Technology Preparedness Planning

Recently, we conducted a Google search on “Technology Preparedness Planning”, and to some surprise, the overwhelming results had to do with disaster and emergency management at the national, regional and local levels. Certainly, we understand the nature of the keyword search; however, we were looking to see what would come up in regards to the business networking environment and what topics have been put forth concerning preparedness planning for IT. Maybe this is simply a play on words, because we know much has been written on the topics of IT planning and preparation.

We are inclined to pursue a paradigm shift in the definition of preparedness planning as it relates to IT. We don’t believe this should be limited to the elements involving disasters or emergency situations. We believe the scope of preparedness planning can encompass daily operations and the impact IT has on it. For most businesses, if you ask how many hours they can tolerate their network or phone system being down, the answer is usually a couple of hours, and those can be painful hours at the least. With such a tight tolerance in mind, the overriding question to be asked is, why do so many businesses operate on such a high-risk tolerance mentality? Is it financial? Is it ignorance? Is it naivety? Regardless of the rationale, the overall lack of preparation and planning is perplexing.

Technology happens and things fail for no explainable reason, this is a given. Yet, when preparedness is not taken seriously and there is a lack of adequate planning/implementation, the adage “failure to plan is a plan for failure” rings ever so loudly. The unfortunate side of this plan-failure dynamic is when an unforeseen event occurs, the company in dire straits turns toward their IT provider and now expects them to be mystics with the innate ability to see the future, or a magician that can pull a rabbit out of a hat. IT providers do amazing work, but they are not necessarily mystics or magicians.

Is there a moral to the story? Yes, indeed! Preparedness planning, as we see it, is proactive management in a strategic manner to avoid, or at least minimize, the detrimental effects of any unforeseen events in the daily operations of a business. Therefore, as this relates to technology, if your business is operating on a reactionary “break-fix” basis then it should come as no surprise when the IT pain hits and the amount of time to get matters resolved is more than you wish to tolerate.

Don’t manage the IT for your business on a reactionary basis… Be proactionary! It is essential for Technology Preparedness Planning to be a forethought and not an afterthought. Unless you like pain, anxiety, and frustration when unforeseen technology problems strike.

At ZBx Technology, our technical staff is an excellent resource for IT preparedness planning to optimize business operations and risk reduction of IT problems. Contact us at 616-594-7100 or [email protected] for an on-site survey and network recommendation.