We love digital transformation, dramatic tech changes to bring about dramatic business improvements. But real innovation is impossible without doing some of the boring stuff first. Your IT plans should also include the simple tactics that can make a real difference, especially in a challenging business environment.
Perhaps these steps will not make other CEOs seethe with envy. But they will help your business run better and pave the way for more dramatic improvements.
- Use what you’ve got to its full potential. Review your IT-related contracts, including your MSP and support agreements, to see if you’re paying too much. Or perhaps they’re not providing agreed-upon services. Is your business using the systems you already have to their full potential? Quite often we see unused functionality, especially in ERP or CRM systems.
- Are you paying for things you don’t need? Do your people need Slack, Teams, and Zoom? Are they using the tools they have bought, or do you even have multiple subscriptions to the same SaaS? Aside from bleeding funds, they create security issues.
- Automate time- and energy-wasting tasks. Where are the bottlenecks or manual workarounds that create frustration for your people? And, as above, are you already paying for something that can do away with these issues?
- Fix the long-standing issues. Legacy ways of working, badly integrated systems, messy data, unclear user permissions, inconsistent backups – these problems can float around for years and will hinder any move towards real transformation. Are people doing things this way because they always have?
Small things matter. Simple wins create enthusiasm and can make big changes easier. A series of incremental evolutions can have a revolutionary effect.
If you’re looking for a practical way to understand how AI can support your business growth, join our upcoming webinar. Our experts will share real insights on how organisations are using AI to improve efficiency, innovation and decision-making. Register here: AI for business growth: masterclass for CEOs.