AT&T

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/atandt-alerts-9-million-customers-of-data-breach-after-vendor-hack/

Exploit: Supply Chain Attack
AT&T: Communications Conglomerate

Nothing is more crucial to a business than stability. Yes, profit matters, but companies can achieve consistent profits easily when markets are stable.

Even though it’s no secret that small to medium-sized businesses often have vastly fewer resources in comparison to larger enterprises, prioritizing agility is just as critical for their survival. This is because, in today's world, where a variety of unpleasant surprises can arise at any time, you must be well prepared to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Recent events, such as the pandemic, supply chain issues, war, inflation and The Great Resignation, serve as explicit indicators of why your SMB needs to be agile.

The last two years have been a bumpy ride for organizations of all sizes globally. During this time, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) were hit the worst. Since most SMBs have limited cash and resources, setbacks were much more severe for them than for big corporations with more resources.

With the business world heavily reliant on digitalization in this day and age, the use of technology in your organization is unavoidable. Although technology can undeniably give your business an advantage in increasingly competitive markets, there are many troublesome areas to keep an eye on. This is why interest in cybersecurity has risen in recent years.

It's hard to predict the future. Just think of all that has happened in the world in the last two years. From the COVID-19 pandemic to supply chain issues to inflation and war, no one could have predicted these events early enough to be adequately prepared.

Most small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are stretched for time and resources, due to which they may end up rushing through process implementations, technology upgrades and new hire training. Inevitably, this results in botched executions and a foundation that doesn’t support sustainable scalability.

Rushing through process implementations, technology upgrades and new hire training can cause botched executions and unnecessary confusion. That’s why businesses must pursue a sustainable strategy that allows them to grow smarter, not just faster. Sustainability in business is all about being repeatable, adaptable and capable of scaling up and down as needed.

Your company operates in a turbulent business environment where new technologies are reshaping industries, customer preferences are evolving rapidly and geopolitical equations are shifting dramatically. If you’re struggling to adapt to these quick and challenging transitions, you’re not alone.

Being a sustainable business means more than just recycling and using renewable energy. It means laying the groundwork for future employee and customer growth. An organization with sustainability as one of its core principles has a better chance of success in the future.

In your attempt to adapt to the evolving technology landscape and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, have you invested in solutions that may not be assisting your company in achieving its long-term goals? If so, you’re not alone.

As a business executive, you often face the task of keeping up with current technology trends to boost productivity, lower expenses, strengthen your brand value, enable new collaboration and maximize profitability.

Are you up to date with the current technology landscape? Do you have an idea of what it will look like in the next five to 10 years? Knowing this information is crucial as it can significantly impact your business.

Organizations have had to make several overnight adjustments to stay afloat over the last few years. If you’re like most businesses, you may have needed solutions to support remote work and collaboration. But are those tools pointing you in the right direction towards your long-term goals and vision?

Why Apply Change Management Principles to Your Technology Upgrade

 
The technological landscape has advanced dramatically over the last couple of decades and continues to move faster than anyone could have ever imagined. Failure to keep up with the latest technology trends and current business practices can put your company at risk, but just investing in next-generation technologies does not guarantee successful implementation.

 
When implementing new technology, you may want to get started as soon as possible so that you can reap the benefits right away. However, implementing new technology and solutions too quickly without following any change management best practices can lead to workflow glitches and stoppages, resulting in employee frustration and lost productivity.

 
Change management for resilience considers people, processes and technology to ensure long-term success.

 

Six benefits you’ll experience from change management principles:

 

1. Accountability

When it comes to transformations, it’s advisable to hold someone accountable for effectively executing changes because it's difficult to reap the expected outcomes of a change without considering the people, processes, workflows and so on that are in the crosshairs. Proper guidance, systematic delegation and an increased sense of accountability are unavoidable when contemplating transitions.

 
Remember that the underlying goal of change is usually to create more value. In many cases, the people impacted by the change will be beneficiaries of a portion of that value. Those individuals will need to adjust to the new environment and capitalize on new chances to contribute value to themselves and the organization.

 
That’s why a good change management strategy is crucial. It mainly focuses on the people side of change, assisting project delivery with timely and focused interventions to help people adopt change. All other affected components are also kept under watch.

 

2.  Stakeholder buy-in

When change occurs in an organization, it impacts many individuals directly and indirectly. We call them the stakeholders, who consist of employees, teams, partners, sponsors, etc. Stakeholder buy-in is the force that binds a project's pieces together during any change initiative.

 
A solid change management strategy ensures that all stakeholders, including senior management, are on the same page for the transformation to be successful.

 

3. Greater cost-efficiency

Cost-efficiency is one of the most popular tactics for increasing a company's profit-maximizing capabilities. Businesses assess cost-efficiency by tracking the ratio of output obtained to costs incurred. Another way to do that is to compare revenue generated to expenses incurred.

 

A business becomes more profitable if the decisions made by it are cost-efficient. Therefore, adopting an effective change management strategy is one of the considerations that any savvy company will undertake since it will slash expenses and unnecessary costs.

 

4. Clean handoffs

If a transformation occurs without applying change management principles, it will not be well documented, clearly communicated or properly approved, making handoffs to new employees difficult. You will almost certainly have to invest more time and effort in comprehending the work done so far or training someone who has been left out of the loop.

 
To avoid such scenarios, always prioritize change management.

 

5. Sustainable improvements

Change management enables organizations to improve in a sustainable manner, looking beyond immediate short-term financial results to create long-term value. It assists businesses in adapting to changing environments, aligning their investments and crucial business activities, products and services in ways that are consistent with their overall vision.

 

6. Less likely to cause “change burnout”

The psychological impact of implementing too many changes at once is too severe to ignore. Employees may feel exhausted and demotivated, sometimes even leaving an organization due to persistent uncertainty. Change-affected employees report moderate-to-high stress levels in 73% of cases, and those suffering from change-related stress perform 5% worse than the average employee.^*
 

Partner for success

Adapting to change is a difficult task. If you don't implement change management principles, you risk damaging key processes and losing critical team members to burnout. However, you'll have to put in a lot of extra time and effort if you do it alone. An expert like us with years of experience and subject knowledge could be just what your business requires.

 
Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation to discuss how we can help you implement change management best practices.

 
 
 
Source:

* Gartner

 
 
 

Why Apply Change Management Principles to Your Technology Upgrade

 
The technological landscape has advanced dramatically over the last couple of decades and continues to move faster than anyone could have ever imagined. Failure to keep up with the latest technology trends and current business practices can put your company at risk, but just investing in next-generation technologies does not guarantee successful implementation.

 
When implementing new technology, you may want to get started as soon as possible so that you can reap the benefits right away. However, implementing new technology and solutions too quickly without following any change management best practices can lead to workflow glitches and stoppages, resulting in employee frustration and lost productivity.

 
Change management for resilience considers people, processes and technology to ensure long-term success.

 

Six benefits you’ll experience from change management principles:

 

1. Accountability

When it comes to transformations, it’s advisable to hold someone accountable for effectively executing changes because it's difficult to reap the expected outcomes of a change without considering the people, processes, workflows and so on that are in the crosshairs. Proper guidance, systematic delegation and an increased sense of accountability are unavoidable when contemplating transitions.

 
Remember that the underlying goal of change is usually to create more value. In many cases, the people impacted by the change will be beneficiaries of a portion of that value. Those individuals will need to adjust to the new environment and capitalize on new chances to contribute value to themselves and the organization.

 
That’s why a good change management strategy is crucial. It mainly focuses on the people side of change, assisting project delivery with timely and focused interventions to help people adopt change. All other affected components are also kept under watch.

 

2.  Stakeholder buy-in

When change occurs in an organization, it impacts many individuals directly and indirectly. We call them the stakeholders, who consist of employees, teams, partners, sponsors, etc. Stakeholder buy-in is the force that binds a project's pieces together during any change initiative.

 
A solid change management strategy ensures that all stakeholders, including senior management, are on the same page for the transformation to be successful.

 

3. Greater cost-efficiency

Cost-efficiency is one of the most popular tactics for increasing a company's profit-maximizing capabilities. Businesses assess cost-efficiency by tracking the ratio of output obtained to costs incurred. Another way to do that is to compare revenue generated to expenses incurred.

 

A business becomes more profitable if the decisions made by it are cost-efficient. Therefore, adopting an effective change management strategy is one of the considerations that any savvy company will undertake since it will slash expenses and unnecessary costs.

 

4. Clean handoffs

If a transformation occurs without applying change management principles, it will not be well documented, clearly communicated or properly approved, making handoffs to new employees difficult. You will almost certainly have to invest more time and effort in comprehending the work done so far or training someone who has been left out of the loop.

 
To avoid such scenarios, always prioritize change management.

 

5. Sustainable improvements

Change management enables organizations to improve in a sustainable manner, looking beyond immediate short-term financial results to create long-term value. It assists businesses in adapting to changing environments, aligning their investments and crucial business activities, products and services in ways that are consistent with their overall vision.

 

6. Less likely to cause “change burnout”

The psychological impact of implementing too many changes at once is too severe to ignore. Employees may feel exhausted and demotivated, sometimes even leaving an organization due to persistent uncertainty. Change-affected employees report moderate-to-high stress levels in 73% of cases, and those suffering from change-related stress perform 5% worse than the average employee.^*
 

Partner for success

Adapting to change is a difficult task. If you don't implement change management principles, you risk damaging key processes and losing critical team members to burnout. However, you'll have to put in a lot of extra time and effort if you do it alone. An expert like us with years of experience and subject knowledge could be just what your business requires.

 
Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation to discuss how we can help you implement change management best practices.

 
 
 
Source:

* Gartner

 
 
 

6 Questions to Ask Before Implementing a Technology Change

 
It can be exciting to introduce new technology into your business. Finding a solution that will help your team members do their jobs more efficiently and effectively by filling a gap in your technology infrastructure is certainly an achievement. However, before you get carried away with quickly implementing your new solution to reap the benefits, there are a few things you should know.

 
When introducing new technology into your IT infrastructure, keep in mind that change can be difficult for individuals. It can be hard to predict whether end users will readily accept or resist the change. Before implementing new technology, you need a well-planned change management strategy to help you achieve success and get the most out of your investment.

 
Change management is an approach that deals with changes or transformations in organizational processes, objectives and technology. The goal of change management is to devise strategies to implement and govern transformation while helping people adjust to it.

 
There are a few factors to consider before beginning your change management journey.

 

Ask these questions before making a technology change:

 

1. What is being changed?

It’s critical to review your business environment first to identify critical areas that require a technological refresh as soon as possible.

 
Assume you are starting a transition from backup solution “X” to backup solution “Y.” Before implementation, spend some time assessing what the backup solution “X” lacks, why it needs an update and how important it is.

 

2. What will this change mean for people, processes and technology?

Communication is essential for successfully driving technological change. Make sure you develop strategies to help your employees adapt to any changes.

Examine technology mapping and dependencies to ensure you understand the implications of pulling systems offline for updates. Also, determine the processes that need to be modified and the individuals who oversee them.

 

3.  Who will manage the change?

Identify change leaders and include their contact information in all change communications. It's a great idea to have an executive sponsor guide your project forward and hold you accountable for deviations from your objectives.

 

4. When is the best time to implement this change?

It’s critical to determine the best time to implement a change. A lot of care must go into deciding when to introduce a transformation.

 
If you're about to embark on a new transition, but your employees are still dealing with the effects of previous changes, it may be a good idea to postpone the planned transformation if possible. On the flip side, if your employees have adjusted well to a recent change, then introducing a new transition could work out just as well.

 

5. How long will the change take?

A change must not be too quick, causing confusion and employee frustration, or too slow, diluting the entire purpose of the transformation. Setting a realistic deadline and striving to meet it is critical.

 

6. Who will reach out to support if something goes wrong?

No change is immune to unexpected setbacks. That’s why it is critical to have emergency contacts of people with various skillsets to call upon in the event of a mishap. However, finding people with the necessary skillsets and knowledge base is tricky.

 
Collaboration with a managed service provider (MSP) who can support you in emergency and non-emergency situations can be a good idea.

 

Find the right partner

 
Change is a challenging experience. You risk damaging key processes and losing valuable team members to burnout if you don't have a good change management strategy in place. An expert with years of experience and subject knowledge, like us, may be exactly what your company needs.

 
Feel free to contact us for a consultation on change management.

6 Questions to Ask Before Implementing a Technology Change

 
It can be exciting to introduce new technology into your business. Finding a solution that will help your team members do their jobs more efficiently and effectively by filling a gap in your technology infrastructure is certainly an achievement. However, before you get carried away with quickly implementing your new solution to reap the benefits, there are a few things you should know.

 
When introducing new technology into your IT infrastructure, keep in mind that change can be difficult for individuals. It can be hard to predict whether end users will readily accept or resist the change. Before implementing new technology, you need a well-planned change management strategy to help you achieve success and get the most out of your investment.

 
Change management is an approach that deals with changes or transformations in organizational processes, objectives and technology. The goal of change management is to devise strategies to implement and govern transformation while helping people adjust to it.

 
There are a few factors to consider before beginning your change management journey.

 

Ask these questions before making a technology change:

 

1. What is being changed?

It’s critical to review your business environment first to identify critical areas that require a technological refresh as soon as possible.

 
Assume you are starting a transition from backup solution “X” to backup solution “Y.” Before implementation, spend some time assessing what the backup solution “X” lacks, why it needs an update and how important it is.

 

2. What will this change mean for people, processes and technology?

Communication is essential for successfully driving technological change. Make sure you develop strategies to help your employees adapt to any changes.

Examine technology mapping and dependencies to ensure you understand the implications of pulling systems offline for updates. Also, determine the processes that need to be modified and the individuals who oversee them.

 

3.  Who will manage the change?

Identify change leaders and include their contact information in all change communications. It's a great idea to have an executive sponsor guide your project forward and hold you accountable for deviations from your objectives.

 

4. When is the best time to implement this change?

It’s critical to determine the best time to implement a change. A lot of care must go into deciding when to introduce a transformation.

 
If you're about to embark on a new transition, but your employees are still dealing with the effects of previous changes, it may be a good idea to postpone the planned transformation if possible. On the flip side, if your employees have adjusted well to a recent change, then introducing a new transition could work out just as well.

 

5. How long will the change take?

A change must not be too quick, causing confusion and employee frustration, or too slow, diluting the entire purpose of the transformation. Setting a realistic deadline and striving to meet it is critical.

 

6. Who will reach out to support if something goes wrong?

No change is immune to unexpected setbacks. That’s why it is critical to have emergency contacts of people with various skillsets to call upon in the event of a mishap. However, finding people with the necessary skillsets and knowledge base is tricky.

 
Collaboration with a managed service provider (MSP) who can support you in emergency and non-emergency situations can be a good idea.

 

Find the right partner

 
Change is a challenging experience. You risk damaging key processes and losing valuable team members to burnout if you don't have a good change management strategy in place. An expert with years of experience and subject knowledge, like us, may be exactly what your company needs.

 
Feel free to contact us for a consultation on change management.

4 Common Setbacks With Ineffective Technology Change Management

 
Technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, empowering businesses to accomplish more in less time. The transformations that technology has brought about in the business world are mind-boggling and with transformative change comes stress.

 
Without a defined change management strategy in place, avoidable inconsistencies are more likely to occur and you risk disrupting essential operations and losing valuable team members due to burnout. Keeping that in mind, before you begin implementing new technology in your infrastructure, you must understand the significance of effective change management.

 
Change management is an approach that deals with changes or transformations in organizational processes, objectives and technologies. The goal of change management is devising strategies to implement and govern transformation while helping your team adjust to it.

 
Making the case for change management:

 

Change management is crucial because:

 

• It addresses the effects of change on individuals, processes and more

Every change has repercussions in multiple areas of an organization, and change management helps address each of these.

 

• It enables organizations to prosper in an ever-changing business environment

Organizations that use change management achieve better results even when managing multiple distinct transformations.

 

• It empowers people

Change management prepares, empowers and supports people to adapt to changes in their workflows, environments and technology.

 

• It increases the success rate of a transformation

Excellent change management increases the likelihood of meeting objectives by reducing risks.

 

What could go wrong with ineffective change management?

 

1. Gaps in Communication

Effective communication is, without a doubt, one of the most critical factors for organizational success. Employee resistance may develop if they feel bombarded with changes and aren’t comfortable expressing their concerns due to a lack of two-way communication.

 
Communication breakdowns or gaps cause demotivation, employee frustration, a lack of collaboration, attrition and ultimately, business failure.

 

2. Employee resistance and frustration

You should expect some of your employees to resist change initially. However, failing to handle it proactively could undermine your objectives. If ignored, it eventually leads to disengagement, decreased productivity and increased absenteeism.

 
Plus, if an employee is frustrated for an extended period, it may create a dull workplace atmosphere that will eventually affect other employees.

 

3. Workflow glitches and stoppages

Workflow glitches and stoppages are obstacles that no aspiring business should tolerate. Remember, neglecting such hurdles can harm productivity, timeliness and future prospects.

 
It's worth noting that in today's complex business environments, unexpected workflow glitches and stoppages will almost certainly have a cascading effect and destabilize other related/dependent business components.

 

4. Lost productivity

In an era when businesses compete to optimize their productivity and be the best in their domain, lost productivity can certainly eat into the profitability of a careless business.

 
An effective change management strategy is critical for businesses to tackle all the problems listed above. Are you fully equipped with the experience and expertise to handle it on your own? If you feel your company lacks certain resources, it’s best to work with an MSP capable of easing your transition to a higher-performing technology ecosystem.

 
With our wealth of experience and knowledge surrounding successful technology change management, we may be the ideal partner for your company. Feel free to contact us to set up a consultation.

4 Common Setbacks With Ineffective Technology Change Management

 
Technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, empowering businesses to accomplish more in less time. The transformations that technology has brought about in the business world are mind-boggling and with transformative change comes stress.

 
Without a defined change management strategy in place, avoidable inconsistencies are more likely to occur and you risk disrupting essential operations and losing valuable team members due to burnout. Keeping that in mind, before you begin implementing new technology in your infrastructure, you must understand the significance of effective change management.

 
Change management is an approach that deals with changes or transformations in organizational processes, objectives and technologies. The goal of change management is devising strategies to implement and govern transformation while helping your team adjust to it.

 
Making the case for change management:

 

Change management is crucial because:

 

• It addresses the effects of change on individuals, processes and more

Every change has repercussions in multiple areas of an organization, and change management helps address each of these.

 

• It enables organizations to prosper in an ever-changing business environment

Organizations that use change management achieve better results even when managing multiple distinct transformations.

 

• It empowers people

Change management prepares, empowers and supports people to adapt to changes in their workflows, environments and technology.

 

• It increases the success rate of a transformation

Excellent change management increases the likelihood of meeting objectives by reducing risks.

 

What could go wrong with ineffective change management?

 

1. Gaps in Communication

Effective communication is, without a doubt, one of the most critical factors for organizational success. Employee resistance may develop if they feel bombarded with changes and aren’t comfortable expressing their concerns due to a lack of two-way communication.

 
Communication breakdowns or gaps cause demotivation, employee frustration, a lack of collaboration, attrition and ultimately, business failure.

 

2. Employee resistance and frustration

You should expect some of your employees to resist change initially. However, failing to handle it proactively could undermine your objectives. If ignored, it eventually leads to disengagement, decreased productivity and increased absenteeism.

 
Plus, if an employee is frustrated for an extended period, it may create a dull workplace atmosphere that will eventually affect other employees.

 

3. Workflow glitches and stoppages

Workflow glitches and stoppages are obstacles that no aspiring business should tolerate. Remember, neglecting such hurdles can harm productivity, timeliness and future prospects.

 
It's worth noting that in today's complex business environments, unexpected workflow glitches and stoppages will almost certainly have a cascading effect and destabilize other related/dependent business components.

 

4. Lost productivity

In an era when businesses compete to optimize their productivity and be the best in their domain, lost productivity can certainly eat into the profitability of a careless business.

 
An effective change management strategy is critical for businesses to tackle all the problems listed above. Are you fully equipped with the experience and expertise to handle it on your own? If you feel your company lacks certain resources, it’s best to work with an MSP capable of easing your transition to a higher-performing technology ecosystem.

 
With our wealth of experience and knowledge surrounding successful technology change management, we may be the ideal partner for your company. Feel free to contact us to set up a consultation.