When it comes to your business assets, information is one of the most valuable you have. As a result, you need to have an effective and deliberate strategy to manage it. Unfortunately, there are many small businesses that don’t have the technical, physical or financial resources to hire a dedicated employee for this. While your on-site IT staff may try to meet these needs, it is likely going to be difficult for them to find the time to dedicate to it with their other day-to-day responsibilities. This is where a vCIO (virtual CIO) can be invaluable.
Your IT strategy needs to be a priority. The majority of businesses need a source of expert, objective guidance regarding new technology, best practices and risk management. This professional vCIO understands the ins and outs of your business and will be able to create and manage a big-picture strategy while integrating and leveraging technology to help make decisions to enhance your business.
Learn about the other benefits offered by a vCIO here and how it can help your business here.
1. Creating a Strategic Direction
One of the most important functions of a vCIO is to find gaps in your current operations and address them. This will encompass a number of areas including regulatory compliance, preparation for government audits, information security and business process management.
Instead of asking someone from your IT department to figure out how to handle the large amounts of paperwork you have, the vCIO will have the understanding, experience and insight to find the proper solutions and take action to benefit your company’s future.
2. Development of Processes and Policies
Your Virtual CIO will also be able to draw on their extensive years of experience to find the right solution for your business’s needs. The vCIO you hire will be able to make informed decisions regarding technology, the use of technology, cost savings and more. They will even create policies to regulate the use of privately owned technology by employees and more.
3. Disaster Recovery Solutions
A disaster recovery plan isn’t just about making sure that your data is able to survive an event. You have to prepare for the worse – this ranges from a long-term power outage to a computer room flood. Your Virtual CIO will be able to create a custom-designed business continuity plan that is specific to your needs.
When a strategy is devised that is customized to your business, you can feel confident that you have the protection needed without the cost of unneeded services.
4. Help Making Sense of Your Information
You need to make sure your business is receiving as much value from your data as possible. Big data and business intelligence are buzzwords; however, many companies don’t have access to the insights they really need. With a vCIO, you will have someone who can choose and implement affordable tools for analytics and data visualization, making sure your managers fully understand the reports and charges being generated. This will help you avoid wasting money and losing opportunities.
5. Migration and Integration
Information grows and moves fast. If it is kept in a single business application, then you may duplicate it in other areas of your business. With a vCIO, you have someone who can help you move data, share important information effectively and mitigate the risk of data loss while establishing plans for data access and storage.
When you have a business, you likely have a lawyer, accountant and other resources available. Just as important is a vCIO, as they can bring quite a few benefits to the table. To learn more about vCIO services, contact the staff at Monster Technology.