As 2022 comes to a close, it’s a crucial time for New Zealand SMBs to conduct a comprehensive IT review. The rapid adoption of cloud platforms, hybrid work, and a challenging cybersecurity environment have all impacted how businesses operate this year. Taking stock of what worked, what didn’t, and what needs attention will better position organisations for a more resilient and agile 2023.
Start by examining your core infrastructure: networks, servers, endpoints, and backups. Are there legacy systems creating bottlenecks? Has hardware aged beyond support? Did downtime affect productivity or customer experience?
Key steps:
With 2022 seeing an increase in phishing, ransomware, and supply chain attacks, cybersecurity assessments are more important than ever. Evaluate:
If your business experienced any security incidents this year, conduct a root cause analysis and update your incident response plan accordingly.
Employee experience remains central to productivity. Review IT support logs, survey results, and onboarding/offboarding procedures. Look for trends in support tickets—slow devices, remote access issues, or collaboration platform gaps could point to broader needs.
Subscription creep remains a real issue. Are you still paying for licenses you don’t use? Or juggling overlapping software tools? Align your IT spend with business outcomes. Audit software usage and consolidate where feasible.
With many organisations accelerating cloud adoption post-pandemic, it’s time to evaluate whether you’ve reached the right balance. Are workloads performing as expected? Are cloud bills in line with your forecasts? Are backup and disaster recovery plans still effective?
Finally, use this review to feed into your 2023 IT roadmap. Prioritise items that offer high ROI, close security gaps, or enable strategic flexibility. Consider where external support may be needed—particularly for transformation initiatives, compliance, or cybersecurity uplift.
Here is the resource for this edition: IT Review Year End Checklist