Systems Management & Configuration Strategy

This question asks if your company has a unified approach to managing and configuring all your technology infrastructure - from servers and cloud services to company laptops and employee phones. Think of it as asking whether you have a master plan for keeping all your technology organized, secure, and properly configured, rather than managing each piece separately without coordination.

Having a comprehensive systems management strategy directly impacts your ability to prevent security breaches and maintain operational stability. Without it, you risk configuration drift leading to vulnerabilities, increased downtime from mismanaged systems, and failed compliance audits that can block enterprise deals. A strong strategy demonstrates maturity to prospects, reduces IT costs through standardization, and enables rapid scaling without security compromises.

Many companies claim to have a strategy but only manage servers while ignoring mobile devices or cloud services, creating blind spots attackers exploit. Another mistake is having documentation that looks good on paper but isn't actually followed by the team, which becomes obvious during security incidents or audits.