| Given the current economic climate, businesses need | | | | project or urgent cover? |
| to maximize returns from all their assets and | | | | 4. Infrastructure |
| investments. It's common for business managers to | | | | This area is becoming increasingly important as |
| focus much of their attention on staffing levels, | | | | businesses go beyond their wired environment as |
| inventory, energy costs and other means of | | | | fixed and mobile technologies continue to converge. |
| improving cash flow. In this article, I will give an | | | | Many employees working outside the office now |
| overview of a simple but effective means of | | | | depend on mobile devices to access and update |
| conducting an IT position audit. | | | | office applications. A number of IT surveys of |
| An audit of your I.T. resources can be informal and | | | | business have found that the vast majority do not |
| conducted in-house depending on the skills available | | | | have a strategy for mobile IT. Similarly, results |
| within your organisation. A more formal audit can be | | | | indicate an absence of skills in this area. A number of |
| outsourced to specialist consultancy firms. This option | | | | prominent companies have had their wireless |
| is preferable in the following situations. | | | | networks hacked in recent years, resulting in their |
| - Recurring IT expenditure represents a significant | | | | customers' credit card details being stolen. Tools |
| portion of the business budget. | | | | posted on the web have made "War driving" |
| - Significant project is due to be undertaken in the | | | | affordable and convenient for people who wish to |
| short to medium term. | | | | steal company information. It is therefore vital that |
| - The business does not have a formal IT strategy | | | | regular in-house or independent tests of the wireless |
| or does not employ senior IT professionals. | | | | infrastructure take place to secure one of the |
| - Suspected deficiencies in the Company's internal | | | | business' most important assets - its data. |
| control systems. | | | | 5. Hardware |
| The objectives of the IT resource audit need to be | | | | The management of the business are responsible for |
| clearly identified when the audit is being planned. The | | | | safeguarding the assets of the business. Office |
| efficiency of the audit will be improved if | | | | equipment is not as easily tracked as it was ten |
| stakeholders are consulted from the outset e.g. | | | | years ago. In the past most IT assets remained |
| senior management, any existing internal audit team | | | | stationary apart from older desktops being |
| and external auditors. The agreed objectives will | | | | redeployed to other departments. Today, every |
| determine the work required in the following six | | | | business site will have IT equipment that is replaced |
| areas. | | | | on a regular basis. Some mobile devices owned by |
| 1. Strategy | | | | the company may never be on site. The company |
| Is there evidence of a comprehensive documented | | | | must have procedures to track where the assets are |
| company-wide IT strategy? Is IT represented at | | | | located and who is responsible for them. |
| board and senior management level? | | | | There should be evidence of a competitive |
| Have major IT expenditure items and recruitment | | | | procurement process. The items purchased should fit |
| decisions been in accordance with the IT strategy? | | | | the company's planned growth and direction. |
| Do the minutes of meetings record a consistent | | | | 6. Software |
| approach to IT in the decisions reached Board and | | | | The business should have a complete list of software |
| other members of senior management? | | | | currently in use. It should ascertain whether or not it |
| 2. Policies and Procedures | | | | has the right to use this software by cross checking |
| Are there documents that set out the fundamental | | | | the applications against its licences. An updated list of |
| policies and procedures in relation to IT? Are these | | | | all licences and support contracts should be |
| being followed by and enforced by the IT | | | | maintained. This should be checked by the IT and |
| department? Does sufficient induction and education | | | | other department managers that authorise the |
| take place within the business? Are there regular | | | | recurring payments. In my experience, this exercise |
| tests to ensure compliance with access rights, | | | | can lead to substantial cost savings. Savings are |
| appropriate usage and security. Is there evidence of | | | | principally achieved through identifying software that |
| corrective action where breaches occur? | | | | has been replaced, or individual modules that no |
| 3. People | | | | longer need to be supported. |
| Are there appropriate job and people specifications | | | | Conclusion |
| for IT staff at all levels? Is there evidence that | | | | Many functional departments are usually too busy to |
| these were adopted in the recruitment and selection | | | | get involved in processes of changing and improving |
| process? Do regular performance reviews occur? Do | | | | I.T. Although a downturn in activity is certainly |
| IT staff possess adequate skills to support the | | | | unwelcome, it does present an opportunity to take |
| business into the future? Do IT staff undertake | | | | stock, identify inadequacies, take corrective action |
| continuing professional development relevant to the | | | | and possibly make savings in the IT budget. This |
| needs of the business? Does the business have | | | | exercise will almost certainly benefit the company |
| quality outsource partners to provide ad hoc, specific | | | | into the future. |