In business, dependence on information technology has never been more paramount, and the budgetary requirements can be substantial. In addition, businesses themselves are increasingly data-driven and customers are becoming more and more aware of the data companies collect, how it is used, and their own privacy rights.

These various factors mean that your approach to strategy and compliance is of critical importance. In particular, you need to know that your strategic approach is aligned with your objectives, your commercial needs and the expectations of your customers. You also want to know that IT is enabling success and growth, rather than hindering progress.

At Fifosys, we offer comprehensive business IT support, and we place a strong focus on helping businesses of all sizes to ensure that their use of IT actually assists them in reaching their goals. Moreover, we work to devise strategies that improve day-to-day operations and deliver the best possible experience for their customers.

Of course, on top of this, you also need to comply with all relevant requirements, from laws and data regulations, through to the needs of individual clients or the terms of individual contracts. This is another key area where we use our expertise and experience to provide advice and support to businesses.

Developing an IT Strategy

The importance of information technology and data processing within today's business world means that a 'slapdash' approach is no longer realistic. Instead, organisations need to take responsibility for the way IT is used within their business and the best way to actually achieve this is by creating a comprehensive IT strategy. Is the IT Strategy still supporting the Business Strategy?

At Fifosys, we have worked with businesses in a wide range of industries, including retail, education, healthcare, art and technology, creating robust strategy documents, which can help to ensure that all IT efforts are pulling in the right direction. We can assist not only with the development of such a document but also implementation and review.

As part of this process, we will work with business leaders to clearly define business aims and objectives, and to pinpoint areas of potential opportunity or growth. At the same time, we will help organisations to align their strategy to wider goals, highlight any areas of potential risk, and create a full implementation plan or road map.

Ultimately, the use of IT within business settings should help to improve processes, increase efficiency and accuracy, help organisations to uncover new opportunities, and grow or become more successful in other ways. Yet, there are pitfalls to avoid, from external cyber security threats to internal human error and poor infrastructure planning.

This is why it is so crucial that your approach is strategic, pragmatic and delivered appropriately.

Complying with Requirements

In the modern world, it is absolutely essential that businesses take privacy and data protection seriously. After all, your employees, business partners, customers and clients all want to know that you are managing their information responsibly. This includes data they offer voluntarily, including contact information, but it may also include information that is taken from them, such as CCTV images collected from your office or physical premises.

In order to actually manage data effectively, you need to make compliance a key part of your IT strategy too. After all, the requirements you need to adhere to range from legislation like the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and requirements written into individual client contracts.

This can mean providing the right educational materials and training, so that employees understand how to comply with the requirements. It can also mean making sure that standard contract templates and existing agreements are amended when new requirements come into play, as well as continually updating security protocols and data storage processes.

At Fifosys, we have obtained and retained ISO27001 certification over a period of many years, highlighting our own commitment to compliance-related issues. We also have the experience necessary to work with businesses, helping them to make requirements adherence a key part of their wider strategy so that costly mistakes are avoided.

A strong IT Strategy and effective compliance are key for all businesses, if you need some advice, or help, do get in touch. we’re happy to help.