Who at your business has the organizational knowledge to keep your technology up and running? The problem with small business IT is that the information on how to keep that technology in proper working order is siloed in one particular individual’s head, whether that’s you as the business owner or one particularly tech-savvy person on your staff. By allowing this information to remain undocumented, you’re actively putting your business at risk by artificially creating a single point of failure.
Consider the following situations and see if your business is experiencing any of these red flags.
Information Siloes
One of your employees, perhaps even one of your vendors, holds all the keys to your business. If they were to vanish tomorrow, would you still be able to handle tech issues, scale your business, and sell your products? If the answer is no, you don’t actually own your business processes, and you need to take back ownership of your company before it’s too late.
Update Anxieties
Are you worried about updating any operating systems or critical software applications? Is there concern that any change you make will bring your entire business’ operations crashing to a halt? This means your business is in stasis, and any disruption to that stasis can disrupt operations to a considerable degree. You’re toeing a particularly treacherous tightrope.
The Emergency Budget
Your IT spending is minimal some months, followed by a massive $50,000 spike when you least expect it. Real continuity is not waiting for these major expenses to occur, but to plan ahead for them and turn them into predictable operational expenses.
Take Back Your Business Without Becoming the IT Expert
Continuity is all about making sure the knowledge held within your business is actually owned by your business. Here are three methods to make sure this happens.
Document, Document, Document
If your IT Emergency Playbook is locked inside one of your staff’s heads, then you have a liability on your hands. Your first order of business should be to document that information inside a digital repository so workflows and passwords can be retrieved as needed.
The 36-Month Rule
Each technological asset your business implements should be on a rolling 3-year review. Consider whether it’s the best tool for the job, whether the vendor is the best choice for your business, and make plans to move on if the answer is “no” for either.
Standardize Whenever Possible
Custom setups for each department are slowly killing your business’ productivity. Avoid complexity and establish standards to maintain continuity. This simpler environment is much easier to restore in times of need.
It helps to think of technology like a utility, similar to electricity. It doesn’t matter who wired the building, but it does matter how consistent your service is. And as far as consistency goes, your goals should be to ensure the business value of your technology is tied to your systems rather than the people in charge of those systems. Remember, as long as your IT documentation is in the hands of your staff rather than your digital systems, you’re putting your business at risk, and you’re leaving significant opportunity on the table.
To make this transition without a hitch, we recommend you work with NDYNAMICS. Learn more today by contacting us at 408-927-8700.
