The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rocks
How do you know if your IT company is providing your business with solid foundations?
All too often we do not really know until it’s too late and something goes wrong. And there are always consequences.
Through history we have seen buildings and bridges (even Empires) collapse because of weak foundations or architectural flaws with an inevitable conclusion.
The Genoa Bridge disaster in 2018 is a terrible example of just how devastating inadequate foundations can be and illustrates the importance of safeguards, backups and vigilance.
Working with new clients it is surprising how often we encounter systems with inadequate foundations and architectural flaws. Businesses happily navigate the systems assuming that safeguards are in place to protect critical applications and functionality, unaware of the underlying weaknesses.
For the majority of modern organisations a robust IT system is essential. Accessing real-time data is imperative for many and when your ‘IT bridge’ collapses the consequence is massive operational disruption as well as financial cost and reputational damage. Many of our clients operate in the Care sector and for them, accessing uninterrupted real-time data is vital to delivering patient care. It’s not about operational disruption. It’s about mortality. If you have concerns about your IT foundations, you can ask your IT provider some simple questions. When did they last suffer a disaster, how did they deal with it and what was the outcome? If they claim never to have had one it should raise your suspicions. Ask about accreditations and standards. Microsoft and Cisco qualifications, Silver and Gold Partnerships are a clear indication of a certain level of competence and you know you can trust an ISO27001-certified organisation to look after critical business data. It shows a real commitment to information security. Do not take shortcuts, do not cut corners. Firm foundations are invaluable.