What's Your Inclusive IT Strategy?

What's Your Inclusive IT Strategy?

News Company

There are things in the business strategy that are not designed to change. Business contracts and policies are generally designed to remain the same within one company.

On the other hand, there are strategy processes that exist entirely to be modified. A typical example is your branding strategy. Most companies try to renew their marketing communication at least once every few years, which is why you can probably remember more than one memorable advert about your favorite products. Coca-Cola, for example, has used many storytelling tricks throughout the years to appeal to a growing demographic.

And, as if struck by uncertainty, there is the last category: The business strategy that should evolve but that can be left untouched, such as IT strategy. Just like your brand messaging, your IT strategy needs to adapt to a changing market. It is a necessary process to stay in touch with the current technical requirements. But, more importantly, the business use of IT has an impact that goes far beyond the market boundaries. Consequently, your IT strategy needs to cover a variety of points.

You are shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t update

First of all, it’s fair to say that your IT system needs to keep up-to-date with the current tech innovations. Using an outdated IT system puts your company at risk of catastrophic failures. Indeed, old systems are more vulnerable to crashes and data breaches. Additionally, as the rest of the market continues to evolve, sticking to a previous solution can affect your ability to integrate with new operating systems and tech tools, keeping your IT strategy isolated. As you can struggle to find relevant tools to support your team, you’re likely to experience low productivity rate – without mentioning excessive IT costs to maintain an antique tech structure!

What happens when you replace your equipment?

What happens to your old computers? If you were hoping to sell them privately to recover the cost of the new equipment, you need to be strategic about it. Indeed, company hardware can contain confidential information if you haven’t a system in place to wipe all the data. Needless to say, small businesses could expose themselves to industrial espionage in an attempt to sell old IT devices. Furthermore, you need a plan B for devices that can’t be sold. You should consider professional waste disposal services to clear out your IT cupboard and storage room from useless items. Ultimately, the environmental cost is too significant to be ignored. Laptops, for instance, contain harmful chemicals in the battery. Additionally, computers can be disassembled and repurposed in the production of new devices to reduce toxic manufacturing emissions.

Digital tech means inclusiveness

Digital tools transform the expectations of your audience. Indeed, individuals with mobility issues can live an independent lifestyle through the use of smart IT solutions, for example. As a result, IT acts as a facilitator in everyday life. Therefore, the audience also expects businesses to become more inclusive. If your IT strategy doesn’t include solutions for visually-impaired or reduced mobility users, it fails its mission.

As the saying goes, all things must change. In the world of IT, changing is not only a natural progression, but it is also a necessary process to protect your business, your customers and the environment.

< Prev		Next >