7 Reasons You Need to Audit & Assess IT to Drive Business Value

Organic growth, corporate expansion, increasing competition, and seizing new opportunities all require constantly evolving business strategies to keep the organization moving forward. As a key enabler of business strategy, IT must also evolve.  The challenge is doing so in light of a rapidly changing technology landscape and ever-emerging business requirements. In view of these challenges IT must constantly question whether yesterday’s best practices, policies, technical architecture and governance processes still make sense.

Wavestone US has identified seven leading indicators that signal it may be time to conduct an assessment to determine effectiveness, and what benefits you can realize from doing this sooner rather than later.

Before we forge ahead, let’s stop for a moment and define -“What is an IT assessment?” An IT assessment is a comprehensive and thorough review of a company’s technology systems and environment. The assessment will appraise how the technology helps or hinders the core business. The assessment can include, but is not limited to, network and systems performance, software audits, concept testing and development, strategy evaluations, technical reviews, and risk management processes.

An effective IT assessment ensures that IT serves the business, and can drive substantial cost savings, increased efficiencies, and compliance to best practices.  With so many service delivery options out there, ranging from outsourcing initiatives and shared services models to comprehensive vendor management organizations and enhanced governance processes, IT leaders are asking when and how to make the transition from outdated best practices to the new realities of IT.

The following seven leading indicators signal it is time for an IT audit and assessment:

1. Before a Major Investment:From building a new data center to opening a new facility, IT leaders need to understand the underlying technology and processes for seamless implementation.
2. During Significant Corporate Expansion:  Companies undergoing growth and expansion should look into new approaches to reduce redundancy and add capacity.
3. Technology of Process Issues: From legacy systems to new business requirements, new technology implementations can stress the IT environment.  IT leaders must assess the effectiveness of their applications, and identify new options to move forward.
4. Embarking on New Strategic Direction:  When the corporate strategy changes, IT leaders need to understand what IT issues might impede the new business direction and which will enable it.
5. Considering Emerging Technologies:  Before implementing the newest technologies, IT leaders must understand the foundational requirements and processes for seamless integration.
6. Under New Regulations:  IT leaders need an independent understanding of compliance with new and updated industry regulations.
7. Combat Inertia:  For continuous improvement, IT leaders should implement regular checks on their IT health to ensure early identification and resolution of issues.

If the results of the IT audit and assessment are leveraged effectively companies will realize immediate benefits such as cost reductions, elimination of redundancies, improved risk management and an effective application of new technologies.

To learn more about what Wavestone US can do for your company, visit http://www.wavestone.us/capabilities/.