IT audits for small business

Get the best technology advice to make your organization more productive, efficient, and profitable.

Do you ever wonder if your business is investing in technology wisely? Is IT moving your mission forward? Optimizing your IT to meet your future needs begins with an accurate understanding of your current requirements and capabilities. Carrying out an audit is the best way to find out the state of your technology. Internal audits can lead to biased results and that’s why we recommend an audit by a trusted and qualified third-party. Our report includes the main risks that your company is exposed to so that you can prioritize your IT projects. We do not limit our scope to infrastructure, hardware and systems. Our IT audits also review the processes that impact the performance of your IT systems as well as best practice protocols. Our goal is to deliver a practical solution that will lay the foundation of your IT for years to come.

What do we audit?

  • Security
  • Server infrastructure
  • End user devices
  • Network hardware
  • Software and services
  • Business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR)
  • General network/connectivity
  • Security policies and procedures
  • Compliance

Implementation

Not every IT audit will result in an IT project but if one is necessary, we are at your service! At Smart Dolphins, our certified project team has proven experience implementing the latest technologies. We provide an in-depth project summary and stick to the timeline we set. We manage the project from the beginning to the end and spend a great deal of time testing the technology to ensure that defined objectives have been met. Following successful implementation, our team also provides basic training, operation tips and regular group training.

"Our IT is fine. We don’t need a third-party audit."

Unfortunately, this widespread perspective can have very costly outcomes for businesses. Here are some of the negative impacts of not auditing your IT:

  • Technical debt
  • Security risks
  • Unpredictable IT costs
  • Investment in the wrong technology
  • Accountability challenges

IT audit process

One of our project delivery specialists will collect information from a series of meetings, onsite visits and a comprehensive IT audit. This information is then reviewed and measured against our best practices. We produce a final report that includes an overview of the findings, highlighting the main risks that require immediate investment and all other actionable recommendations. IT audits can last a few days to a few weeks depending on the complexity of the IT.

Benefits

  • Objective risk identification
  • Strategic alignment
  • Certified and experienced expertise
  • Proven process

Phases

  • Discovery (IT audit)
  • Prepare findings
  • Plan
  • Deploy
  • Train

Why an IT audit?

  • Changing IT service providers
  • Moving from internal to outsourced IT
  • Limitations of internal IT skills or capacity
  • Incident response to ransomware or data breach
  • Compliance
  • Cloud readiness

Our IT audit team

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Joe Payne

Technology Success Director

I work with a small group of professionals that take pride in a proactive approach to IT. A big part of what I do is align our clients’ networks with our best practices. This is a perpetual process that constantly evolves to keep pace with new technologies, security threats and business needs. I lead our professional services team and my main role is to conduct IT audits, scope and manage IT projects.

Computer and Information Systems Diploma, Selkirk College

Certifications:

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Configuration
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundations
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft 365 Certified Fundamentals

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Sean Forseth

Project Delivery Specialist

During my time at Smart Dolphins, I have always enjoyed the project side of IT. I am now a Project Engineer at Smart Dolphins. This role consists of a variety of work, including email migrations to Office 365, moving infrastructure to hyper visor platforms, data/application moves, IT audits and implementing new hardware.

Certifications:

Microsoft Server Certification Associate
Windows Server 2012
CompTIA – Network+
Microsoft Certified Professional

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Ian Bird

Project Delivery Specialist

The bulk of my time is dedicated to ensuring that our IT projects, IT audits and IT processes and services are up-to-date. If I am not in someone’s doorway, I am usually in my office scanning reviewing articles on the latest updates and tools that will improve Smart Dolphins’ processes.

Certifications:

StorageCraft Engineer Fundamentals
LabTech Certification
CompTIA – Network+

One of our Dolphins will reach out within 1 business day.

Let's get started

If your organization has 20 or more computer users we invite you to submit a request. We have completed hundreds of IT audits over the years for Vancouver Island businesses. Our professional services team are highly trained and weigh many factors when evaluating your IT. We don’t just work for you; we become members of your team. If you would like to discuss our IT audits via telephone, please call Meghan or Christopher at: 250.721.2499 x 207.

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