How to Prioritize Your Upcoming Technology Implementations

No matter how hard some organizations may try, the technology solutions that a business leverages simply aren’t meant to last forever. You may have noticed that some of your systems are less effective than they once were, and that your competition seems to be playing with a different set of rules. Sounds like it’s high time you implemented a few upgrades.

Why Upgrades Can’t Be Avoided Indefinitely

Look, I get it… it probably seems that you just acquired whatever it is that is giving you a hard time and trust me - I understand how frustrating it can be when something doesn’t work as expected. Despite my chosen career path, I don’t like having to deal with my own technology any more than I have to.

Unfortunately, the nature of the beast means that your technology needs to be maintained - the more thoughtfully, the better.

Don’t get me wrong - there are solutions that will last quite a bit longer than others. You just have to know how to choose the one that fits your business’ priorities. Let’s review a few key considerations to doing so.

How to Determine Which Upgrade Should Come Next

There are quite a few considerations to balance when you have to plan out your upgrade strategy. Based on your company’s individual internal makeup, some of these are going to be more effective than others at informing your plans. Regardless, your upgrades need to be implemented based on a unified principle…. Otherwise, your implementation will likely grow disorganized and fail.

As a result, it is crucial that you rally your modernization efforts behind one of these principles.

1. Simplified Design

Older IT systems have a few shared traits. Not only were these systems often a mixed conglomeration of different technologies and the accompanying considerations, they were also designed with a very modular focus - one or two processes could run very smoothly, but only as long as the business’ focus didn’t shift.

Modern systems are a little different. Not only are they largely built based on standardized languages and components, they can therefore be leveraged to use application programming interfaces (or APIs) to, putting it simply, get your different IT components to play nicely with one another. Going further, modern systems can also leverage advanced processes, like artificial intelligence and machine learning. These capabilities allow users to complete their tasks more quickly, improving productivity and keeping employees happy by providing them with technology that ‘learns’ their habits.

2. Prioritization of User Benefits and Value

One of the biggest benefits of any newly implemented or modernized IT solution is the improved value that its users can experience due to the changes made. Consider your capabilities (and those of your staff) with your current technology. Are you able to provide the highest level of value to your customers and clients by leveraging the solutions you currently have?

If your systems aren’t modernized, that isn’t so likely.

Automation is a huge reason for this. If you aren’t reducing the amount of tasks that your employees need to complete in order to advance your business, you’re going to find it difficult to increase their productivity. As a result, it’s important that your IT solutions deliver value to your users that they can translate into operational benefits.

3. Compliance to Company Culture

When determining the technology upgrade policy that will best benefit your business, it can be valuable to consider how that technology will fit into your company’s internal culture. At the same time, you should also ensure that your staff is prepared to incorporate the changes you have planned. Part of this means that you need to communicate these changes up front.

It will also help you to lean on those employees who are most accepting of these changes and utilize them as a source of information. Are there any concerns that haven’t reached the ears of management? Leveraging these employees to gauge the actual culture within your company will help to inform what the most effective technology implementations would be.

Making Your Technology Implementations Happen

For more assistance in determining what your most crucial technology needs are, reach out to Washington Works. We can help you to select the solutions that will have the most effect on your business and can be properly maintained to get the most out of them. Give us a call at 301-571-5040 to learn more.