As we get to grips with 2024 and settle back into a routine, we look at what top IT priorities small to medium businesses have to deal with.

We thought it prudent to look at the top IT priorities that UK SMBs have identified for 2024. These priorities have short and mid-term outcomes that we can help our clients achieve without hassle, complicated strategies or negative impacts on their revenue and productivity. They are well-equipped to tackle these priorities and can achieve their goals for the year.

Top 5 IT priorities

Based on our extensive analysis of client feedback and industry trends, we have identified five critical areas of business that will be essential for SMBs in the UK.* As a trusted and expert-managed IT support partner, we have developed a comprehensive strategy to help clients prioritise these areas and meet their particular industries and IT environment needs.

Delivering Digital transformation goals

With the ways of working permanently changed, old systems, IT networks and applications can no longer be pushed down the to-do list. Moving to the cloud, enabling your people to work from different locations and devices while investing in integrated applications and platforms is no longer just a talking point but is an imperative priority for all businesses – not just large-scale enterprises.

Answer: Accomplish measurable digital transformation goals

Improving resilience via Cyber security

Worryingly, only a quarter (26%) of small businesses say they’ve invested in cyber security software, leaving many open to potential attacks by criminals. (Mastercard, October 2023) Every UK SMB should be making cyber security a top priority from 2024 onwards. The increased breadth and depth of threats in many forms of IT is the first area of protection that needs constant fortifications.

Answer: Keep cyber security front and centre of business practices

Improve collaboration

After optimising budgets and accessing company resources, it leaves increasing productivity, efficiency, and speed of delivery. Improving collaboration between your people, suppliers, and customers has a measurable positive benefit to the success and agility of your organisation. The first step is identifying time-intensive and admin-heavy processes and identifying how they can be improved by technology. Where to start can be overwhelming and seemingly complicated.

Answer: Use the right technology to improve workplace collaboration.

Cost saving and reducing IT budgets

The economic climate, the cost of living crisis, the after-effects of Brexit, and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza – are making 2024 as turbulent and unpredictable as 2023. With a possible general election this year, and the current financial scandals (such as the Post Office and PPE VIP lane fraud) UK SMBs are cautious about the rate of growth, direction of inflation and impact on their bottom line.

Answer: Focus on delivering worthwhile savings and optimising IT budgets

Sustainable and environmentally friendly services

Evaluate production and consumption – reduce waste and conserve energy. Reducing carbon emissions to meet national and global climate change. Do you know that younger generations in the UK and the US are more likely to say they would pay more for sustainable products? (YouGov, 2021)

Answer: Becoming ‘greener’ and sourcing locally comes with tangible benefits

How best approach each priority

Accomplish measurable digital transformation goals

Spending on new technology can play an important role in sharpening the focus on customer experience and the goal of building loyalty to boost sales further. “Investing in new technology unlocks operational efficiencies, frees up valuable resources and ultimately improves the customer experience.” (American Express Research, Jan 2024). The best approach for leaders is to deploy a fully integrated IT experience that includes audio and video, file sharing and business workflow solutions – aiming for greater efficiency and improved communication. We have a Microsoft Modern Workplace solution with market-leading options that have helped our clients deliver transformational IT projects faster and within budget.

Use the right technology to improve workplace collaboration.

With a clear and open approach to collaboration, users have the freedom to choose who they collaborate with. Having the right strategy and platform in place means:

  • Keeping control of documents and allowing real-time co-authoring by sharing links rather than sending documents as email attachments.
  • Making it easier to arrange meetings by allowing people to share their calendar availability across the organisation.
  • Allowing people to work more effectively as a team by enabling instant messaging and other features of your chosen platform.

With our FREE Modern Workplace Discovery Session, any business owner and senior leader can easily identify how to deploy technology that users will embrace and use to streamline processes to deliver increased efficiency and productivity.

Keep cyber security front and centre of business practices

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) states that in 2024 UK businesses are under an ever-prevalent and increasingly dangerous threat of attack by cybercriminals. These bad actors use sophisticated strategies and tools to obtain access to your systems to extract information for ransom or sale. A trusted IT Support partner can help an organisation put in place a multi-layered Cyber security approach from a zero-trust framework to AI assistance defences. Our clients benefit from our big business approach to deliver the best cyber security services for SMB workplaces and IT environments.

Focus on delivering worthwhile savings and optimising IT budgets

It’s crucial to strike a balance between cost savings and maintaining the quality of IT services and security. Work with local, independent suppliers where possible, and team up to better navigate the current uncertain economic climate. Then work with a great IT support partner to identify smart savings within the unutilised benefits of current technology. Partnering on focused technology reviews and audits can quickly pinpoint quick wins and easy-to-accomplish improvements. Having IT that is configured and optimised to your goals means the business is ready to adapt and thrive.

Becoming ‘greener’ and sourcing locally comes with tangible benefits

Sourcing locally not only boosts the local economy but also strengthens community bounds and builds networks while reducing your organisation’s carbon footprint. Other benefits can be lower energy consumption, faster response times, shorter supply chains and increased resilience to disruptions. The right technology can improve sustainability and accelerate processes, making them more efficient, creating a better user experience and delivering advanced capabilities for the business.

Take action with a great IT Support partner

As a Microsoft Modern Work Solutions partner, we are committed to helping clients make the most of powerful new workplace technologies. We share insights that help your organisation save time and money while being more productive and collaborative. In 2024, your users could collaborate and work efficiently from virtually anywhere, with improved security by maximising your technology investment.

Why not book a FREE Workplace Discovery Session?