Midyear marks a perfect opportunity for businesses to pause, reflect, and take stock. While most focus on reviewing financial performance or establishing goals for the remaining quarters, they often overlook their technology stack — their combined software and digital assets.
You might think that your tech stack is just something that runs in the background, but it’s actually the backbone of your operations. If misaligned or outdated, it could hamper your growth, waste resources, and expose your company to security risks. A midyear IT audit ensures your tools are not only functioning but actively driving your business forward.
Why a midyear IT audit matters
In your tech stack, every software, system, or integration plays a pivotal role. If one of these elements isn’t performing at its best, it can drag the entire system down. An IT audit at the halfway point of the year can help you:
- Spot underused or outdated tools: Over time, tools can become redundant or sit idle. An audit helps uncover tools that no longer meet your goals, keeping your resources aligned.
- Uncover inefficiencies: Hidden costs and overlapping functionalities are common in bloated tech stacks, but a midyear IT audit can help identify and eliminate these inefficiencies.
- Reassess security: Cyberthreats evolve constantly. Reviewing access levels and software vulnerabilities helps you maintain robust protection.
- Course correct: What was useful in January may have lost its value, especially if your team has grown, your customer base has shifted, or your services have expanded. A midyear audit is an opportunity to identify issues and make adjustments.
Key questions to guide your IT audit
Not sure where to begin? These questions can be your starting point for uncovering potential gaps in your IT infrastructure.
Is your tech stack supporting your business strategy?
Growing businesses often outgrow their original software and systems. To find out if you’ve outgrown yours, evaluate the following areas:
- Customer relationship management (CRM) system: Check if your current CRM can manage an increasing number of potential customers and deals, track interactions efficiently, and scale with your growing sales activities
- File sharing solutions: If your business has adopted remote and hybrid setups, make sure your file sharing tools can effectively support them, delivering easy access, secure sharing, and streamlined collaboration between multiple devices.
- Communication tools: Test your communication platforms, such as VoIP and messaging apps, to confirm they support clear communication and team coordination without delays or complications.
Are you getting value for what you’re spending?
Software licenses, subscription renewals, and integrations can quietly drain your budget. To guarantee you’re getting the most out of your tech investment, take the time to assess which tools are genuinely adding value and which ones are costing you without delivering results.
During your audit, look for:
- Unused platforms: Identify which tools you haven’t actively used in recent months. Are there platforms that don’t serve a purpose anymore?
- Underutilized features: If you’re paying for features you aren’t maximizing, consider switching to a more affordable plan or canceling the service.
- Cost-effective alternatives: Scour the market for other tools that can perform the same functions at a lower cost without compromising quality.
Are your systems secure and compliant?
Cybersecurity and compliance aren’t static, and failing to keep up can put your business at risk. Neglected vulnerabilities or outdated practices may lead to security breaches or noncompliance penalties.
During your audit, make sure to:
- Review user access levels: Check access levels for current and former employees. Revoke permissions from users who have left the company and update access for those who have changed roles.
- Patch security vulnerabilities: Update outdated software and install available patches to minimize risk. If you haven’t, consider setting up automated updates to never miss a new patch release.
- Confirm compliance: Evaluate if your systems still comply with relevant regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.
Are your tools integrated?
When your tools don’t work together, it can cause unnecessary complications and slow things down. During an audit, look at how well your systems connect and identify any areas where tools could work together more smoothly.
Here’s what to check:
- Manual data transfers: Are you still manually transferring information between tools? If so, make use of automatic transfers to save time.
- Cloud storage and collaboration: Your cloud storage should work seamlessly with your team’s collaboration tools. Files should be easy to access and automatically updated.
- IT management: Is there a way to simplify how your teams manage and interact with data? Look for solutions that enable them to easily do their tasks from one platform or interface.
You don’t have to conduct a midyear audit on your own
If you’re still unsure where to start or if your internal IT team is stretched too thin to conduct an audit, partnering with a trusted managed IT services provider can help simplify the process. At Technikel Solutions, we specialize in helping businesses assess, refine, and realign their tech stack to meet evolving goals.
Our service goes beyond suggestions; we help implement positive business changes. Whether it’s consolidating overlapping tools, upgrading aging infrastructure, or tightening your cybersecurity, we work with you every step of the way. Contact us today.