Key Takeaways:
- Use year-end as an opportunity to evaluate how technology performed during your busiest periods.
- Identify opportunities to improve customer experience, employee productivity, and day-to-day operations.
- Address aging or underperforming technology before it creates larger business challenges.
- Prioritize technology investments based on business goals, budget, and potential impact.
- Explore available savings and resources that can help maximize your technology budget.
Your busiest periods can offer some of the clearest insights into what your business may need next. When customer demand and day-to-day operations are at their peak, it can become easier to see which technology is serving your business well- and where an upgrade could help you work more efficiently, improve the customer experience, or prepare for future growth.
Year-end is one of the best times to evaluate technology investments and put those learnings to work. By reviewing what worked and where challenges arose, you can identify priorities and create a plan for 2027. As you plan technology upgrades or other business investments, explore resources that can help your budget go further. Merchants can access the American Express Business Savings Suite for savings and resources, including a Dell Business Partnerships offer with 5% savings on eligible purchases at checkout, plus rewards and expert business support. Offer expires 12/31/26. Terms and conditions apply.
Here are practical ways to turn this year’s insights into a technology plan that supports your business priorities and prepares you for 2027.
Use your busiest periods to plan your 2027 technology needs
According to IDC research, more than 90% of U.S. SMBs plan to increase technology spending this year¹. As you plan for 2027, consider where your existing tools met business needs and where improvements could make the biggest difference.
How can technology improve the customer experience?
Start by assessing whether your systems kept up with business needs during peak times.
- Were checkout and payment processes quick and reliable, or did slow equipment create longer waits?
- Could employees easily see what was in stock and give customers accurate information?
- Were online orders processed and fulfilled efficiently?
- Could your team answer questions without waiting for systems to load or search through several different tools?
For example, if checkout delays occurred repeatedly, upgrading point-of-sale equipment or other customer-facing technology may be worth prioritizing.
According to IDC research, more than 90% of U.S. SMBs plan to increase technology spending this year.IDC Survey: 2026 U.S. SMB Market Profile Update, doc #US53325826, April 2026
Where could technology help your team work more efficiently?
Improving productivity and efficiency ranks among the top business priorities for U.S. SMBs over the next 12 months and was the second-highest priority identified in IDC research¹.
Ask yourself:
- Did employees lose time waiting for older computers or systems?
- Did they have to enter the same information in multiple places?
- Were communication tools reliable when your team was busiest?
- Did disconnected systems make it harder to manage inventory, fulfill orders, or share information?
- Are our aging devices creating security or support risks?
Consider whether new tools could help address recurring challenges. For example, AI-powered solutions may help automate repetitive tasks, create content, answer routine customer questions, or surface useful business insights.
Where could technology improve security and reliability?
Year-end is also a good opportunity to identify devices that may be nearing end of life, creating potential security, compatibility, or support challenges.
According to IDC research, security is the leading infrastructure investment priority among U.S. SMBs, followed by PC renewal¹. Reviewing aging devices and software can help you identify potential vulnerabilities before they disrupt operations.
When is it time to upgrade?
- Your devices are slower during busy periods.
- Your IT support tickets have increased.
- Your systems are unable to support newer applications.
- Your devices’ age is creating security and compliance risks.
- Your employees are losing valuable time and productivity to outdated technology.
Prioritize technology investments based on business impact
Once you've identified where technology could better support your business, the next step is deciding which upgrades deserve priority. Consider which challenges had the greatest impact on your business and prioritize investments that address those needs first.
As you evaluate where to invest, ask yourself:
- Revenue impact: Did technology limitations lead to missed sales, bookings or opportunities to attract new customers?
- Employee productivity: Did employees spend valuable time navigating slow devices, manual processes or inefficient workflows?
- Customer experience: Did technology-related delays or service issues create friction for customers?
- Business risk: Did security vulnerabilities, system reliability or operational disruptions put your business at risk?
Identifying which of these challenges had the greatest impact can help you focus your resources on technology improvements that address your most pressing business needs.
Build technology into your 2027 budget
Start by separating your technology priorities into what needs attention right away and what can wait until later in the year.
Estimate the cost of each investment—including upfront fees and ongoing maintenance costs—and consider when it would make the most sense to implement it. For example, upgrading equipment well before your next busy season can give employees time to learn new systems and work through any issues before demand picks up again.
Planning these expenses in advance can help you avoid unexpected costs and make more informed decisions.
How to make your budget go further
Exploring available savings and support can help you plan technology purchases around your business needs and budget. Merchants can take advantage of a current Business Savings Suite offer to join Dell Business Partnerships and receive 5% savings on eligible purchases at checkout, plus rewards and expert business support through Dec. 31, 2026 (terms and conditions apply).
Your year-end technology planning checklist
- Review peak season performance.
- Identify technology bottlenecks and desired business outcomes.
- Prioritize investments by business impact.
- Estimate costs, including setup and ongoing support.
- Build an implementation timeline.
- Explore savings opportunities.
Start 2027 strong with American Express and Dell
Before you close the books on 2026, use what you've learned to build a technology plan that supports your business priorities. The American Express Business Savings Suite can help support those plans with access to savings and resources from partners like Dell. Learn more about how Dell Business Partnerships can help you get ready for the year ahead with the right tech solutions.
Source: 1. IDC Survey: 2026 U.S. SMB Market Profile Update, doc #US53325826, April 2026
