IT Consultancy Archives

February 28, 2022February 28, 2022 Admin IT Consultancy

Making the Most of Your Quarterly Business Reviews

Quarterly business reviews, or QBRs, are among the most valuable tools you can use to check the health of your business. These reviews give a clear assessment of your company over the previous 90 days or so. You can use them to improve the weaker aspects of your business. Unfortunately, some companies do not get the proper feedback from their QBRs. Most likely because the quality of the QBR is not that strong.

If you do not have a managed service provider and are handling all your IT internally, then you must conduct your QBR as well, which may not be an easy task, as you will quickly see. If you have already partnered with an MSP to handle your company, they will provide QBRs. The question is whether your MSP is giving you an accurate and unbiased review or not.

How an MSP Provides QBRs for Your Business

When you hired your managed service provider, it was to help you with many of the IT-related processes in your business. As well as manage routine system procedures so that your in-house staff could concentrate on the core of your business. During the QBR, your MSP will present how their services have impacted your business.

The MSP will do this with summaries of how each aspect of the business has performed. They might also use quantitative analysis to illustrate how well or poorly the business has performed. The MSP will highlight the areas that need attention and the areas that are in good shape.

What to Expect in Your Review

The quarterly business review is your chance to put your business in the best possible position for continued growth and success. At the same time, it also functions as an evaluation of what your current IT provider has been able to help you achieve your business goals for the past quarter.

Some of the standard inclusions that you can expect in your QBR are as follows:

Review of Goals Achieved

Based on the goals and KPIs agreed upon when you hired your MSP, they will present a list of which ones have been achieved and a summary of how they accomplished them.

Assessment of Performance

The provider will also give you an overall assessment of their performance by scoring all the individual aspects that they manage for your business. Such as hardware, network security, cloud-based services, inventory, and more.

Presentation of Strategic Challenges

The QBR will alert you to the areas of your business that need special or urgent attention. If any items are at risk, they will be included in the challenges section of your quarterly business report.

Important Actions to Take after Receiving Your QBR

Upon receiving your QBR from your MSP, go through it thoroughly and use the evaluation to make your business run smoother. Increase customer satisfaction, and ultimately drive more profits.

At the same time, use the QBR to gauge the value that your current MSP is contributing to your business. If there is constant and sizeable growth, your MSP must be doing a good job.

If you want to learn more about how to make the most of your QBR to improve your business. Join us at our upcoming webinar by registering here. At this event, you can learn straight from the experts as they discuss this topic in greater detail.

February 23, 2022February 23, 2022 Admin IT Consultancy, IT Security

Be Proactive So Your Business Technology Doesn’t Fall Behind

Even fundamental operations are now significantly dependent on technology in most firms. Business owners should realize that using the latest technology is beneficial for usefulness, versatility, and overall productivity.

Adapting to the Changes

In the ever-evolving world of technology, today’s most modern and cutting-edge devices could be rendered obsolete in just a few years time. And you may have already purchased yours! Before that happens, though, you would probably have already upgraded to the newest version of the device, which will need to be upgraded again in a few years time, and so on… This phenomenon repeats itself in many other areas of our lives too – especially those connected with keeping up with the latest fashions and trends. The cycle keeps repeating itself to this day, but will it always be this way?

Reactive vs. Proactive

Most firms don’t have a proactive strategy, which is not the ideal answer due to the rapid pace of technological growth. Plan for when new technologies will be released and implement them accordingly. They will be able to keep ahead of the group in this manner. You’ll be several steps ahead of the competition by the time the rest of the industry learns about the innovations because you’ll already have them up and running in your system.

However, in practice, most organizations use a reactive strategy. Many businesses address issues only after they become chronic rather than before they become a problem. They may find a solution, but it does not make them proactive. Hardware and software updates are generally late or only done when necessary due to time, budget, or logistics restrictions.

Keeping Up with Technology’s Challenges

If you don’t want your company to fall behind the competition, you must constantly catch up with technology. It can, however, be exhausting, time-consuming, and expensive. Consider the thousands of dollars you’d have to spend every two or three years or so on new hardware and other devices. Consider how much time your employees would spend updating the company’s software packages regularly, followed by even more time learning how to utilize the new versions.

What about businesses that lack the financial resources to keep up with the frequent changes and updates? Despite these obstacles, it is necessary to keep up with technology and work toward business growth and success.

Keep Up To Date with A Dependable MSP

Would it be possible to be proactive so that your business’s technology doesn’t fall behind? There is, thankfully, a solution, and that is to hire a reputable MSP. A managed services provider, or MSP, can help businesses run more efficiently when working with IT. One of the many things they can do for your company is to take a proactive approach to technology maintenance. You won’t have to worry about staying on top of new updates or keeping an eye on your system for indicators of trouble. Because they’ll take care of it. Let’s look at some of the more noticeable advantages that utilizing a proactive approach to your IT can provide.

Improved Safety

The tools used by hackers and cybercriminals are evolving at the same rate as corporate technology. Being proactive, an MSP should provide cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions to protect your data and business from online threats. They’ll find weak spots in your system that need to be strengthened and address them to keep your business safe and allow for speedy recovery in the event of an attack.

Little Downtime

When a system fails unexpectedly, the entire organization could endure significant downtime as your in-house IT staff tries to get the system back online. Business operations will essentially halt at this time, and you will most certainly lose a significant quantity of money. The majority of downtime may be minimized or avoided altogether with the assistance of an MSP. Regular preventive maintenance, and system updates, can be scheduled around business hours to minimize the impact on business operations.

More Efficient Performance

It’s not only about avoiding difficulties when you’re proactive. It’s also about boosting productivity and streamlining corporate operations. By integrating shared applications and automating business processes, you can dramatically improve your organization’s performance.

Last Thoughts

Staying current with technology relevant to your organization takes a lot of time, effort, and money. Fortunately, if you have a dependable MSP, it is a lot easier and more cost-effective. If you’re unsure if your provider is giving you the best options, use these 7 audit questions to verify their performance. Give us a call if you’re not happy with what you’re getting from them. We’ll discuss the technology we’ll employ to keep your company ahead of the competition.

February 9, 2022February 9, 2022 Admin Digital Marketing, IT Consultancy

The Impact of Technology on Business Growth

Information technology has advanced tremendously in the last couple of decades. This growth has led to countless innovations in different areas, particularly in our businesses. Technology makes our daily office routines easier and more efficient.

But how exactly can technology help businesses to grow? Here are some of the most useful and versatile tools commonly used by business owners today.

Cloud Computing Technology

Although some business owners are still hesitant to use cloud storage. There is no doubt that cloud computing has become the choice of most business owners because of its numerous benefits. Better resource management, higher efficiency, business portability, cost-effectiveness. These are just a few reasons why businesses have made the switch from on-site to cloud services. And the cloud eliminates the need to purchase physical hardware. Just about all the applications and services that you need to operate your business are available on cloud platforms.

Business Automation

Running a business involves many time-consuming tasks that are tedious to do manually. Some of the tasks include client data collection, billing, process monitoring, and payroll. Through technology, most of these tasks can now become automated, freeing up a lot of time and reducing overall expenses for the business.

Information Security

One of the risks with the digital age is the constant threat of online attacks. Hackers are always lurking, waiting for a breach in the system so they can steal your data or wreak havoc on your network. Secure storage and the highest level of network protection are some of the options you can use to protect your business against these attacks.

Remote Work Technology

Working remote has significant benefits, which many people have only come to realize in the last couple of years. By utilizing technology, many people can accomplish their work without commuting to the office every day. This change saves time and money and ultimately increases productivity. Also, it enables you to improve your business by working with experts from around the world simply by connecting with them digitally.

Resource Management

The bigger your business gets, the harder it is to manage company resources properly. Whether it is finance, equipment, or travel expenses. These resources need to be managed well to ensure the continued success of your business. Fortunately, technology offers several ways of handling these kinds of company resources. An IT services provider can help you automate many of the processes through integrated programs that can run on their own. Freeing up time for your employees to do more important tasks for the business.

Mobile Technology

Business operations have improved considerably, thanks to mobile technology in the workplace. Faster and more efficient communication among employees is just one of the benefits that your organization stands to gain. Mobile technology also allows for more interactive touchpoints for a better customer experience. It simplifies vendor management, enhances network security, and gives you easier access to experts for consultation, among many others.

Open-Source Software

Open-source software is arguably one of the best tools these days to help any business grow. A wide variety of open-source software solutions are available that can help grow any business, regardless of size or industry. You do have to identify the areas in your business that will benefit the most from this technological innovation. Depending on your needs, you can use open-source software for improving your business in the areas of e-commerce, multimedia, security, workflow management, server software, and so on.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are so many ways that you can utilize technology to grow your business. With the right tools and proper implementation, you can enjoy multiple advantages and stay ahead of your competition in several aspects. So, you should make sure that you are working with a reliable MSP that can help you experience all these benefits.

If the results that you are getting from your current IT service provider are just a fraction of what we have mentioned. Then maybe it’s time for a quick check. Answer these 7 questions, and if your provider fails the test, don’t worry! Just let us know, and we will come to the rescue. We will come over to fix what needs to be fixed and get your business on the path to continuous growth and long-term success!

January 29, 2022January 28, 2022 Admin IT Consultancy, IT Security, Productivity

Use Technology For Onboarding and Offboarding

Technology plays a crucial role in the smooth operation of your business, regardless of the industry you are in. Even the most old-fashioned business owners have accepted that they need to utilize technological innovations to keep up with the competition and deliver the best service to their clients.

Indeed, technology contributes to almost all aspects of operating a business. However, to this day, many companies are still not maximizing the benefits that automation can give, particularly in the onboarding and offboarding process.

How Technology Helps with Recruitment and Offboarding

It is common for employees to come and go in any job position. A smooth offboarding process makes it possible to part ways amicably. In addition, you must have a quick onboarding process for new hires. This process ensures continued productivity and minimizes disruption of the overall workflow. Technology can do wonders to expedite both of these processes and make the adjustments easier.

The Onboarding Process

Before starting their new job, new hires typically spend a lot of time filling out HR documents, getting to know their coworkers, and training for their new role. These are all essential parts of the onboarding process. Technology makes these processes much more efficient.

Paperless Forms

Many companies today still require new hires to come in before their official first day of work to fill out piles of HR forms, many of which are highly repetitive. This antiquated step is quite surprising when you think of how easy it can be to put these forms online and have the new hires fill them out at their convenience. They can do it on their computers or mobile devices, and the auto-fill feature will also let them finish much faster.

Digital Introductions

In between starting a new job and adjusting to a new work environment, a new employee already has more than enough to handle for the first day at work. Introductions are part of the process, but you can’t expect a new hire to remember all the names and faces of their co-workers in just one go. Most companies now prefer digital introductions.

Instead of everyone accosting a new employee by saying hi and introducing themselves personally, they can record a short video introduction instead. The new employee can watch these videos before their first day to get an idea of who they will be working with.

Online Technology Training

Online training has many advantages over traditional classroom training for new employees and employers. Each trainee has a unique learning curve, so putting them all together in one group won’t give them the most out of the training. While some may want to move more quickly, others may choose to review the previous topics before moving on.

Online training allows everyone to learn at their own pace and style. This choice is why it is recommended that employers use technology to their advantage. To give new hires the best experience of this part of the onboarding process.

The Offboarding Process

In order to prevent any disruptions to the business or workflow, it is necessary to adhere strictly to established protocols. When an employee leaves their position due to death, resignation, or other cause.

Manual Offboarding

Many companies handle offboarding manually, like by sending emails and making phone calls. But in some cases, this can be risky if the organization is not very strict in implementing policies. Many people who feel they were unfairly terminated might still have access to company accounts or confidential information for criminal purposes.

Offboarding Checklist

The only way to circumvent all these problems is by being extremely thorough in your procedure. There is a long list of things to take care of when an employee leaves, and you must check your list carefully. All of the company’s property, such as laptops and cell phones must be returned. The former employee should no longer receive wages after their last day at work!

Automated Offboarding

Manual offboarding jobs can be overlooked. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about that if you opt for a fully automated offboarding process. Automating the process will ensure accuracy and consistency. It will also help with compliance and all the legal requirements you must meet.

Enjoy Fully Automated Onboarding and Offboarding with the Right IT Service Provider also known as Managed Service Providers.

For those who want to reap the benefits of an automated onboarding and offboarding process. Your Managed Service Provider can take care of it.

On the other hand, if you already have an IT team handling the process. But you are not sure if they are doing a good enough job, you can recommend these 7 questions for audit. Find out once and for all if you are getting what you are paying for. Or if you are getting nickel and dimed. If you need to change your IT Provider, let us know! We will efficiently handle your onboarding and offboarding, as well as any other business process you need!

January 23, 2022January 23, 2022 Admin IT Consultancy

How To Interview An IT Provider

Companies rely on technology for different aspects of their business. From sales and marketing to purchasing and payroll, just about everything is done with online systems. If any of these systems fails, the business flow is disrupted, leading to a loss of customers and profits. This issue is why you must have a reliable IT service provider to fix and prevent such mishaps. Interview and hire the right team.

Awareness of the Red Flags in the IT Industry

Before you start looking for an IT managed service provider, you must learn about the red flags in the IT industry so that you will know which IT companies to avoid. For instance, some companies will nickel and dime you for every little thing or charge you unnecessarily for services you don’t need. Look out for those who communicate poorly or can’t assist you with cybersecurity insurance. You can read more about all these red flags in our Top 5 Red Flags in the IT Industry blog.

Employing an Internal IT Guy vs. using the Break-Fix Method vs. Hiring an MSP

These are the three common ways a business might hire tech support. Each method has its pros and cons, as we’ve discussed in our Your IT Guy vs Managed Provider blog, and you should weigh these pros and cons carefully to figure out the best approach for your business. However, in most cases, hiring an MSP proves to be the most cost-effective and practical way to get high-quality IT support.

Possible Reasons for Firing Your IT Guy

There is a noticeably high rate of premature termination of tech support specialists these days. It’s not necessarily because of lack of skill or competence, but mostly an attitude or lack of professionalism that leaves companies with no choice but to fire their IT guys. Some are not transparent with their fees, and the client will be surprised to see unexpected charges come due at billing time. Some will communicate with a condescending tone when discussing technical matters, and some will give you poor customer service. In our 5 Reasons Why Companies Fire IT Guys, we talk about these possible reasons and how they can affect your business in a very negative way.

Important Questions to Ask During the Interview

Now that you know the potential problems that can arise with hiring the wrong IT specialist, it is even more important that you find the most suitable person for the job. A lot of it depends on the interview and the questions you ask. Depending on the answers, you should gauge whether the person is worthy of being hired or not.

Customer Service

It is important to know the quality of customer service they can provide if you hire them for your company. Are they easy to contact, and will they get back to you immediately if they are unavailable when you call? Do they offer guarantees of completing tasks on time and budget? Can they explain technical matters in simple language and enable the client to understand what is going on?

Network Upkeep

Find out what kind of service they will provide when it comes to the upkeep of your network. Will they do continuous monitoring of your system and provide regular status reports? Will they have exclusive access to your system, or can they provide your in-house staff access as well? Is their network support plan all-inclusive, or do certain services come with additional fees?

Disaster Recovery

In the event of a data disaster, will they be able to restore the system with minimal downtime? Do they perform regular tests on backup data to ensure that everything has been saved correctly? Do they offer a contingency plan that will allow your business to continue operating even while they restore your system following a disaster?

Providing Support

Do they have the expertise that matches your business needs? Do they provide 24/7 support, or do you need to wait for office hours before getting assistance? Is their support team based in the US, or do they use remote tech specialists in other countries?

Cybersecurity Insurance

Many tech companies do not offer adequate assistance with cybersecurity insurance applications. Ask right away what kind of help they can provide when you apply for cybersecurity insurance. Will they help you get approved, and will they help when you file claims? These might seem like a lot of questions to ask, but they are necessary if you want to find the best IT managed service provider for your business. In addition to answering your questions, a qualified IT provider must be able to give you a list of references when you ask for them. Once you interview and pick the right candidate, you can avoid stressful problems and focus more on the primary goals of your business when IT issues are off your plate.  Contact us to learn more about how we can help you!

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Resources: IT Consultancy