With us back into another nation-wide lockdown, many companies will be focussing on keeping business moving, but its also important as we enter a new year, to ensure that you have a plan for the year ahead should any more surprises appear.

Your IT strategy is arguably as important as any other planning document within your business, as without the best equipment and processes, you run the risk of being overtaken by better prepared competitors.

Start by thinking about where you want your business to be in 12 months’ time and ask yourself if you have the technology and skills in-house to get you there. If not, what do you need to add?

This could be as simple as knowing you want to grow your staff roll by 10, then planning for the purchase of additional laptops and accessories to allow for this. However, do you have the server capacity to deal with these additional team members?

With working from home likely to be the norm for the foreseeable future, at least in some form, you should consider if you need to improve your cyber security defences to account for so much data being handled outside of your private network. You may consider a virtual private network (VPN), with security features such as randomly generated passcodes to prevent sensitive information falling into the wrong hands.

A year into a global pandemic, which has completely changed the landscape of the businesses world you could be forgiven for thinking that if you’ve made it this far, there is not much else the world could throw at you that you could not navigate. However, unexpected surprises can come from anywhere, and you should have the plans in place to deal with them.

Both a business continuity and disaster recovery plan are vital to your organisation weathering any storm – both literal and metaphorical. If roadworkers cut through the cables providing power or broadband to your office, how will you keep the business running? Or if you are the victim of a cyber-attack, what can you do to secure your data and recover your systems? These questions should all be answered in these plans.

Having the correct software is another important thing to consider. While most businesses are utilising the latest Windows or Mac operating systems, some may still be living by the manta of “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”. However, this runs the risk of your system being compromised by hackers and cut out of regular bug fixes and updates by the manufacturer.

If you are considering upgrading to the latest operating system, it will likely prove more cost-effective in the long run to replace your hardware at the same time, so planning ahead for this type of capital expenditure is also vital.

Finally, if you are planning to bring in new systems, equipment, or software, you should ask if you and your staff have the knowledge and skills required to use them effectively. If not, search out training from manufacturers, suppliers, or other providers to help upskill your team and future-proof your business. At Tekserv we have been supporting business across North-east Scotland and further afield since 2014 and can help you set out an IT strategy, business continuity plan or procurement plan for your business. To find out more visit our IT strategy webpage, email info@tekserv.co.uk or call 01779 478064.