Understanding Your Digital Estate
What Does "Digital Estate" Mean?
A digital estate represents the complete ecosystem of technology resources and processes that power an organization’s daily operations. This might include:
Software Applications and Platforms
- Off-the-shelf and customer applications, productivity suites, CRM systems, and any other tools employees rely on to do their jobs.
Data
and Storage
- Databases, file storage services, and the practices for managing and safeguarding organizational data.
Hardware
and Infrastructure
- On-premises servers, network equipment, personal devices (like laptops and tablets), and, increasingly, cloud-based infrastructure components.
Systems
and Integrations
- APIs, third-party integrations, automations scripts, and the connectivity between various tools and services.
Governance
and Processes
- The policies, guidelines, security protocols, and workflows that define how technology is utilized and maintained within the organization.
By taking an inventory of these elements – along with the people, skills, and cultural factors that influence how they are used – you gain a holistic understanding of the technology landscape. This insight is critical for identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and stay competitive in an ever-changing business environment.