If you’re looking for a way to kill the party and tell everyone it’s time to go home, start talking about audits – trust me it’s pretty effective.
Audits take on various forms and focus points, from accounting to governance, but specifically we’re talking today about technology audits – and why I actually like doing them!
Why do you like doing them? – I hear you say? Well I’m glad you asked. To put it simply, technology auditing (and the way we conduct them) almost always results in actionable outcomes that benefit the business. It serves as a basis for further discussion about how technology is currently being used in your business, your current strengths & weaknesses – and how it can be improved.
Improving how businesses utilise technology is something that i’m passionate about. We’re all heading towards an uncertain future where if we’re not looking to embrace new technology and automation, we’re going to loose our competitive edge as a business very quickly. However it’s not all doom and gloom. Optimistically being part of that change is something that i’m looking forward to – and something that I want to help others also embrace.
OK enough D&M, so lets cut to the chase – 5 Reasons to audit your technology:
1 – Because the risk of security breaches isn’t dying down anytime soon
If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that it’s becoming increasingly harder to keep systems and data secure. Cyber crime damage is set to cost $6 trillion by 2021, up from $3 trillion in 2015. The proceeds of such activity represents the largest transfer of wealth in history and will be more profitable than the global trade of illegal drugs combined. If you think you’re not a target, 43 % of all cyber attacks are aimed at small business! There are basic things that can be taken to help protect your network from breaches. Having a system audit is the first step towards identifying areas where security should be focused.
2 – Flying blind – not a cool look
If you don’t have a clear picture of where you’re sitting with your technology setup, it’s pretty hard to implement or even plan for improvement. It’s also important that you’re armed with the right information to make informed decisions about the future of your business. Making the right decisions at the right time, for the right reasons will ensure your technology is kept on track. Auditing means your not flying blind – (and my customers are nicer to me when they’re not flying blind).
3 – People are expensive
No doubt your biggest expense as a business owner is payroll (including that of your own). If there’s one big takeaway from my experience in the last 10+ years in this field is that investing in your people is important. But there’s two sides to this coin – where possible try to arm them with the best tools & technology, but probably more importantly, make sure that what they have currently is performing as well as it could be. Auditing your systems will help to identify low hanging fruit in this area and unlock untapped employee productivity.
4 – Mitigate your risks to business up time
It’s simple. Business is getting busier. Customer expectations are more demanding than ever before. We’re increasing being more dependent on technology just to run our life (let alone our businesses). We can’t stress enough how important it is to step back occasionally and identify the technology risks to your business continuity. Knowing the risks means that you can plan for and mitigate them (at least to some degree) in the event that something were to happen.
5 – Compliance
Compliance covers a whole range of things that often ultimately are usually related to one or more of the items listed above. Simply put, keeping up to date documentation and asset registers will protect your technology investments and the people using them. Maintaining clear policies of how to handle sensitive information will protect your customers and having appropriate acceptable use policies will protect you as the business owner/manager.
6 – Bonus Benefit!
If nothing else, audit’s often prompt change, or at least start the conversation – and if you remember, if we’re not embracing change then we’re all going to be left behind (including me).
Want an obligation-free audit of your systems?
If you’d like to book in a session for us to come audit your systems and help mitigate risk in your technology click here to book in an appointment.