Podcast: How to Tech for the Non-Techie

Technology spending is one of the top three expenses for most organizations, yet many business leaders struggle to engage in meaningful IT conversations. In this episode of Weaver: Beyond the Numbers, Morgan Page breaks down essential tech concepts for non-technical professionals He offers insights on how to navigate IT discussions, understand budgeting decisions and ensure alignment between technology investments and business strategy.

Key Points:

• Understanding the different layers of IT infrastructure helps clarify business impacts.
• Ensuring alignment between IT investments and business needs with a well-structured IT strategy roadmap.
• Conducting an IT audit can identify unnecessary costs and create opportunities for reinvestment.

When discussing IT, it’s important to understand the seven layers that make up your IT ecosystem: physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation and application. A recent addition to this list is the reporting and data ingestion layer, which has emerged due to the advent of business intelligence.

One common challenge in organizations is the disconnect between IT and business leaders. IT investments often feel abstract or unnecessary without a clear explanation about how they impact operations. Every organization should have a multi-year IT strategy roadmap that outlines planned technology investments and upgrades, expected business outcomes for each investment and a phased implementation approach to prevent operational disruptions. “Technology should work for you, not confuse you. Understanding IT strategy helps businesses make smarter investments and avoid unnecessary costs,” explained Morgan.

Additionally, it’s worthwhile to conduct a licensing audit to ensure you’re not paying for technology you don’t use. This exercise can reveal surprising cost saving opportunities to reinvest into your IT ecosystem.

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