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The Pandemic Forced Us to Adopt Technology in a Hurry…Now What?

3 min read

With a global crisis accelerating both digital transformation and technological adoption, many organisations are now stocked to the gills with solutions…but what do they do when budgetary pressures mount and we try to return to normality?

As the saying goes ‘the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry’. For the organisations who were slowly but surely embracing digital transformation before a global crisis came along, these words have never been truer. Suddenly, the well-structured adoption of technology went from a slow trot to a gallop overnight, simply to ensure business continuity.

Requirements for remote working and employee protection meant new solutions, processes, and ways of thinking were needed – leading to a pivot few of us will forget in a hurry. While this was a familiar sight across many industries, some were invariably hit a little harder. Universities and schools, for example, had to make remote learning a viable option to keep their doors open, exploring options with little time.

But now that normality is creeping back into our lives and we’ve made peace with the idea of hybrid working, what do organisations do with all the new technology in their arsenal – especially when the crisis’ fallout calls for modest budgets and cost savings?

Thanks to our experience working with customers and partners on these very challenges, we have our own thoughts to share.

 

Limiting the Cost of Digital Transformation

Top of the ‘what to do next’ list – unsurprisingly – is recovering costs in an effort to lengthen budgets and free up resources.

In many cases, this needn’t be as drastic as dumping new solutions; instead, seeking out usage and adoption statistics to see where licences can be trimmed is a much more effective method for freeing up expenditure with minimal disruption.

In some cases, however, learning about adoption and usage might very well highlight opportunities to dismiss entire solutions currently going unused by employees – boosting the savings even further. After all, why pay for something nobody is using?

Optimise Solutions

It’s not unusual to find that some of the solutions adopted in haste – especially those brought in for security measures – are being underused. However, if their dismissal is not up for consideration even with low adoption, then it’s time to focus on optimisation to maximise their ROI and cement their future instead.

Reintroducing tools and educating employees can raise adoption and usage rates, making the technology worth the investment long-term. This is especially the case with the aforementioned security measures, as the value of widespread protection makes for a worthwhile cause.

Elsewhere, there are opportunities to consolidate disparate yet essential tools by opting for a broader, singular solution environment – such as Microsoft 365. IT teams can often secure savings by taking this route, as well as introducing a more secure perimeter and alleviating the issues around having a dozen different solutions versus one.

In a previous blog, we explored how optimisation is possible without compromising on security – so you needn’t pick one over the other.

 

Support Future Digital Transformation

As mentioned previously, digital transformation was already enjoying widespread popularity with organisations before the pandemic, with necessity motivating innovation to speed up the journey.

For many, that journey was headed towards the cloud in an effort to better enable remote working, while others opted to stay put with on-premises. There is, of course, an opportunity here: migrating to the cloud offers cost savings and lays the groundwork for continued digital transformation far into the future.

Meanwhile, gathering clear insights and business intelligence can help organisations to better map out the next stages of their digital transformation – keeping it cost effective, dynamic, and agile.

In other words, learn from the experience of this quick pivot and stay the course towards your original end goal – making the most of the recent boost in activity.

 

Introducing Surveil 

As a cost optimisation tool for Microsoft 365 and Azure, Surveil is the ideal platform for organisations looking to optimise, secure, and control their IT environments post-crisis.

By automating licences, gaining AI-powered recommendations, and in-depth analytics presented on clear dashboards, organisations can use Surveil to determine their future and shift from reactive digital transformation to a more proactive – and cost-effective – approach.

In working with our customers, we’ve seen recurring trends that should reassure any organisation facing tough decisions around reconciling their sudden tech adoption with post-crisis budgets; you’re not alone, and it’s possible to maximise the benefits of your crisis reaction.

 

The Road Ahead

The pandemic gave us an excuse to adopt and adapt, and now we all have the chance to turn those changes to our advantage.

While adjusting to the new world feels like a daunting prospect – especially when burdened with the weight of new, sometimes unused technology – IT leaders have a fantastic opportunity to emerge from the dust in a stronger position than before.

By prioritising optimisation, smart decision making, and consolidation, organisations can recover their confidence and continue with their digital transformation ambitions – all without slowing down. To answer our own question, now what? Well, the sky’s truly the limit.

Interested in seeing how Surveil can help your organisation to navigate a post-crisis world? Get in touch to speak to our team, or go ahead and arrange a free Surveil Health Check.

 

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Multi-Cloud
25th September 2024
By AmyKelly Petruzzella

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