What Is a Tech Audit?

A technical audit is an in-depth review of a company’s technology infrastructure. The objective is to discover strengths and weaknesses within the technology stack, and ensure that it’s aligned with your company’s goals. This is an important step prior to starting a new project, and it provides valuable insight into how the technology will work.

Tech audits are distinct from IT reviews and security assessments which focus more on assessing systems to ensure compliance and security. Tech audits review all of the tools that your organization uses to do work, and then analyze their effectiveness, cost, and integration with other technologies.

The details of a technology audit will depend on the person conducting the audit. It might be requested by the CFO looking to reduce the cost of software or by a group executives who want to be more productive and agile.

An audit of the tech stack often will reveal that different tools are utilized to perform the same tasks. For instance, engineers might employ Jira, while marketing teams may use Asana and Wrike. The data isn’t flowing freely between departments, and there’s no single source of fact.

Un-sanctioned applications are also commonly used by certain teams or departments. Certain apps could be beneficial and provide value, but they could also pose risks, especially if security and integrations are not thoroughly vetted. An audit of technology can give leadership visibility into what these tools go now are and how they’re utilized, allowing them to determine whether they should be integrated into the larger technology stack.