Questions a business IT audit will answer
If the computer system in your office is malfunctioning or having recurring faults, the chances are there’s something up with your IT infrastructure.
Even small or seemingly insignificant glitches can be a sign software and hardware is not up-to-date, is incorrectly configured or is operating in conflict with other software or hardware.
They can also indicate your IT systems are in dire need of an audit — a deep dive into your IT systems will determine their efficiency, security and cost-effectiveness.
It can be difficult to understand how exactly an audit will help your business, so we’ve compiled some questions an IT audit will help you answer.
Are the systems in place a good fit for my business?
Any good IT audit will look into more than just the nuts and bolts of your computers and the programs they are running. It will also take stock of your business processes and policies to identify how the IT set up could be improved to better compliment the way you like to do business.
Not only will the results highlight inefficiencies in your processes, it will identify out-of-date software and hardware in order to help you stay on top of current technology that can improve the efficiency of your business.
And, if computers aren’t your thing, the best part is an audit is conducted by experts who can walk you through the benefits of new software, hardware and how your overall IT system is set up.
Is my data secure?
Imagine the impact to your business if your computer system crashes for a just a day, a week, or even longer due to an avoidable vulnerability in your security system.
This is simply unacceptable for most business owners and managers and its incredibly bad for the bottom line.
An audit can uncover issues in your security that can then be addressed to ensure your assets and data are protected.
Am I spending too much on IT?
It’s probably not uncommon for you to update software and hardware as the need arises. Essentially though, without a plan, each time these bits and pieces are added to cover or mitigate small issues as they surface your system gets more bloated. This can not only make your system less efficient, but also just more expensive to run.
For instance, if not properly directed, you could end up paying for programs that:
- Do the same thing, Are no longer relevant or useful,
- Are more expensive than similar programs with the same functionality.
- Sometimes you simply build up more infrastructure than your business requires over time, which can add up to some nasty dents to the bottomline.
An IT audit conducted by IT experts is all about helping businesses identify the above issues, securing your data, improve efficiency and saving you money.