Why IT strategy should be at the top of your 2021 to-do list

By Jo Whittle

2 December 2020

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At a time of continued uncertainty, it’s perhaps understandable if IT strategy is not at the top of the list marked ‘priorities for 2021', writes Tim Walker, MD, Aura Technology.

However, if 2020 taught us anything, it is the importance of being prepared to cope with change. At the start of lockdown, some organisations became painfully aware that they were not set up for a sudden shift to remote working. Many relied on home broadband, whatever devices they could lay their hands on, and the good will of their teams to get through the immediate crisis.

That’s not the basis of a long-term IT strategy. As restrictions ebb and flow, we should expect changed working practices to be with us for a long time to come.

Now is the time to take stock and plan for 2021 and beyond. An outsourced IT provider with strategic vision could be the key to your organisation thriving despite the challenges ahead. Here are some reasons why.

Outsourced IT is cost-effective

Outsourcing IT doesn’t always mean spending more. It can often bring cost savings – not least because reputable managed services providers will have strong and established partnerships with leading names in hardware and software. This enables businesses of all sizes to access cutting-edge technology and services at lower cost. Budgets can be agreed on a per-user basis to ensure organisations know exactly what they need to allow for.

Always monitoring, updating and thinking

Most users only think about IT when there is a problem. But for systems to perform at their best, they must be constantly monitored, updated, and improved. A good outsourced provider can have a transformative effect by streamlining processes, keeping a watchful eye so potential problems are identified and solved before they cause an issue, and staying ahead as the needs of the business change.

At Aura Technology, we start every engagement with a new customer with our unique Technology Roadmap process which includes a comprehensive review and audit of the technology in place, and user feedback sessions from people who use it all levels of the organisation. From there we can make recommendations for a system that consistently evolves to support business objectives, improve productivity and minimise risk now and in the long term.

Aura-743-Sir-Clive — Sir Clive Woodward speaks at an event hosted by Aura Technology

IT that grows as your business does

Flexible cloud services such as Microsoft Teams and Office 365 are built to be scalable and suitable for teams of all sizes. There is an added benefit in that emails, workflows and documents can be securely accessed from anywhere – vital as the way we all work continues to shift towards a more flexible model.

The flexibility in these systems makes it easy and cost-effective to add users as your business grows – and if you do need to reduce numbers or make changes to structure, this can also be easily achieved.

Protection against cyber threats

This unusual period has seen a rise in Coronavirus-related cyber-attacks from organised criminals seeking to capitalise on the pandemic, but hackers can strike at any time. Outsourcing to a managed IT service can ensure that your systems are always up to date and protected against the latest threats. An integral part of Aura’s managed IT service is backup through a disaster recovery and business continuity solution that will ensure your business is protected and your data secure – even if the worst happens.

Technology that helps you win in business

Sir Clive Woodward, the former England Rugby coach, is a board member at Aura Technology. His mantra is: “Those who win at IT, tend to win”. This is an approach that saw Sir Clive succeed in various technology-related ventures and, of course, lead England to a World Cup win in 2003, partly due to the use of training with pioneering player-tracking tech.

Every business is now, at some level, an IT business. We’re not all rugby coaches chasing the ultimate global prize, but the point is that having a strategy set by specialists, supported by the right technology and then implemented by a team of skilled service desk and on-site engineers can only put you ahead of the pack.

Tim Walker