Background
Many SMEs rely on hidden systems: old databases, spreadsheets, Access files, internal websites, macros, scripts, file shares, and tools built years ago by someone who has since left. The business has quietly grown around them, and your Managed Service Provider (MSP) may not have full visibility either.
Questions to ask yourself
- What systems are essential to taking orders, making products, invoicing, shipping, paying staff, or serving customers?
- Who built them, and who understands them now?
- Where are they hosted, and what data do they use?
- Are they documented, and are they still supported?
- What would happen if they stopped working tomorrow?
What you can do today
Map your dependencies, free
Three things you can do today.
- 01Print this question and stick it on the wall: “If our IT person quit on Friday, what's the first thing that would break by Tuesday?” Ask three people separately.
- 02Open your last bank statement. Every IT-related direct debit you can't match to a system is a system you didn't know you depend on.
- 03Open Microsoft 365 admin (or Google Workspace) → Active users. Cross-check every account against payroll.