Does your company’s tech need a little TLC? Regardless of how large your company is, using technology to its full potential can give you an edge over your competitors and help you avoid hefty government compliance fees. Take a look at the following tips that will help you master your IT department.
Outsource Some Tasks
Does your IT department sometimes seem like it is a large, unwieldy machine that doesn’t live up to its potential? Part of the problem could be that you have team members who don’t always have work to keep them busy, or perhaps the IT department regularly struggles with tasks that it doesn’t possess the resources or the knowledge to carry out.
Whatever the reasons behind the IT department’s inefficiency are, the best solution might be to outsource some tasks. Outside IT teams can help you do specialized tasks or just help manage some of the day-to-day routines that take up valuable time.
Update Your Online Presence
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You shouldn’t take for granted that since your website was amazing three years ago it still lives up to its potential in terms of attracting and converting customers.
A qualified Web consultant can dig through your website, examining its various components and optimizing each of them to include the latest website trends. For example, it might be time to look at keyword rankings and improve your site’s SEO, or it could behoove you to adjust the site’s navigation tools.
The consultant can also take a look at the sites used exclusively by employees within your company. The faster and more efficiently these sites work, the faster your business can move forward.
Don’t Neglect Security
Online security is one of the largest concerns in the corporate world. A data breach could not only compromise sensitive business information, but it could also leak your customers’ information, causing you to lose their trust. Furthermore, if your servers contain any of your customers’ health-related information, you face a heavy burden of compliance. Failing to act in accord with HIPAA and HITECH regulations can cost you hundreds of thousands — or even millions — of dollars in fines.
Be sure that your IT department stays current on tech threats and takes measures to protect your information. Hiring an outside entity to help you with compliance is also a good idea.
Reexamine Your Software and Storage Practices
Just because you’ve been using certain software programs for years doesn’t mean that those programs are still the best choice for you. There might be cheaper, better options out there. Assign someone to compare your options by looking through available software as a service solutions. With SaaS, you don’t have to worry about updating and maintaining your software programs since a third-party will take care of that for you.
Look into cloud storage solutions. You might be able to get rid of some of those bulky servers in your basement, thereby saving equipment and maintenance costs.
By using these tips, you can make your tech live up to its potential so it serves as a vehicle for progress, not a reason for stress.
