Technical audits are an assessment of the technology infrastructure of an organization. The aim is to discover weaknesses and strengths of the tech stack and make sure that it is in line with the business objectives. This is a vital step to consider prior to beginning the next project. It gives valuable insight into how the technology will perform.
Tech audits differ from IT reviews and security assessments which are focused on assessing systems to ensure compliance and security. Tech audits look at all the tools your business employs for work, their efficiency as well as their costs and integrations with other technologies.
The specifics of a tech audit are determined by the person conducting the audit. It could be requested by a CFO who is trying to cut costs for software, or it may be motivated by a leadership team who want to be more efficient and agile.
One of the most common image source findings from a tech stack audit is that multiple tools are used for similar tasks. For instance, marketing teams might utilize Asana and Wrike while engineering teams might make use of Jira. The result is that the data isn’t flowing smoothly across departments and creating a single point of truth.
Another common observation is that apps that aren’t sanctioned by the government are being used by particular departments or teams. While some of them may be helpful and add value, they can also pose a risk when they’re not checked for security or integration with other technologies. Tech audits give the top management visibility into these tools and how they are used to determine if they should become part of the broader technology stack.