A technical audit is an evaluation of the technology infrastructure of an organisation. The goal is identify strengths and weaknesses within the tech stack, and ensure that it’s aligned with your goals for business. This is an essential step prior to starting a new project and gives valuable insight on how technology will perform.

Tech audits are different than IT reviews and security assessments which focus more on evaluating systems for compliance and security. Tech audits review all the tools your business uses to work, their look these up effectiveness, costs, and integrations with various technologies.

The details of a technology review depend on the person conducting it. It can be requested by a CFO who is seeking to reduce costs associated with software, or it may be driven by a leadership team seeking to be more efficient and agile.

One of the most common outcomes of a technology stack audit is that several tools are used to perform similar purposes. For instance, marketing teams might employ Asana and Wrike, while engineering may make use of Jira. The data doesn’t flow freely between departments, and there’s no single source of fact.

Un-sanctioned apps are also frequently employed by specific teams or departments. While some of these may be useful and add value, they can also pose a risk in the event that they aren’t verified for security and integrations with other technology. Tech audits give the top management the ability to see these tools and how they’re used, helping determine if they should be integrated into the overall technology stack.