A technical audit is an assessment of the technology infrastructure of an organization. The aim is to determine weaknesses and strengths within the tech stack, and to ensure that it is in line with your business goals. It’s a crucial step to consider prior to beginning a new project and provides an important insight into how the technology will perform.
Tech audits differ from IT reviews and security assessment, which are focused more on assessing systems for compliance and security. Tech audits evaluate the tools your company uses for work, their efficiency as well as their costs and integrations with other technologies.
The specifics of a tech audit depend on who is conducting the audit. It can be requested by a CFO who is seeking to reduce costs associated with software, or it may be guided secure data repository by a management team seeking to be more efficient and agile.
A tech stack audit often shows that different tools are employed to perform the same tasks. For instance, engineers might utilize Jira, while marketing teams might use Asana and Wrike. This means that the information isn’t flowing easily between departments and forming a single source of truth.
Another common observation is that non-sanctioned applications are being used by certain departments or teams. Some of these apps may be useful and have value but they can also be a source of risk, especially when integrations and security aren’t vetted. A tech audit could give the leadership a better understanding of the tools they use and how they are utilized, allowing them to determine whether they are appropriate to integrate into the larger technology stack.