Almost every organization has a few: the spreadsheet that holds a critical process together, the old server nobody wants to touch, the workaround someone set up during a busy week that is still running three years later. Technology people call this technical debt. Like financial debt, it is not always bad to take on, but it carries interest, and ignoring it can get expensive.
A process that only one person knows how to run
Manual steps that exist because two systems were never connected
Shared logins used because setting up individual accounts took too long
A spreadsheet that has grown into a database without anyone planning it
Equipment that no longer receives vendor updates
Software versions that are too old to patch
Network devices with default settings or undocumented changes
Firewall rules added for a one-time need and never removed
Backups that were set up once and never tested
No record of how things are configured
Passwords kept in notebooks or in someone's head
Vendors whose contracts and contacts cannot be found
Unsupported systems and unpatched software are common entry points for attackers, and healthcare organizations hold information that makes them attractive targets. Outdated tools can also make it harder to meet your obligations under the HIPAA Security Rule, which expects reasonable safeguards and regular risk analysis. And practically speaking, every workaround costs staff time every day.
Ask the people who do the work. Staff know where the awkward steps are. Ask, "What do you do every week that feels like it should not be necessary?"
Inventory your systems. List every application, server and device with its age, owner and support status.
Look at your help requests. Problems that come up again and again point to underlying debt.
Review risk assessments and audits. Findings that were deferred are debt.
Check the "what if" questions. What if this person left, this device failed or this vendor closed? Single points of failure are debt.
Not everything needs fixing right away. Score each item on two simple questions:
Risk: If it fails or is attacked, how bad is the impact on residents, operations or compliance?
Cost of living with it: How much time or money does it consume each month?
Items with high risk and high cost go first. Low-risk items that are merely annoying can wait or be handled opportunistically.
Setting aside even a small, regular portion, such as a few hours each month or a line in the annual budget, is more effective than waiting for a crisis. Without protection, urgent requests always crowd out the cleanup.
When you touch a system for another reason, take a moment to remove the obvious shortcut or document it.
Set a lifecycle for hardware and software, and plan replacements before support ends instead of after.
Write down how critical processes work and make sure at least two people understand each one.
Old accounts, unused software and forgotten servers all add risk. Removing them is some of the cheapest debt reduction available.
Sometimes a quick fix is the right choice. When you take one, write down what it is, why you took it and when you plan to revisit it. A visible list keeps temporary things from becoming invisible.
Debt is easier to fund when decision makers can see it. A one-page list of top items, with risk and rough cost, turns a vague worry into a plan.
UnityCare IT can help you inventory your technology, identify the items that carry the most risk and build a realistic, paced plan to retire them without disrupting your daily work.
An outsourced IT department with proactive maintenance and one number to call.
Call or text: 405-285-3845
New customers: start@unitycareit.com
Existing customers: support@unitycareit.com
Address: UnityCare Technologies, 2524 N Broadway Ste 554, PMB 947974, Edmond, Oklahoma 73034-4172