The goal for pretty much every small business is to become a much bigger enterprise with dozens of employees … housed in a large standalone building, perhaps with a nice office for the owner and, of course, lots and lots more customers. However, any significant expansion in the amount and scope of work a company undertakes will inevitably be accompanied by growing pains. An IT network that’s scalable from the start will go a long way towards making business growth much more manageable and will help you save a lot of money in the long run.
First, you need a plan. Scalability doesn’t just happen. Here are some of the most important considerations to be taken into account:
- Architecture – Scalability begins with a physical infrastructure that can accommodate any expansion in the systems as they will be required.
- System Components – On-site hardware and software must be of sufficient quality to last for several years while also being easy to upgrade at minimal costs. It is also imperative that components integrate easily while allowing appropriate access and providing functionality across the entire network.
- Storage Requirements – To be scalable, your IT infrastructure needs to be able to store greater and greater amounts of data-perhaps at almost a moment’s notice, because you’ll never know when you may need it!
- Human Factor – You should also think about how employees (present and future) will need to interface with the technology. Design a network that is a fit for your company’s employee culture.
It may be tempting to buy more capacity than you’ll ever need. Better safe, than sorry, right? However, there is a danger of spending a lot of money on systems that may function adequately for your purposes, but will soon be supplanted by more efficient and less expensive alternatives. One would have to feel a pang of sympathy for a business owner who installed a top-of-the-line IT network and then a few months later saw the arrival of cost-effective, Cloud-based technology. Suddenly he’s faced with competitors whose networks operate as well (or better) as the one that he spent a fortune to build but at a fraction of his cost.
It is only prudent for a business owner to “hedge his bets” but where, when, how and why is the tricky part. What will provide you with advanced networking capabilities for tomorrow? On-site? The Cloud? A hybrid system? That’s where we at SynchroNet can help. When you introduce new tools, it’s important to keep your tools manageable and in control, so that data is within your reach and access can be regulated. This is why SynchroNet puts so much emphasis on understanding your goals for growth. Putting scalable processes in place is just as important as scalable systems. SynchroNet synchronizes both!
In consultation with you, and based on your present and future needs, we are dedicated to finding solutions that will provide the greatest return on your IT investments. Better yet, we are well prepared to help you solve your scalability conundrum. Whether it’s coming up with a plan, implementing a scalability strategy, managing your IT processes … or simply helping you understand all your options, The SynchroNet Way will get your business where it needs to be.
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