In 2017, an IT failure left 75,000 British Airways passengers stranded and cost the company around £80 million. Now of course, whilst this level of loss is unlikely for a small non-profit, it emphatically underlines the potential cost and disruption IT issues can have on program delivery and budgets.

Switch from a reactive to a proactive mindset

Technical glitches cannot always be avoided but investment in solid IT foundations is very likely to save you money, improve productivity and boost your impact over the long term.

It is difficult to know where to start and if you are fighting fires every day, it is very hard to find the time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. At Clea, we think the following three core pillars of healthy IT are a great place to start:

1. Tech Assessment

What equipment do you have? Is it in working order? What software are you running? Is it up to date and consistent across your teams? Rather than fixing broken laptops and buying licenses in a piecemeal manner, it is worthwhile taking the time to jot down where you at – and what IT obstacles are preventing you from being where you would like to be.

Want help? We can look at your existing systems, hardware and software, to identify what is working well and what is going wrong. Our tech assessment will create a budget-friendly pathway to impact-boosting IT.

2. Teamwork

Is your team based in one place? Are you forever looking for certain files? Does everyone have multiple copies of the same document on their desktop or are you working together in smooth digital collaboration?  Is your inbox a never-ending nightmare?

We work with you to deliver simple user-friendly cloud-based systems that are responsive to your team’s needs. Cloud technology allows your team to work from almost any device to share files, access up-to-date project information and communicate well whether you are based in Lusaka, London or beyond.

3. Security

When was the last time you updated your network security? Do you have a password policy? Are you up to date with GDPR requirements?

Clea can help pitch the right security solution for your organisation and give you – and your donors – peace of mind.

How did you score? If your pillars are shaky, let’s chat to see how we can help reinforce and maintain your tech foundations.

Ultimately it is a false economy to wait for IT issues to become urgent. In the worst-case scenario, you jeopardise the security of your information and risk a breakdown in trust amongst your program users and supporters. Best-case, broken IT will ‘just’ lose you hours of productivity and cause frustration amongst your teams.

We exist to help. As a non-profit ourselves, we provide an affordable service that helps you maximise your existing IT capacity and build strong foundations to underpin the delivery of your core work. We will audit your setup and work with you to build a step-by-step strategy to get ahead of any issues. We provide managed IT support services for a cost-effective monthly fee and can add in bespoke tech project delivery as per your budget.