Don’t Start 2026 Blind: The IT Review Every Business Should Be Doing Right Now
A year-end technology review is one of the most valuable steps a business can take as the year wraps up. It’s the perfect moment to pause, reflect, and prepare for the year ahead. Growth and operational improvement depend heavily on the strength of your technology.
A year-end technology review gives you the opportunity to evaluate what’s working, what needs attention, and where strategic improvements can boost profitability and reduce security risks.
The data is clear: businesses that leverage technology effectively outperform those that don’t. A Deloitte study found digitally advanced small businesses:
- Earn 2x more revenue per employee
- See 4x higher year-over-year revenue growth
- Experience 6x higher employee growth rates
Technology also plays a major role in security. IBM reports that organizations with a formal incident response plan reduce data breach costs by 61%. Companies using security AI and automation see costs drop by 70%.
If you want to see both performance and protection, a structured year-end tech review is the place to start.
Key Areas to Evaluate in Your Year-End Technology Review
Start with Your Technology Policies
Business conditions change quickly, and outdated policies often go unnoticed until they cause problems. Reviewing your technology policies ensures they reflect how your business actually operates today. This might include updating guidelines to support hybrid or remote work, clarifying expectations around device use, or reinforcing cybersecurity standards. Once updated, sharing these revisions with employees provides a timely refresher and strengthens everyday compliance.
Evaluate Disaster Recovery and Incident Response Plans
Your year-end review should also examine how well your business can respond to common disruptions like systems outages, cyberattacks, and broken devices. Make sure your incident response plan is current, clear, and easy for employees to follow, including who to contact, how to escalate issues, and what steps to take to keep operations running. Confirm backups are working as expected, communicated responsibilities are defined, and your team knows the proper procedures for reporting suspicious activity or device failures, A strong escalation plan ensures everyone can act quickly and confidently when something goes wrong.
Listen to Employees and Identify Pain Points
Employees interact with your technology more than anyone else, making their insights incredibly valuable. Take time to gather feedback about what tools help them and what slows them down. These conversations uncover frustrations, inefficiencies, and opportunities you may not see from a leadership perspective. Understanding employee pain points helps you prioritize improvements that enhance productivity and overall job satisfaction – benefits that translate directly into business performance.
Review Access Controls and Account Security
Over time, it’s common for users to accumulate permissions they no longer need or for old accounts to remain active after employees depart. Both situations create unnecessary security risks. Auditing your privileged (admin-level) accounts and removing outdates access is a simple step that significantly reduces your exposure. Similarly, identifying and closing orphaned accounts ensures there are no forgotten entry points that attackers could exploit.
Plan Your Upgrades and IT Investments for the New Year
Instead of reacting to technology needs as they arise, use your year-end review to build a proactive plan for the upcoming year. A vulnerability assessment can highlight weaknesses to address, while a hardware and software review can clarify what may need replacement or renewal (yes, this includes the Windows 10 PC’s you’ve been avoiding…). Planning ahead helps you prioritize upgrades that will make the greatest impact and allows you to budget effectively – avoiding costly surprises.
Assess Cloud Usage and Shadow IT
Businesses often accumulate cloud applications faster than expected. Reviewing your cloud environment helps you determine which tools are essential, which are redundant, and which are barely used. This is also the time to identify any unapproved apps (Shadow IT) that employees have adopted on their own. Removing or formalizing these tools reduces waste and strengthens your security posture.
Evaluate Customer-Facing Technology
Your customers interact with your technology every day, and their experience can shape how they perceive your business. Take time to walk through your website, contact forms, and support systems from a consumer’s perspective. If navigation feels confusing, or something doesn’t work as expected, it’s likely frustrating for consumers as well. Even small adjustments can have a meaningful impact on user satisfaction.
Start 2026 With Clarity
A thoughtful year-end technology review gives your business a clear understanding of its strengths, weaknesses, and priorities for the coming year. If you’re ready to get started, or process begins with a quick 15-minute discovery call with our founder to discuss your goals and challenges. From there, we conduct a complimentary on-site assessment and build a tailored plan to align and secure your technology with your business objectives.
Need a strategic IT partner? Cleartech Group is here to help make sure your tech aligns with your business’ goals.
Stay safe. Stay confident.