications. They’re licensed, updated, and replaced regularly. But all of that takes time, energy, and effort. It’s easy to overlook problems when so many changes are made regularly.
Realize in today’s environment, there are ways to automate this entire process, allowing teams and partnerships to handle this easily. Ensuring you’re up to date and more secure.
It takes a first step to migrate to this environment. If you have questions, it’s time to ask them.
For IT Strategy, Cloud Conversion, or Help Desk Services reach out to us at Silver Linings Technology 360-450-4759.