Everyone is back from the holidays, ready to dig in and make 2015 a great one. You probably made some business-related resolutions for the new year. Increase profits? Recruit great talent to more nimbly take on new projects? Arm yourself against hackers so you sleep better at night?
The good news: These 6 “tech resolutions” will allow you to achieve your broader goals.
1. Create (or revisit) your disaster plan.
What is your back-up in case of fire or other disaster? If you haven’t done disaster planning, this is the year to start. If you have, when is the last time you gave the plan a good look and revised it based on your current operating environment?
2. To cloud or not to cloud?
Currently, your systems are cloud or premise-based, perhaps some combination. For many companies, the choice occurs without a cost-benefit analysis comparing options. Take a hard look to see if your choices are the best for your company.
3. Use what you have
Are you and your team taking advantage of the capabilities your current devices offer? Chances are, you are not maximizing use of the laptops, tablets, and smartphones at your fingertips to improve productivity. Targeted training could pay off big time in 2015 and beyond.
4. Understand your pain points
Review last year’s problems. Are there patterns in help desk requests? Did certain issues arise time and again in staff meetings? Think how much more productive and less stressed everyone would be if you could proactively solve common problems. We often find a small fix results in measurable improvements.
5. Improve your security systems
Well-publicized hacks in 2014 showed the vulnerability of many organizations’ systems. Every system needs periodic, expert scrutiny and updating. What better time than now?
6. Pinpoint your staffing needs
Here’s hoping that the projections for an improved economy in ’15 hold true. If so, you may be hiring staff or contractors. You’ll greatly improve your chances of finding the best talent if you take the time up front to define the qualifications you need.
