An information technology assessment is defined as a data-driven assessment of an organization’s data, technology, and IT resources as they relate to critical goals. The assessment delivers quantifiable insights and enhancements to systematically use IT to achieve a strategic endgame. There are typically two primary types of IT assessments: comprehensive and targeted.
- Comprehensive assessments measure the viability of the comprehensive IT environment and delivers an actionable IT strategy for personnel, processes, and technology.
- Targeted IT assessments more intensely investigate specific activities within your IT department.
What is the Purpose of an IT Assessment?
The goal of an information technology assessment is to understand how effectively a company’s software, processes, data and IT personnel are working in collaboration to ensure the success of the organization. The assessment helps businesses to develop efficient and streamlined IT systems and strengthen data governance.
Companies can’t improve their processes if results are not properly measured. IT performance can’t be enhanced or improved if the team doesn’t understand exactly what needs to be assessed and standardized. Given that technology plays a role in nearly every aspect of a contemporary business, anyone running a business without properly assessing how effectively the IT department aligns with strategic goals is spinning their wheels.
IT assessments give the organization actionable solutions to daily issues and challenges, including:
- Determining why a specific technology investment is not performing as expected
- Investigating the true ROI of individual technology assessments
- Understanding if misguided technology investments are a detriment to the organization
- Establishing the veracity of data and reporting protocols
- Evaluating if IT personnel skills are adequate and appropriate
- Recommending ways to utilize existing technology to develop new products and services
What is Involved in Targeted IT Assessments?
Note: In this blog, we will discuss targeted assessments. Comprehensive assessments will be discussed in a later article.
There are nine main categories of targeted technology assessments, each reflecting a core competency of a robust IT strategy.
- IT Management: Identifies whether the company is focused on the proper processes, and reveals any oversight or gaps in IT strategy, management and accountability.
- End User Satisfaction: Provides clear insight and feedback from users about their true thoughts on provided IT services to better meet business demands.
- Alignment with Business and IT: Relates the top priorities of decision makers and suggests how to facilitate the direction of technology processes.
- IT Department Staffing: Establishes if the company has the right people with the appropriate skills in their best positions – which helps organizations to identify wasted IT resource and redirect efforts.
- Software: Evaluates which applications the business should upgrade, maintain or reconfigure to most effectively increase satisfaction and cost savings.
- Data Quality: Evaluates company processes in the areas of data collection, governance, storage and management to guarantee stakeholders have access to accurate and timely information.
- Analytics: Assesses the most critical reporting, analytics, and/or ongoing educational needs.
- Security: Determines corporate risk and develops a strategy for cyber and data security and compliance, to make sure that threats are mitigated.
- Executive Alignment: Introduces and aligns all C-level executives with IT strategy, business portfolio, and budget priorities.
At Alliance IT, our IT consultants will work with you to determine the best route to achieving your business objectives. By assessing your current environment and recommending ways to move forward, our team of experts can help you to align goals, streamline processes, maximize productivity and manage budgets and ROI.
Call Alliance IT today to learn more about IT assessments and their value to your organization.
