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Published on:
27 June 2026
Author:
TechPath
If there’s one lesson that has been proven time and again, it’s that business problems are seldom solved by technology alone. That might sound strange coming from a tech company, after all, the industry isn’t short on hype. But much like buying shoes, unless the fit is just right, you’re in for some uncomfortable steps ahead. Aligning technology to your business needs takes a little extra time and effort, but it can save so much later on.
Users are complaining, systems aren’t operating as they should, and workarounds are time-consuming. Often, though, people simply become accustomed to the imperfections and stop noticing them. They manually enter data because that is how they were trained to perform a task; it’s just the way it is.
That’s why technology assessments are so important. They uncover both the obvious and invisible causes of inefficiency and create a plan to address them.
Sometimes it pays not to follow the herd, even when it seems like an easy income stream. Many technology service providers offer some form of technology audit, often performed by more junior staff. We felt it was important to take a different approach and place greater focus on aligning technology with business needs.
That’s why our TechAlign service is performed by some of our most senior engineers, people with extensive experience and a mind-boggling array of certifications. It means customers get access to a level of expertise that would typically cost significantly more through traditional consulting.
A big part of the TechAlign process involves more than identifying every piece of software and hardware, finding technology problems and making recommendations. It also involves a series of conversations, from workshops to interviews, with staff across every part of the business.
We learn about the way they use and interact with technology, their frustrations and their ideas. Technology plays a massive role in their efficiency, and often, employees will tell us things they wouldn’t necessarily volunteer to their business leaders.
One new customer had invested heavily, to the tune of $250k, in creating a custom app for job tracking and had no idea how much staff hated using it. Some even left their jobs because of the impact it had on their morale.
There are plenty of prompts to take a closer look at the technology in place in a business.
It might be during a period of major change, after a period of growth, or simply as a regular review to make sure you’re not overspending without getting the full benefit. Many businesses also use technology assessments as best practice to verify they are getting the right results from their technology partner, or to check compliance with industry or legislative standards.
One of the most important times, though, is when you’re reviewing or changing your technology partner. In fact, when we’re taking on new Managed IT customers, we now insist on going through an assessment first.
The reason is simple: to achieve a better outcome.
The current IT partner is often providing more than support. They may also be providing internet, phones, web hosting and Microsoft licences. Surprisingly often, the customer doesn’t have all their passwords or access details.
Making an unplanned move is unwise. When we run through the TechAlign process, we create a clear and accurate picture of everything in the customer’s environment and compare it with best practice for similar-sized organisations.
After the discovery phase, the TechAlign team builds out a technology strategy and works with the customer to fine-tune and prioritise actions, each designed to deliver greater efficiency, generate revenue, reduce costs or improve security.
Without that clarity, we often see businesses reaching out for quotes from providers, with each effectively quoting on a different service. Having a comprehensive understanding of the environment and a detailed strategy means quotes can be compared like for like, making it possible to make a better-supported decision instead of trying to compare apples and oranges.
The report also includes a maturity score based on the current situation, which can be used to track progress over time.
Another big benefit of going through the TechAlign process is that it makes onboarding, whether with TechPath or another technology partner, infinitely less bumpy.
Much like the TechAlign service, we put our most senior staff in charge of each onboarding process. They make sure that on the first day, when the customer rings for support, our helpdesk already knows the environment, has access to all the documentation and, yes, has the missing passwords.
Technology should support the way your business works, not create more work around it.
TechAlign helps businesses understand where their technology is today, where it needs to go, and what needs to happen to get there.
