Any small or medium-sized business must optimize it’s IT resources if it hopes to remain competitive. Many such businesses do not retain an IT staff, making it likely that important updates and workplace improvements will fail to be implemented.
Performing an IT audit can get a business on track and improve its outcomes in many ways.
What is an Audit?
An IT audit is an evaluation of the various technological systems that the business has in place. Typically, the department performing the audit will examine both the physical and digital components of the collective system.
After the department or outside consultants have finished the evaluation, the members will make recommendations for hardware, software, and other components to improve the IT functionality.
How Does the Audit Process Work?
Businesses lacking a traditional, full-time IT department typically begin the audit process by calling up the company to which they outsource their IT. Once the managed service provider (MSP) is called into action, they will begin plumbing the depths of the IT systems in place.
The actual process consists of examining the IT infrastructure, looking at what resources the business has available, and identifying any shortcomings. The process can look different for every company, but the goal will be to help the business being evaluated to reach its goals.
Most often, the MSP will come to the site and examine the hardware, software, and other IT elements in a process lasting hours or days, depending on the size and complexity of the system.
Benefits of an IT Audit for Your Business
You may find yourself asking, why should I consider investing time in such an assessment? These are a few of the outcomes that you can expect from performing an audit.
Identifying and Bolstering Security Weak Spots
Finding the weak spots in your security can help you shore up defenses and better protect your information as well as your clients’.
Improving Productivity
One of the most common findings of an IT audit is outdated software and applications. Small changes like browser and driver updates may go unnoticed by workers, but they can make a world of difference in terms of speed and functionality. Your employees will have optimized outcomes following the audit.
Finding and Improving Pain Points
An IT audit can target the problems facing customers too. Examining a business’s customer-facing site can reveal problems like slow loading times or broken links. Fixing them can lead to increased customer contact.
Optimizing Internet Speed
Your network speed may be hindered by any number of things, but an IT audit will identify any problems and quickly fix them.
Creating Data Backups
Having data backups in the event of an emergency is necessary for every business. MSPs can automate this process to create backups without any action on behalf of employees.
An IT audit can help your business in many other ways as well. They can also have larger goals rather than the ones listed here.
While getting an IT audit performed on your business may seem like a lot of work, you can always partner with experts to streamline the process if you lack proper IT staffing. Utilizing an MSP’s extensive knowledge about diverse systems and upcoming changes, any small or medium-sized business can optimize its technological outcomes.
Request your complimentary risk assessment today from WheelHouse IT! We can help identify and address vulnerabilities in your business’s existing IT infrastructure so you can focus on what matters: running your business.
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