SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
RIPLEY SOLUTIONS
The benefits of making incremental changes in IT infrastructure
According to a global study from infrastructure monitoring company LogicMonitor , many IT departments had to act quickly to transition to remote working at the start of the pandemic . In the study , 70 per cent of IT professionals said they found it challenging to adapt , support a remote workforce and keep data secure . Transitioning to remote working is just one of the reasons that some businesses should review their IT infrastructure . Here Paul Holding , solutions architect at IT integration provider Ripley Solutions explains why and how businesses can effectively upgrade their IT infrastructure .
Most businesses require some form of IT infrastructure to operate . However , because it is not always visible , IT often operates in the background unnoticed — much like the plumbing in your house . Sometimes we only decide to learn how the plumbing works when it ’ s too late , so we must act quickly to fix it and the same could be said for IT .
When the pandemic began and we were instructed to work from home , businesses were under pressure to quickly deliver IT solutions that enabled people to access what they need remotely . Just like we often assume our plumbing will always work , some smaller enterprises rarely reviewed IT infrastructure and its performance before lockdown . However , as businesses consider their COVID exit strategy and implement long term IT solutions to continue remote working , it is clear we must pay more attention to our infrastructure .
WHY CHANGE ?
It ’ s important that IT infrastructure always meets the needs of the business — if it doesn ’ t suit employees , or costs too much in money or time , it might be time for an upgrade . Remote working may have exposed some of these issues and as a result employees are driving change , explaining that they cannot work effectively using existing systems .
Some might find that IT holds the business back in other ways . For example , as more businesses look at adopting cloud services , they may see costs increasing — paying a fee for every employee can be costly and is not the most effective way of using the cloud . Alternatively , costs may be high because the system is unreliable , and businesses are spending more time fighting fires than strategizing about the future .
On some occasions , businesses might not know that they need an upgrade until it ’ s too late . Equipment failures and cybersecurity attacks are costly ways to discover there are the problems with the system .
REVIEWING INFRASTRUCTURE
Businesses are integrating advanced technologies , such as Internet of Things ( IoT ) devices , cloud computing , analytics and advanced sensors , into their operations to realise Industry 4.0 . By digitalising processes , businesses can use analysed data to make more informed decisions , increase productivity and gain full visibility over operations .
There ’ s a common misconception that businesses must invest in all the latest “ shiny ” technologies to truly realise Industry 4.0 . In reality , every company will experience a different journey to digitalisation and it doesn ’ t require an overhaul of operations .
To decide where to start , businesses should review current IT infrastructure , reviewing if employees are satisfied with the current set up , if it ’ s reliable and the potential risks . Businesses should ask what will happen if the IT systems stop working — while many small companies
Once a business has worked out where it wants to be , it can work backwards on how to get there .
say it ’ ll never happen to us , it ’ s not necessarily true . After assessing the current performance of IT infrastructure , businesses should outline business objectives , looking at what they want to achieve from an upgrade . They can also work with an IT specialist to determine what works well in a current infrastructure and where they can make improvements to determine what an upgrade could look like .
Once a business has worked out where it wants to be , it can work backwards on how to get there . That might involve one small project to address a business pain point , or a strategic plan to enable a complex change in the business . If looking to make a complex change , IT consultants can help to develop a roadmap to digitalisation , outlining the incremental steps needed to achieve the result .
Out of sight shouldn ’ t mean out of mind . We often encourage homeowners to keep an eye on their plumbing to avoid costly problems , businesses should do the same with their IT infrastructure . Instead of waiting until something goes wrong to make changes , businesses should take the time to proactively review their infrastructure and explore how they can take the first steps to digitalisation .
Ripley Solutions can help to assess your current IT infrastructure , develop a roadmap to digitalisation and install new technologies to improve your operations . To set up a consultation , contact Ripley Solutions on info @ ripleysolutions . com .
For further information , please visit www . ripleysolutions . com
76 PECM Issue 57