If you’re a business that needs an IT infrastructure, it’s important to get the processes and procedures right from the start. But with so many different services and products available, where do you even begin?
This article will take a look at some of the things a company should do when designing their IT infrastructure.
- Think About The Upfront Investment And The Return On Investment
One of the most common factors that prompt companies to hold back on investing in new or better tech is the idea that they might not see a good return on investment (ROI). However, it’s important to remember that upgrading your tech doesn’t automatically give you more revenue. Rather, it can help you increase your capacity and open up certain opportunities.
When deciding whether to invest in improving your tech or hiring a managed IT services Sydney provider or a similar expert in your area, look at what you’ll gain by investing. How much will it increase revenue? How much more capacity is there to grow in your company?
- Look Into Several Vendors
When exploring new technologies with your team, don’t just look at specific aspects of one product. Your infrastructure needs are unique to your business, so you must take into account all available solutions before making a decision.
Larger companies often have dedicated IT departments that can give you advice on which vendors they work most closely with. But if you’re a smaller company without this option, never be afraid to reach out directly to potential partners—they want to land customers! If you ask about existing clients, this will give them an indication of your needs, and it can help them tailor a solution that’s right for you.
- Check The Possible Costs
Your infrastructure should be able to adapt as your business grows—it shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all solution. To make sure your tech is scalable, look at the costs involved in adding personnel and equipment as your business grows. You might find that the cost increases exponentially as you add more resources, which isn’t necessarily good for your ROI.
Conversely, you might find that once you reach a certain size, you can scale further without making major changes to your infrastructure.
- Use An Asset Management System
Managing data can be tricky for companies with limited IT knowledge. If there’s no process in place, it can easily become overwhelming and lead to a loss of important information.
To tackle this problem, many companies look to implement an asset management system for their data. There are several different approaches you can take. Some companies prefer a paper-based approach where all assets must be printed out and archived before they move on. Meanwhile, others use electronic systems that allow them to keep track of inventory at all times.
- Be Careful With Data
Data compliance is another factor every company should consider when designing their IT infrastructure. You need to know what data you collect, who has access to it, and how that data will be managed.
If your company handles personal data or financial information, you might need to sign agreements related to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) with employees to keep certain information secure. Although this might put some staff members off, you must do your due diligence when handling data.
- Create Backups
No matter what type of service or product you use in your business, there’s always a chance that something could go wrong. That’s why companies must make sure they have backup plans in place if anything happens to their infrastructure. This can range from having an external hard drive with backups on it to having support contracts with different partners providing options such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID) technology or cloud storage solutions.
- Take Disaster Recovery Measures
While disaster recovery sounds like the same thing as backup and recovery, it applies specifically if there’s a disaster that affects your entire infrastructure. Some examples are fires and floods. If you experience those, the most important thing you can do is to make sure all of your data—from emails to contracts and more—is safely stored off site so you know it’ll always be accessible when needed.
- Maintain Systems Proactively
A mistake some companies make with their IT infrastructure is they only think about it when something breaks down and stops working. But there are simple things you can do to avoid problems in the first place. For instance, make it a habit to check systems regularly (depending on what they’re for), and clean up any unnecessary files or programs running in them.
- Protect Your Infrastructure
If you’re in the business of handling sensitive information, your IT infrastructure must have tight security against external and internal threats alike. Think about installing software that allows only authorised personnel to access specific data and can track usage so you know when something suspicious has happened.
- Consider Getting Software
Many modern companies don’t need their own custom-built programs or internet browser-based tools because there are plenty of software options out there that offer everything they need. So before creating new systems from scratch, see what’s available on the market today and how much it would cost if you had to replace it down the line with another piece of software. If you hire a service provider for that purpose, their costs will usually be higher than if you buy software licenses.
Takeaway
Coming up with an effective infrastructure is about striking a balance between constant innovation and best practices that make sure your business keeps running efficiently. By following the tips above, you’ll be able to design an IT infrastructure your company can benefit from for years to come.
