How to Tell if it’s Time for a Paid IT Infrastructure Assessment

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Your business used to work smoothly. But now it has grown. You've added staff, some remote and some onsite, and you're managing an ever-growing amount of data.

It's generally accepted that culture starts to set by the time you hit 25 employees, like concrete. This is where processes become important, and new employees will start to follow the norms they see. Company culture and processes develop, and it is always best to be intentional and provide that technology leadership.

To ensure your company is ready for further growth, you'll always want to examine these processes and be proactive rather than reactive-strategic. If you're "fixing things" all the time, your infrastructure is working against you, not for you.

It would be nice if your IT systems had a "check engine" light like your car, but it doesn't. The point is, though - when that light goes on, you bring it to a qualified mechanic, right? Yes. They do a full diagnostic, then tell you what your issues are and make recommendations - maybe there's more than one thing that needs to be addressed, but they can fix the immediate issue and let you know what can wait a bit if you have budget constraints. That's the professional diagnostic you also need for your IT systems. For your car, it's a car inspection. For your IT infrastructure, it's a Stratify IT Workscope Assessment.

One obvious trigger for a paid assessment is if you and another company plan to merge or acquire another company. But at the end of the day, it's all about ensuring your business has maximum productivity, uptime, and security to succeed.

Besides the quality of our work and expert guidance, what sets Stratify IT Workscope apart from others is that we are so confident in our abilities that we will apply 100% of your Workscope cost to our recommended implementation.

Nothing in life is free of cost. What you want to look for are high-value opportunities like this one.

IT Infrastructure Assessment Checklist: Optimizing Your Business Technology

While your blog post effectively highlights the importance of IT infrastructure assessments, including a checklist would provide even more value to your readers. Here's a detailed checklist they can use to prepare for their assessment:

Inventory and Documentation

• Hardware:
  • List all physical devices (servers, desktops, laptops, network equipment) with model numbers, serial numbers, locations, and purchase dates.
  • Include warranty information and maintenance records.
• Software:
  • Create a comprehensive list of all installed software applications and operating systems.
  • Note the versions, licensing details (purchased vs. open-source), and usage patterns.
• Documentation:
  • Gather all relevant documentation, including network diagrams, user manuals, security policies, disaster recovery plans, and vendor contracts.

Performance and Capacity

• Hardware Performance:
  • Monitor CPU utilization, memory usage, storage capacity, and network bandwidth for potential bottlenecks.
  • Identify any hardware nearing end-of-life or exceeding capacity.
• Software Performance:
  • Analyze application performance metrics like response times, error rates, and resource consumption.
  • Assess user experience and identify any software bottlenecks.
• Capacity Planning:
  • Project future IT needs based on anticipated user, data, and application growth.
  • Evaluate the current infrastructure's ability to meet these future demands.

Security

• Vulnerability Assessment:
  • Conduct a security scan of your network and systems to identify potential vulnerabilities.
  • Review access controls, user permissions, and password policies for any weaknesses.
• Data Security:
  • Evaluate data encryption practices for sensitive information at rest and in transit.
  • Assess backup and disaster recovery procedures to ensure data availability in case of incidents.
• Compliance:
  • Identify any industry-specific regulations your company needs to comply with (e.g., HIPAA, PCI DSS).
  • Assess your current security posture to ensure compliance with relevant regulations.

Business Alignment

• IT Goals and Business Objectives:
  • Clearly define your business goals and how your IT infrastructure supports those goals.
  • Identify any gaps between IT capabilities and current business needs.
• User Needs and Satisfaction:
  • Evaluate user satisfaction with current IT systems and identify any pain points.
  • Assess how well the current IT infrastructure supports user workflows and productivity.

Budget and Cost Optimization

• IT Spending Analysis:
  • Analyze your current IT spending patterns to identify areas for potential cost savings.
  • Compare current costs with potential cloud-based solutions or managed services.

Return on Investment (ROI)

• Consider the potential ROI of IT upgrade recommendations based on cost savings and increased efficiency.
• Prioritize upgrade needs based on their impact on business objectives.

This checklist allows businesses to gain valuable insights into their IT infrastructure's strengths and weaknesses. This information can create a comprehensive IT strategy that aligns with business goals and drives growth.