Getting Ready: Understanding IT Compliance

Before the race starts, athletes need to know the rules. Similarly, businesses must understand the ins and outs of IT compliance. Whether it’s GDPR, HIPAA, or SOX, each regulation has its own guidelines to protect data and ensure privacy. Knowing these rules is the first step to a successful compliance sprint.

Training: Building a Strong Compliance Framework

Just as athletes train hard to build strength and endurance, organizations need to develop a solid compliance framework. This includes:

1. Risk Assessment: Spotting and evaluating potential data security risks.
2. Policy Development: Creating thorough policies that meet regulatory standards.
3. Employee Training: Teaching staff about compliance standards and best practices.

Investing in these areas ensures your organization is ready for the sprint.

The Coach: Leveraging Expertise

Olympic athletes have coaches to guide them. In IT compliance, partnering with experts can make a huge difference. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) like Dataprise offer the knowledge and tools to help businesses handle compliance challenges efficiently. Their expertise can streamline processes, reduce risks, and keep your compliance strategy on track.

Sprint Techniques: Fast-Track Compliance Strategies

To excel in a sprint, athletes use precise techniques. Similarly, businesses can adopt fast-track strategies to speed up compliance efforts:

1. Automation: Use automated tools for monitoring and reporting compliance status, cutting down on manual work and errors.
2. Regular Audits: Perform regular internal audits to find and fix issues quickly.
3. Data Encryption: Use strong encryption protocols to protect sensitive data during storage and transmission.

These strategies help businesses achieve compliance quickly and effectively.

The Finish Line: Continuous Improvement

Finishing a race doesn’t mean the athlete’s journey is over. Achieving compliance isn’t a one-time event but an ongoing process. Businesses need to continuously monitor, review, and update their compliance practices to stay ahead of changing regulations and new threats.

Celebrating Success: Achieving Gold Standard Compliance

Reaching top compliance levels is like winning a gold medal. It shows a commitment to excellence, security, and trustworthiness. By adopting a sprint mindset and using the right strategies and expertise, businesses can achieve compliance success and become industry leaders.

At Dataprise, we get the complexities of the compliance race. Our team of experts is here to help businesses navigate the regulatory landscape with ease and confidence. Contact us today to learn how we can support your compliance journey and help you achieve gold standard in IT security and compliance.

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A leading commercial manufacturing business recognized the critical importance of aligning its IT capabilities with its overarching business goals. Despite having robust IT infrastructure in place, the company sought to ensure its technology investments and resources were strategically aligned to support its growth and operational objectives. To achieve this alignment, they partnered with Dataprise for a comprehensive business-aligned IT assessment.

Client’s Challenges & Dataprise’s Approach

The commercial manufacturing business faced challenges in ensuring their IT infrastructure and organization were effectively supporting their business goals. There was a lack of clarity regarding how IT initiatives and resources were contributing to the company’s strategic objectives. Additionally, there were concerns about potential inefficiencies and areas of improvement within the IT landscape. Much of their infrastructure was aging or near end-of-life, further adding to overall business risk. 

Our approach began with stakeholder interviews aimed at understanding the business’ goals, challenges, and priorities. Through these interviews, we gained insights into their strategic direction and identified areas where IT could better support key business objectives. Following this stage, we conducted a thorough evaluation of their IT infrastructure and IT organization against the identified business goals to assess alignment and uncover areas for improvement.

Solution Implemented

Based on the findings from our assessment and alignment with the business’ stated goals, we recommended priority projects aimed at enhancing IT capabilities and better supporting business objectives. These recommendations encompassed initiatives (e.g., infrastructure upgrades, process optimizations, organizational enhancements) to improve efficiency, scalability, and alignment with strategic goals.

Implementation Process

The process began with business-alignment workshops with key stakeholders to ensure a thorough understanding of the company’s strategic goals and challenges. These workshops served as a foundation for aligning IT initiatives with business objectives.

Following the workshops, our team of technical experts conducted a deep-dive analysis of the company’s IT environment. This analysis included a review of existing infrastructure, systems, and processes to identify areas of improvement and alignment with the business’ goals.

Based on the insights gathered from the workshops and technical analysis, our Solution Architects provided budgetary estimates to accompany the Advisor’s recommendations. 

Throughout the implementation process, we provided ongoing support and guidance to the company’s IT and business stakeholders. This guidance included regular progress updates, risk assessments, and adjustments to the roadmaps as needed to ensure alignment with strategic objectives and successful project delivery.

Results Achieved

Following the IT alignment project, the commercial manufacturing business reported significant improvements in its ability to view IT holistically and make informed decisions regarding its infrastructure and IT service providers. The recommendations and budget guidance provided by our team helped the company plan for the coming fiscal year, ensuring that its IT investments were aligned with strategic goals and budgetary constraints.

Additionally, the overall report produced as part of the assessment process facilitated important discussions throughout the company, fostering a deeper understanding of the role of IT in driving business success. The company was now better equipped to leverage technology as a strategic enabler, leading to improved efficiency, agility, and competitiveness in the market.

Lessons Learned

Through our engagement with the company, we learned the importance of aligning IT initiatives with business objectives to drive tangible value and competitive advantage. We also gained insights into the complexities of navigating manufacturing machinery that was dependent on legacy technologies.

Conclusion

Our partnership with the commercial manufacturing business underscores the critical role of aligning IT with business goals to drive innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness. By conducting a comprehensive business-aligned IT assessment and recommending priority projects, we helped the company leverage technology as a strategic enabler of growth and success.

The post Commercial Manufacturing Organization Selects Dataprise for a Comprehensive IT Assessment appeared first on Dataprise.

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LOCATION(s): Headquartered in Virginia with locations throughout the East Coast

# OF USERS: 100-249

SERVICE OFFERING: Web and Mobile Solutions: SharePoint

The Challenge

With employees scattered all along the East Coast and over 30 different properties, the property management company needed a way to keep documents in one, easy to access location to improve version control and efficiency. This centralized file storage system would be accessed by all employees across multiple states. Additionally, this new system needed to be easy to use for employees with varying degrees of technical knowledge. Files were being stored in different formats and locations.

The Dataprise Solution

Under the direction of our project manager, and with assistance from subject matter experts, our Web Solutions team developed and executed a multi-phase project comprised of discovery and implementation.

Starting with a Discovery phase, we reviewed their existing processes and file systems. We identified and located multiple documents being stored in various locations, including file systems, emails, user’s personal machines, and even external storage sites (e.g., Dropbox).

Upon completion of this phase, we delivered a site structure diagram for a SharePoint site where our client could manage and maintain all files, and where only one true copy of each file could exist.

During the Implementation phase, we built a custom SharePoint site that utilized Microsoft Office 365 and provided a centralized system from which all employees could easily work. This site also has the capability for employees to tag and find necessary documents in real-time.

To ensure all employees were able to use this new site to its full capacity, we provided administrators and users with training, as well as initial support to get them up and running.

What’s Happening Now?

With a SharePoint site now being utilized by employees at all of their locations and by multiple departments, our client has been able to dramatically reduce their network infrastructure footprint. They continue to move their documents to their new home in the cloud.

Furthermore, with Dataprise’s additional efforts to develop several new templates for storing interview notes and establishing a taxonomy for file classification, employees are able to make more accurate decisions in real-time.

Having a web-based solution that makes it easy to store, tag, and manage documents across all departments and properties, our client has been able to increase productivity across the board.

The post Process Automation and Cloud Services Deliver Results for a Property Management Company appeared first on Dataprise.

The Dataprise Information Technology Assessment (ITA) is a standardized, structured approach to evaluating business technology. We conduct  a comprehensive assessment of network policies, technology management, infrastructure, and security. The client’s network is compared to a standardized set of best practices, and we produce an extensive report document containing findings, recommendations, and health ratings for each technology area. This document serves as a structured guide for improving the condition of business technology

Dataprise Delivers Solutions to Client’s Challenges

CHALLENGE

A major project not included in the ITA came up when the client’s telephony vendor unexpectedly ceased operations. It was vital to establish a new telephony solution for the organization as quickly as possible, without sacrificing utility.

SOLUTION

Dataprise was able to immediately assist with the client’s emergency. Thanks to Dataprise’s in-house ShoreTel telephony team, a new solution was quickly scoped and implemented. Once the critical situation was resolved, work on the ITA roadmap resumed.

CHALLENGE

A new client CEO came onboard and wanted to know the state of company IT and the team’s plans going forward. Budgetary or priority changes were possible if the plan and work to date were not acceptable.

SOLUTION

Using the clearly documented report and work completed to date, Dataprise and the rest of the client leadership team were able to brief the new executive and fully engage them quickly and efficiently. The high-quality completed work and detailed ongoing plan reassured the CEO that Dataprise is a partner who can help them win with IT.

After an in-depth evaluation, we delivered recommendations that included stabilizing and upgrading their network, streamlining functionality, enhancing security and reliability, and developing a roadmap for strategically planning investments to support organizational growth.

The report provided to the client covered all of the topics in our standard ITA, along with a high-level look at the client’s network and suggestions for strategic direction. To help implement the plan’s recommendations and carry out further strategic consulting, we provided a tailored managed IT services plan with ongoing Virtual CIO (vCIO) strategic consulting.

Our vCIO and the client’s leadership team have worked together to implement the recommendations of the ITA report, using it as a road map for their planning and budgeting. By having a concrete document that both Dataprise and our client’s leadership can reference, both sides of the partnership are equally informed and kept up-to-date on current and upcoming steps.

Since issuing the ITA report and using it to drive project planning, we have completed the following projects:

• Virtualized three physical servers, reducing hardware spent and physical footprint
• Implemented Dataprise’s Managed Remote Backup service
• Drafted a backup and disaster recovery plan for the member databases, a key business driver for the client; this document is evolving as work on the IT environment continues, growing and changing along with the client’s needs

The post A Trade Association Discovers Recommendations to Reach Best Practices in Performance and Security appeared first on Dataprise.

While due diligence begins pre-acquisition, planning early for post-acquisition technology strategy integration brings agility and speeds value creation. In this guide we look at the information to gather and evaluate both pre- and post-acquisition.

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