In a recent article, we discussed the many varieties of business infrastructure projects that may eventually become necessary for most companies. Today, we will take a quick look at additional projects your organization may find necessary in 2024.
AI: According to a Conference Board survey, 56% of employees are currently utilizing generative AI in their work, and 63% of the respondents acknowledged increased productivity due to it. These statistics highlight the need for AI policy and infrastructure – policies and procedures that encourage the responsible use of AI and help to build AI infrastructure. Selecting appropriate AI vendors is essential, especially as the unregulated use of unvetted software and generative AI prompts can represent a security risk. Instead of allowing employees to choose AI tools themselves, the IT team and leadership should research which platforms are appropriate. They can then develop policies around their most beneficial usage.
Operating Systems: Choosing to upgrade operating systems periodically is a significant decision – but necessary when it comes to infrastructure projects. While installing every new version of an operating system may not be advisable, allowing the organization to fall too far behind the curve may result in several disadvantages. Out-of-date operating systems often lose any support after a few years, and as new programs and applications are introduced, they may become incompatible with older operating systems. Still, upgrading operating systems can be a time-consuming project that can impact all aspects of the company’s operations.
Enterprise Resource Planning: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software allows companies to be more efficient at all levels, automating data entry and analyses for the business while decreasing operational overhead. While a CRM’s primary function is to increase sales, an ERP’s main goal is to allow the business to operate more effectively. Organizing the business into a single ERP system can deliver access to inventory, HR, and finance into one location.
Customer Relationship Management: Companies seeking to maximize customer interactions may consider acquiring or creating a robust customer relationship management (CRM) software application. A CRM streamlines the manual data entry of client information and sales numbers, providing customer data, more rapid data collection, and built-in analysis tools to the team. The value of integrating a CRM platform lies in its capability to synchronize the workflows between marketing, sales, and customer service. A CRM consolidation offers a unified interface to monitor and keep track of customer interactions and insights across departments. This valuable resource increases the quality of communication and responsiveness to customer inquiries – not to mention the overall efficiency between internal teams.
Help Desk Automation and Ticketing: If your company has evolved and grown, it is likely that the number of daily help desk requests is increasing. By choosing and implementing a ticketing system, processes can remain streamlined and orderly. A ticketing system can utilize automation rules to assign and prioritize team member requests. Keeping a record of request resolution can assist in tracking IT team performance and help the team to effectively learn from one another.
Internal Communications Systems: A corporate-wide chat platform (Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Chat) is beneficial for any organization, whether they have onsite or remote employees – or if there is a hybrid structure in place. The text, audio, and video communication platform can ensure that everybody remains in contact and collaboration. Choosing the right chat solution for your company can enhance communication and prevent overflowing inboxes.
One of the most significant obstacles to confidently taking on new infrastructure projects is a lack of expertise. But when you partner with a managed services company, you can rest assured that the expertise and knowledge you need will be provided. Alliance IT can help your organization to accomplish a wide range of business infrastructure projects. Call today to learn more about how our team and your team can work together to accomplish your infrastructure goals.
