Creating Your IT Upgrade Plan for 2018

Many businesses like to make a clean sweep, in all kinds of ways, with the coming of a new calendar year. The beginning of 2018 could be the ideal time for your organization to upgrade its system – but where do you start? Let's look at some of the basic considerations that might go into creating your IT upgrade plan.

The first questions you'll need to ask yourself are (1) what kinds of upgrades you need to make and (2) how should those upgrades be prioritized. Start by simply drawing up a list of items that need to be brought up to date, from server and workstation hardware to software suites, data backup/security routines, and network capabilities. Then figure out which of your current technical shortcomings are currently putting the biggest crimps in your productivity. For instance, if your employees are having trouble working from home or your customers are experiencing delays in online ordering, maybe you need to put faster Internet performance at the top of your list.

The next step is to figure out how to proceed with your comprehensive upgrade in a way that won't gum up the works altogether. This requires careful planning and slow, incremental changes, with each change tested thoroughly to see how the rest of the system reacts. If you can test components and sub-systems in isolation before rolling them out in everyday usage, you can avoid a lot of problems – including the fact that your employees may need training on how to work with new hardware or software first. Last but not least, future-proof your upgrade plan by leaving room for future growth and expansion.

Gravity Systems has the experience and expertise to help you develop a smart, effective IT upgrade plan for 2018. Contact our IT business support experts today!