As many businesses return to the office and leave their Zoom accounts behind, it’s a good time to take a look at how your company’s tech landscape can—and should—evolve to accommodate a smooth transition. Whether you performed a tech audit at the start of COVID or not, you likely adopted new systems and saw your existing workflows evolve as your team adjusted to a remote setting.
Tech audits are an essential step for businesses to reduce waste, streamline operations, and increase profit at any time, but especially during transitional periods. Change provides the opportunity to evaluate every corner of the organization to determine what needs to be upgraded, refreshed, or eliminated altogether.
The confetti has been swept up and our resolutions are in place—now, it’s time to shine a light on your tech systems to ensure you’re prepared for the wedding boom this year.
Follow these steps to get your business in gear before everything picks up.
Dig up past tech audit(s), if you have them.
Looking at where you’ve been is essential for strategic planning, as it helps you determine where you want to go (and everything that holds you back from it!). Pull out your past tech audits and consider how far you’ve come.
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Compare where you are with where you were, and focus on the changes you’ve made. Have they been for the better? Or did you implement a new system that hasn’t helped as much as you’d hoped? On a similar note, look at areas for improvement that haven’t been addressed since your last audit.
If this is your first time auditing your tech, don’t worry! You can start by writing down every process in your business (i.e. marketing, sales, client onboarding, financial management, etc.) and noting any software, apps, or digital tools you use for each. While you’re at it, highlight the areas that are giving you the most trouble and see how it aligns.
Identify what’s working and what isn’t.
Set your sights on where your business stands at this moment. What are your biggest pain points? Where do you feel the most disorganized? Even minor red flags can snowball into a significant problem (usually when you have the least capacity to handle it!), so it’s best to nip any inefficiencies in the bud.
If you’re tired of chasing down payments, it’s time to adopt a CRM that can send invoices and automate payment reminders. If time management is an issue, consider getting time-tracking software for yourself and your team. There are digital solutions for everything these days, so make sure you’re asking the right questions to fill the gaps.
In some cases, you might have a system that works but could be optimized further. Look at existing software to see if you can increase your efficiency by upgrading a plan or reorganizing the interface.
Of course, some programs will simply not work for you or your needs. Go ahead and cut the cord! Save yourself the time, money, and mental energy required to invest in a tool that isn’t the right fit. It’ll likely open you up to a better alternative.
Connect with your team.
Being a CEO in your business requires you to make strategic decisions, but that can be difficult if you don’t have your hands on everything. Consult with your team about their on-the-ground experience to see if they have suggestions for improved workflows or tech they’d love to use.
An investment in tech is an investment in your team and your business. Simple solutions can save your team time in the long run, allowing you to serve more clients and provide a higher-quality experience. In today’s day and age, most tasks can be streamlined with tech so there’s no need to spend resources performing it manually.
Once you have your action plan ready to implement, start mapping it out on a calendar to facilitate setup, onboarding, and training. Before long, you’ll enjoy the benefits of having more time in your schedule and consistent, organized operations in your business. Oh, and make sure to file this tech audit away to revisit next year!
