In-house IT teams often become caught in a cycle of responding to issues as they arise instead of taking a proactive approach due to the overwhelming volume of tasks they must handle. But this break/fix method is not sustainable. To prioritize and support business goals, organizations must look beyond day-to-day transactional IT and toward long-term IT strategy for their business.
This need is why Coretelligent offers clients Virtual CIO (VCIO) sessions which provide an organization’s in-house IT with the leadership and guidance needed to make critical IT decisions. VCIO sessions are an opportunity to discuss the state of your IT infrastructure and how to make improvements so that it’s proactively supporting your operations.
Like all strategies, your IT strategy is not a set it and forget it process. At Coretelligent, we regularly evaluate our clients’ IT infrastructure and make proactive recommendations to keep them secure, compliant, positioned for growth, and aligned with their business goals. To ensure your IT roadmap aligns with your business initiatives, here are the topics we suggest you reevaluate at least once a year.
Six topics that you should address with your IT Partner in your next IT strategy session:
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Cybersecurity
Year-over-year, cybersecurity attacks and incidents continue to increase. And with more companies shifting to a permanent hybrid or work-from-home policy, more vulnerabilities are uncovered every day. Without the proper infrastructure, remote work environments can present substantial security risks. Coretelligent stays abreast of cyber threats and compliance regulations in our client’s industries. We make recommendations to address these threats, as well as client-specific vulnerabilities.
Endpoint security is critical with the transition to a remote workforce. Your IT partner should be monitoring your infrastructure, including your endpoints for cybersecurity incidents, and running regular vulnerability assessments. During your IT strategy meetings, they should make recommendations on how you can improve your endpoint security with tools like endpoint detection and response (EDR) platforms and security awareness training. If your IT partner is providing user security awareness training, ask if they are validating the effectiveness of that training with phishing testing.
Compliance
In an ever-changing regulatory and security climate, firms that attempt to meet the obligations set forth by regulators by using manual processes can quickly cause inconsistencies that are not easily discovered without a full audit of systems and processes. Coretelligent’s VCIO sessions provide compliance strategies for aligning your policies, procedures, and systems with regulatory standards.
Proper access management is the foundation of cybersecurity and compliance. Your IT partner should regularly evaluate your current IT strategy and create a plan to close any compliance gaps. This includes reviewing and updating your data governance policies and procedures.
Cloud Strategy
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to cloud strategy. Many organizations take a multi-cloud approach, having a combination of public and private cloud solutions. Depending on your business needs, you may require a hybrid cloud model with some systems on the cloud while others remain on-premise. With a variety of combinations, how do you know which cloud strategy is right for you?
Ultimately, your cloud strategy will depend on your operations, data, business goals, and budget. Coretelligent’s consultative approach to cloud solutions ensures that client’s cloud strategies and solutions are built around their current and future business goals. If you have questions about scalability, mobility, and availability, the cloud is a topic you will want to discuss with your IT partner.
Collaboration Platforms
Daily operations rely on employees’ ability to communicate efficiently. Coretelligent provides clients with recommendations for collaboration tools that optimize workflows. Sometimes, clients can reduce costs by consolidating to one collaboration platform.
Your IT partner should make recommendations that increase productivity while maintaining security and compliance. Is your firm subject to compliance standards requiring communications archiving? An IT partner familiar with your industry and compliance standards can ensure you are securely archiving emails and video conferencing communications.
Business Continuity
In addition to optimizing your IT infrastructure for security and operational efficiency, Coretelligent uses time during your VCIO session to discuss business continuity. We evaluate the systems and procedures you have in place in the event of a breach or disaster and then make recommendations on how to improve them.
When was the last time you reviewed your disaster recovery plan? Have you tested it? Your IT partner should help you review and update your disaster recovery plan. They should ensure your backups are secure and accessible even during a disaster. Does your IT partner regularly maintain an asset inventory? Maintaining an accurate list of your assets and their locations is often required by regulatory agencies.
Digital Transformation
And finally, ensuring your business is positioned for continued success means making sure you can achieve your business goals and prepare your organization for the future. Digital transformation leverages platforms, tools, and expertly crafted IT strategy to create, implement, and maintain custom technology solutions that will keep your operations running smoothly.
Evaluation by a digital transformation consultant can help you navigate how to enhance process efficiency, improve customer experience, gain greater data insights, and even lower operational costs. Coretelligent’s CoreDTS team takes a holistic approach to assess and address common pain points that can be resolved with best-in-class technology and IT strategy.
A Comprehensive IT Strategy for Your Business
Not all IT teams or MSPs have the expertise to provide meaningful recommendations for your IT infrastructure. Too little experience could result in purchasing unnecessary or insufficient tools which can cost your business money. Organizations looking for long-term success must move away from the break-fix methodology.
At Coretelligent, IT strategy comes standard. We have years of experience developing IT roadmaps for firms in highly regulated industries like financial services and life sciences. Looking to improve your security, migrate to the cloud, or need support with IT planning and strategy? Coretelligent can help! Contact us to schedule a VCIO session.
