Conducting a Technology Assessment: 5 Step Guide

Technology assessments are important. They can streamline processes, cut away redundancies, and increase overall productivity. With the introduction of AI, machine learning, and other advanced technologies, companies can automate areas of business and vastly improve overall performance. However, tech solutions are never one-size-fits-all. For your company’s sake, make sure to go through these five steps before making any big decisions.

Here is a 5-step beginner’s guide for completing a technology assessment.

Review your existing technology

What’s the current state of your devices? How about the programs you use? Are they slowing your employees down and reducing their effectiveness? To determine this, evaluate and document each piece of technology, noting its condition, age, and effectiveness. Record software release versions and patches and review your overall network infrastructure. Some problems will be obvious, and others you’ll hear about from your employees. While taking inventory of your current technology, keep in mind that your business’ needs will evolve over time.

Talk to your employees

Employees are the ones using company technology on a daily basis, so take their frustrations seriously. A single opinion isn’t enough to base a big decision on, but if you see a clear pattern of viewpoints, don’t ignore them! Consider holding a formal meeting to get a grip on what’s going on or conduct a survey to pinpoint problems and bottlenecks. Sure, there will always be some noise mixed in, but the more opinions you gather, the more confident you’ll be about the full picture. Research suggests that technology can really impact work culture.

Carefully assess your resources

Who would have thought? Assessing company resources is an important part of a full technology assessment. The point is, purchasing a new system requires more consideration than costs alone. Think about all the resources required for training, adapting internal processes, and shoring-up ongoing maintenance and support. You might even need to purchase multiple pieces of equipment or software if a system only satisfies a portion of your employees. Comprehensively evaluate your options and be realistic about the resources available.

Don’t jump the gun!

Before investing time and money, ask yourself if you really need new technologies to achieve your goals. Purchasing new tech can absolutely increase productivity, but sometimes more affordable solutions are right under your nose. Are you taking full advantage of your current tools? Are you sure the new technology can accomplish what your current systems can’t? Be vigilant in reviewing forums and customer reviews and try to understand what users are saying about the pros and cons of the technology in question.

Consult professionals if you need help

Not all companies have qualified insiders to complete a robust technology assessment. If the nuances of new tools and applications are flying over your company’s head, consider bringing in a technical consultant to review the situation in full. Learn more about Judge’s IT Consulting services here.