Introduction: IT Infrastructure Planning For Growing Business Is Good – Until Your Systems Can’t Handle It
The growth of a company is an exciting time. IT infrastructure planning for growing business is when you have new customers, employees and revenues — everything seems to be going well. Unfortunately, behind the scenes many businesses have a hidden issue: IT systems that aren’t built to support growth.
A simple initial installation consisting of a few laptops, a basic LAN and shared storage can quickly turn into a major bottleneck or source of frustration as IT systems begin to slow down, experience increased downtime and become more susceptible to security threats. As such, it is critical for businesses that would like to grow to begin implementing an IT infrastructure plan designed specifically for that purpose.
Rather than waiting for problems to arise and then reacting to them, businesses should use a Proactive IT Planning strategy in order to remain ahead of potential issues. In this document we will outline the specific steps you can take to establish a strong, scalable IT foundation before problems occur.
Why IT Infrastructure Planning For Growing Business Matters More Than You Think
A majority of organizations fail due to a lack of demand but rather than being able to meet the demands of their growth due to inadequate operational capabilities. Poorly designed IT infrastructure can result in several issues, including:
- Frequent Downtimes
- Slow Systems and Decreased Productivity
- Security Breaches or Data Loss
- Higher Long-Term Costs
This is why planning an IT infrastructure that supports a growing business is not just an IT function but rather a function of the overall business strategy.
If planned effectively, the IT infrastructure supports the company by providing the following benefits:
- Smooth Operations While The Business Grows
- Higher Customer Satisfaction
- Increased Data Security
- Reduced Risk Within The Organization
Understanding Growth Stages and IT Needs
Understanding how your business’s information technology needs evolve with its growth before discussing tools and solutions is important.
Level One – Small Team: A small team of 1-10 employees can meet their basic IT needs with a simple broadband connection, basic web hosting services and file storage off- site from their office. Their primary IT focus at this stage will be on technology stability and simplicity.
Level Two – Growing Team: As a business grows from 10-50 employees, the requirements for an organization’s technology infrastructure will increase significantly due to the addition of multiple devices connecting to their network, as well as, the increase in the amount of data generated by these devices. At this stage, organizations will experience performance degradation due to the large number of devices accessing the same network; performance issues caused by network congestion, and potential security vulnerabilities from unreliable connections. Therefore, well-formulated IT infrastructure plans are necessary at this stage to ensure minimal operational disruption as organizations continue to expand.
Level Three – Scaling Organization: As an organization grows to 50+ employees, the organization’s technology environment will have developed into a complex array of services and devices; the potential for significant security risks will greatly increase; and any downtime experienced by the organization will have the potential to be very costly. Therefore, as an organization grows beyond 50 employees, there will be an increased emphasis on automation, developing a more comprehensive security program, and implementing scalable cloud solutions.
Core Components of a Future-Ready IT Infrastructure
In order to develop an IT Infrastructure ready for the future, it is essential to consider the most important building blocks of it:
1. Networking Infrastructure
Your network is one of the foundation pieces of your business.
Include
- High speed internet with backup connections
- Enterprise-class routers and switches
- Secure wifi setup to maintain IT infrastructure setup for new offices
By not having a strong network, you will have slow systems and unhappy employees.
2. Cloud vs On-Premise Systems
Today’s modern companies are moving towards cloud based systems.
Benefits of using the cloud:
- Easy to scale up or down, depending on usage
- Access remotely from anywhere
- The cost, upfront, is typically lower than on-premise.
Due to the complexity of a hybrid (Cloud + On-Premise, or On-Premise + Cloud), often times the best option for you will depend on your unique business needs.
3. Data Storage & Backup
One of the most important assets of your business is data.
Best Practices:
- Utilize automated back-ups
- Store data in two places (cloud + local)
- Regularly test recovery systems
Without the proper back-up, if you lose access to your primary source of storage, you could possibly lose your entire company.
4. Security Infrastructure
As your company grows, you will also be a more significant target for attack.
Key Security Components:
- Firewall
- Endpoint protection
- Multi-factor Authentication
- Regular Updates & Monitoring
This is also an important aspect of Proactive IT Planning Strategies.
5. Monitoring & Maintenance
Do not wait until something fails.
Use:
- Real-time monitoring tools
- Automated Alerts
- Regularly Scheduled Maintenance
Through proactive monitoring, you can pre-emptively identify and resolve problems before they become huge issues.
Strategies for Proactive IT Planning
Now let’s get into the most important part — how to build future-ready IT Infrastructure, how to stay ahead instead of reacting.
1. Growth Planning, Not Just Present Planning
A major pitfall for many organizations is to plan only for today.
Questions you should be considering:
- What will be my expected team size in the next 1-2 years?
- How quickly will I be processing data?
- Can I double my capacity depending upon how much I am currently processing?
This is all part of the forward thinking strategy and a major foundation of Strategies for Proactive IT Planning.
2. System Standardization
Chaos is caused by using random tools and devices throughout the business.
So:
- Standardize your hardware (all the same devices, laptops, servers)
- Standardize your software tools
- Develop policies/rules for using IT
When you standardize your systems, you will save time and money via improved efficiencies as well as easier troubleshooting methods.
3. Investment in Scalable Solutions
How to build scalable IT infrastructure? The best solutions to invest in are those that can grow as you do.
For example,
- cloud platforms allowing for easy and fast upgrades
- modular systems for hardware
- software on a subscription basis
These are all essential if you wish to understand how to build scalable IT infrastructure that requires little time for replacement.
4. Incorporate Redundancy into Your Systems
Crashes will happen — however, downtime is preventable.
As an example, you can plan for:
- an alternate internet connection
- a backup server (redundant server)
- a failover system
By including redundancy into your systems and the network, you will maintain business continuity throughout any downtime.
5. Focus on Security First
Don’t wait for the breach to occur before making security a priority.
You should include:
- regular security audits
- training of employees
- access control systems
Security is not something that can be optional; it is part of the core principles of Strategies for Proactive IT Planning.
Cost Planning: Spend Smart, Not More
Many organizations either:
Overspend on technology that is unnecessary
OR
Underspending with higher cost later
The goal is to balance them out.
Smart budget tips are to geralate budgeting with:
Prioritize scalable technologies
Avoid cheap and short-term fixes
Invest in reliable vendors
A organised system will greatly reduce your long-term expenses
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even though they mean well, businesses often become interested in these ways:
1. Underestimating Future Development
When a company only thinks about what they currently require, they will experience frequent upgrades and downtime.
2. Postponing IT Development
It’s unwise to wait until your systems stop working, then you spend more money and risk an IT failure.
3. Insufficient Documentation
Having poor documentation on hand makes it hard to troubleshoot problems, plus it can cause confusion for any new employees.
4. Lack of Back up Plan
Businesses are putting themselves at major risk by leaving their entire systems unprotected.
5. Choosing to Fix instead of Upgrade
Sometimes, it may not be worth it to keep going with the older systems.
There are many server repair vs replacement guide
“repair vs. replace” or “upgrade vs. replace” guidelines that help you determine if you should upgrade or replace your current IT equipment.
Building IT Infrastructure for New Offices
When expanding or establishing new offices, proper planning for your IT infrastructure is critical.
Creating a proper IT infrastructure in your new office should include:
- Structured cabling
- A secure network design
- Scalable systems from day one
- Centralized monitoring
Establishing these properly from the beginning will help avoid costly changes later on in time.
Choosing the Right IT Partner
Not every organization maintains an internal IT department, and that’s something to be proud of.
Working with IT infrastructure solutions for businesses providers that are experts in their industry can assist you to:
Create scalable systems that grow with your company
Implement best-of-breed processes
Track and support your IT infrastructureSo, when you find the right partner to assist you, they will become your partner on a long-term basis through the sustainability and ongoing scalability of your IT systems.
Putting It All Together
In conclusion, here are four fundamental components to planning IT infrastructure for a growing company:
Proactive planning versus reactive planning
Scalable, secure infrastructure
Aligning IT with the overall business strategy
Ongoing performance measurement and optimization
The best way to determine how to create an IT infrastructure capable of meeting the demands of tomorrow’s technology is to establish a clear, long-term strategy that incorporates sound implementation practices.
Flexible infrastructure is required for building scalable IT infrastructures; therefore, the infrastructure must be able to grow as the organization changes.
Final Thoughts: Build Before It Breaks
Many organisations do not recognise how valuable their IT strategies are until they have a problem using them as an excuse for poor time, money and reputational loss.
By developing Proactive IT Planning Strategies you can ensure that your business is supported by its IT.
The sooner you start investing in Proactive IT Planning the more seamless and easy it will be for your organisation to grow.
After you have established yourself with robust IT infrastructure in place, it will allow you to expand into greater parts of your industry.
So ultimately solid IT infrastructures are not just about technology but about the future sustainability and success of your organisation.