13 May Less is More: Less Technology in Business Can Be Better

In this age of fast-growing technology, it’s easy to assume that using as many options as possible is best for your SMB. Having an arsenal of vendor solutions, software suites, and management apps sounds great, right? You have an “answer” to every possible problem!

However, the opposite is true. Onboarding an overwhelming arsenal of business apps, software, and toolsets can turn into a nightmare of management problems. Not to mention, the threats to your cybersecurity infrastructure expand too. At first, that sounds incorrect. How could software and apps – designed to help with IT work – cause problems? 

Too Many Balls to Juggle

First, let’s quickly establish that possessing multiple resources is not a bad thing. Your SMB may need helpful tech to eliminate redundant workloads and secure business resources. If you have any tech-facing process, service solutions are a must.

Having said that, the issues begin when it’s too much to manage, and not just from a volume perspective (in other words, having a lot of business software and apps to navigate). Every time you onboard new software, every time a process is added to the production structure, it involves training and security. Training because every current staff member (and new hire) will need to learn the ins and outs of said software, and security because each new piece of infrastructure must have protection.

If a service interacts with business data, it requires protection, backup, and data security. Given that a majority of SMBs operate with some form of technology in today’s modern struggle, that’s a guarantee you’ll need said security. Now, imagine doing that for an app or single piece of software. How about a few dozen? How about a hundred?

Consider how long it takes not just to train a form of software, app suite, and/or service, but how long it’s required to secure it as well. The amount of questions and variables a single piece of new software can introduce is headache-inducing. 

How does that data operate within your network? Who sees it? How is it saved and transferred? These are sample questions that ignore the expanding complexity of an SMB introducing too many tech modules into its production. Without proper management, too much tech can hurt performance, not hurt it.

Finally, consider the cost factor. The longer it takes to get through business operations, the more production is hurt. Additionally, new technology, apps, and software all require maintenance, routine updates, and security. Do you have the resources to onboard proper cybersecurity/IT professionals coupled with vendor costs? If the answer is unclear, that’s not a good sign.

IT Simplification

Before approaching the idea of “more IT,” you need to think about IT simplification. Or perhaps you need to shift in reverse and simplify an already overburdened infrastructure. But the idea is the same: consolidation. 

The benefits of doing so are easy to see:

• Easier to maintain and manage
• Less training required and reduced onboarding time necessary for onboarding/training
• Reduced cybersecurity management requires
• Better data insight and control with improved network segmentation

How do you begin consolidation, if not already?

First, understanding the goals and unique needs of your SMB is the first step. Not all organizations are the same, and each has results they need to achieve with the resources they possess. Regardless, it is important to carefully plan, because without conducting due diligence you risk engaging in a plan that doesn’t work. You want to set a timeline, establish some criteria, and overall focus on a lean, seamless IT infrastructure that isn’t bogged down with excessive software applications.

 Some of the first steps are easy, at least in concept. For one, you need to observe your current infrastructure and decide what can be stripped out. That involves analyzing cost vs. effectiveness, and figuring out if your investment in service, software, and/or application is aiding your production. Two, you should consider removing or consolidating services requiring extensive onboarding and training. The harder it is to learn a software, the longer training takes, adding friction to production.

That isn’t to say all services and apps you utilize are bad, it’s just about adjusting your IT model to be faster, leaner, and cost-effective. Ultimately, you want to eliminate redundancies in the workplace, not add to them.

However, even with the best intentions, “less is more” can be difficult to apply. Time is of the essence in a fast-paced, tech-driven world. Therefore, consider third-party assistance.

Bytagig is a professional MSP with a range of IT experience and resources. To find out more, contact us today.