Simply mentioning IT Policies and Procedures can generate a yawn from most business people. And that is why many businesses never develop them. However, not having IT Policies and Procedures can lead to unnecessary risks and future problems for your business.
If they are properly developed and implemented, IT Policies and Procedures improve efficiencies and reduce business risks. Does that make them seem a little more exciting?
While there are many areas you can address, we have found that three areas really benefit most businesses:
- Network Security - When you define the monthly or bi-weekly procedures your IT team undertakes to secure your network, you can significantly reduce your risks. Activities should include anti-virus updates, software updates, and operating system patches.
- Data Security - If you create security policies for users and educate them on the how and why of the policies, you improve compliance and reduce the risk of your business data falling into the wrong hands. Common sense policies like not emailing data to or from your personal email address and not storing data on a personal Dropbox account can dramatically improve data security.
- Mobile Phone Data - When a business pays the monthly access fees for personal cell phones in exchange for employees using them for business, there is ambiguity around who owns the data. When you develop clear policies (before there is an issue), it reduces the chance of conflict when an employee leaves the company.
The challenge many IT teams face around policies and procedures is the lack of experience in writing them. This can be addressed by having the team work with someone from your operations team or an outside consultant.
When you invest time and effort in your IT Policies and Procedures, you can reduce risks and minimize future frustrations.
Improving Your IT Infrastructure
Most businesses can benefit from having someone assess how their IT infrastructure can better support business goals, including reducing risk with policies and procedures. Skyriver IT helps businesses leverage technology to improve existing processes and ensure you have the right technology plan in place for growth.
If this would be of interest to you, then contact us to schedule a time to talk.
