If your organization’s network is slow or unreliable, it may decrease your employee's productivity. This can result in damaged relationships with customers and can result in lost business.
A network assessment will test your network’s reliability and performance so you can determine if there are opportunities to improve your network.
No one wants to have a poor-performing network that negatively affects your employee's day-to-day work tasks.
A network assessment tool will identify ways to improve your network performance enabling your employees to easily connect to the internet boosting productivity levels.
Coeo knows how important a reliable network is to an organization and has assessed the networks of thousands of customers to help improve their connectivity and employee productivity.
We want you to know what a network assessment tool is so you can determine if it can help improve your network performance.
By the end of this article, you will know what a network assessment tool is, the benefits of using one, and if it can benefit your organization.
What is a network assessment tool?
As the name states, a network assessment tool is a software tool that is used to evaluate an organization’s network.
These tools analyze the various aspects of the network related to performance and security vulnerabilities so you can identify opportunities to improve your network to avoid poor network performance.
Conducting these assessments helps your organization improve network performance to avoid poor internet connectivity so you can avoid call breakups and drops and improve your employee’s productivity if they rely on the internet to perform day-to-day tasks.
In addition, a network assessment tool will improve your network security allowing you to avoid cyberattacks that can cost your organization hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair your network.
While there are many different hardware and software-based network assessment tools most will benefit organizations looking to improve their network.
Use this free tool to learn how you stack up against your peers and learn how to stop poor network performance, reduce outages, and learn best practices for maintaining a resilient network. 
Benefits of using a network assessment tool
If your organization relies on the internet for employees to perform daily tasks, you may benefit from using a network assessment tool in a variety of ways even if you are not currently experiencing any network problems.
For example, you may have network performance and security issues that haven’t surfaced that will eventually be detrimental to your organization. Some of the benefits of using a network assessment tool include:
Improved network performance
One of the main benefits of using a network assessment tool is improved network performance.
If employees are experiencing high latency when connected to the network, there may be some issues with your network performance that a network assessment tool can help identify and solve.
Network assessment tools can help identify bottlenecks within a network and solve these issues so you can experience a faster and more efficient network.
Improved network security
Network assessment tools can also improve network security by identifying a variety of network vulnerabilities.
Weak or stolen passwords, outdated firmware, or misconfigurations can be identified by the network assessment tool so you can reduce or eliminate these security risks.
Doing so will prevent future cyberattacks and avoid damage to your network.
Cost savings
Another benefit of using a network assessment tool is the cost savings you can achieve by using one.
Improving your network performance will help you increase its efficiency enabling you to solve problems with more cost-effective solutions.
For example, if an organization is experiencing high network latency and call breakups and drops, the first instinct is often to add bandwidth or overhaul the entire network which can be very expensive.
However, if you perform a network assessment, you will understand exactly what needs to be improved and how to accomplish that.
So, for example, instead of paying for more bandwidth, you could save money by installing a more cost-efficient SD-WAN solution to improve your network performance for a fraction of the cost.
Is a network assessment tool the right fit for your organization?
Now you understand what a network assessment tool is and the benefits it provides.
However, it is important to determine if a network assessment tool would be beneficial so you can determine if your organization should take a network assessment.
If your organization has a network provider that manages your network you may not need to use an assessment tool because your provider likely uses one as part of their process to improve your network performance automatically whenever necessary.
If your employees do not notice any latency or other performance issues, you may not need to conduct a network assessment.
However, it may still be worthwhile to perform a network assessment to ensure your network is updated and performing efficiently.
Your organization may not notice every network vulnerability that exists so it is always a good idea to assess your network to avoid cyberattacks and hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs to repair it.
However, if your organization is dealing with latency issues or has recently been a victim of a cyberattack, you should strongly consider a network assessment to improve network performance and security.
Next steps to determine if a network assessment tool is appropriate for your organization
Now you understand what a network assessment tool is, the benefits of using one, and whether a network assessment tool is beneficial for your organization.
This will help you determine if you should evaluate your network using a network assessment tool.
No organization wants to have a poor-performing network that results in a lack of productivity among employees. A network assessment tool can improve network performance and improve the productivity of employees.
Coeo knows how important a reliable network is to an organization and has helped assess the networks of thousands of organizations to improve their network reliability and security.
We want you to understand what a network assessment tool is and the benefits of using one so you can determine if your organization should perform an assessment on your network.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about network reliability and security or ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment.
Now that you understand what a network assessment tool is and if it is the right fit for your organization read the article below to learn why network connectivity issues happen:
