the four steps to solve business tech problems€¦ · technology problems is to correct the...

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PRESENTS

The Four Steps To Solve Business

Tech Problems

By: Steve Haviland

Think of I.T. Computer Services

506 Seventh Street Wichita Falls TX 76301


I assume you are reading this because you have some sort of technology problem at your business. It could, in fact, be negatively impacting your ability to get your work done. Speed is essential in getting it fix and your “IT” folks, if you have them, are working on the problem now.

What if I told you that your problem is bigger than your current technology issue? After many years helping businesses with their technology, I have observed that the true solution for most technology problems is to correct the underlying business issues.

Within this guide, I outline five easy steps to help you identify these underlying business problems, how the solutions should be performed, and how a true professional gives you the know-how to really fix your tech issues.

Step 1: Get A Professional Assessment

How will you permanently fix operational issues caused by broken computers,

networks, or software? Without knowing where you are, it is hard to direct you to where you should be. Therefore, your IT service provider should gain some insight into the health of your technology by utilizing a software tool to understand what technology is deployed in your organization. Pieced together with how you use that technology to run your business, your IT service provider will understand your mission critical technology and what must evolve over time to keep you in tip-top shape. A stellar IT service provider should also provide you with a detailed summary of the assessment. Your report will clearly define what your current investment in technology is. It will also identify any recommendations to permanently fix related problems while considering your business goals for growth and scale based on a detailed SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. You will even receive a thorough network diagram for your visual reference. I highly recommend using these documents for planning. In short, the goal of your assessment is to uncover the deeper business process issues that lead to technology problems, which contribute to operational issues.

“It is impossible to know where you are going, without knowing first where you are.”

Unknown


Step 2: Prioritize Recommendations and Create Tasks Use your recommendations identified through the network assessment to reduce

operational problems. A useful network assessment report should provide you with reasonable recommendations, such as creating a disaster recovery plan, purchasing new hardware, or investing in cloud technology. I’ve never seen a network assessment report that didn’t have at least one recommendation on it. You shouldn’t accept one either. Without recommendations, your technology issues will remain the same or gradually get worse. Then make a serious examination of your budget, timeline, business goals, operational requirements, and determine when you will reasonably be able to make the changes required to resolve your issues. For most, it isn’t possible to address every issue on the report at one given time. Therefore, I would suggest getting assistance from your IT service provider on prioritizing what changes to focus on first, second, third, etc. After all your IT service provider should now be very familiar with your unique environment and requirements. Use the recommendations section of your network assessment report to outline your project plan. Identifying the person responsible for the task increases the likelihood of the job getting done. Here is an example of what your execution plan with a task list of responsible individuals might look like: Recommendation: Replace Server Task 1 Due: Feb 2 Create backup of old server Owner: Bob Task 2 Due: Feb 5 Create specifications for new server Owner: Joe Task 3 Due: Feb 8 Purchase new server Owner: Jane

Step 3: How not to Fail When Executing the Plan Now execute the plan!

Thus, the true work begins. I like this quote “no battle plan survives contact with the enemy” (Helmuth von Moltke the Elder). Simply because problems will arise. It is inevitable. It could be minor issues that can be worked around, such as a part not arriving on time. Or it could be more challenging like when an outage is caused by a server that when offline (powered down) unexpectedly. The more difficult and complex issues must be addressed by your management team. I have found that unexpected issues tend to give the impression that things are worse than expected, not getting better.

“The thing that keeps a business ahead of the competition is excellence in execution.”

Tom Peters


Your IT service provider should help you develop a contingency plan to outline steps to take when dealing with catastrophic failure, such as during a network upgrade. Resistance to Change Be aware too that people are creatures of habit. We tend to not like change. We tend to resist it. For example, I really love my iced coffee from my favorite coffee shop. I don’t want a substitution from what I want, and I will fight against any changes. Same is true for some and the technology they use at work. When implementing new technology system or process, there will be a reluctance to adapt. Have no fear! This is normal, and it will dissipate over time.

Minor Operational Road Bumps Expect some to forget their passwords. Some might even have unexpected access restrictions or some other minor operational hiccup. It’s all par for the course. No reason to panic. Just have a plan for support. Step 4: Measure and Reassessment

Your business environment will start to see significant amount of productivity

improvement with minimal support cost after two to three months after the start of the project.

You should never stop working on your technology, even when you see significant improvement in your operations. The end of a technology project is time to measure the success and reorganize your business goals for growth.


Your IT service provider will help you to keep track of your on-going support requests. Your own internal metrics will help you to understand how your staff productivity, customer experience and expenses have changed. Some common questions to ask about your project may include:

• Am I receiving fewer support request?

• Have I been able to save capital or operational expense?

• Is my customer experience better?

• Are my employees more productive?

BONUS: Reevaluate Schedule when you will reassess your network assessment. Then you should determine

if you have completed all you can to improve your technology to meet your business goals.

Ask:

• Are there other changes that need to be made?

• How has your companies SWOT changed since improving operations?

In the end, technology in business is intended to accomplish three things.

• It should help you control cost in some way.

• It should help you service your client better.

• It should make you more productive.

By following these four steps, it is my hope that you realize a distinctive improvement in your operational performance.


About Think of IT Computer Services

Think of IT Computer Services began in 2009 as a small business. Located in Wichita Falls, we specialize in aiding organizations with their technology challenges. We provide services that allow our clients to focus on their primary objectives, not their technology. We strive to proactively resolve issues prior to them becoming a problem; thus, reducing risk and aiding future planning efforts. Our Capabilities Include:

• Custom Voice and Data Cabling

• Network Design

• Local (LAN) and Wide-Area (WAN) Networking

• Customized VoIP Telecommunication Systems

• Network Maintenance

• Equipment Replacement

Timelines (Failure Risks)

• Data Management / Backups

• Network / Data Resiliency

• Disaster Recovery Solutions

• Telecommunication and Data Network

Documentation

• Network Implementation

• Managed Service Provider (MSP)

• Custom I.T. Policies and Procedures

For More Information about Think of IT Computer Services, call us at 940-692-1119 or visit us online at http://thinkof.it.

http://thinkof.it/

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