Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Friday, 19 November 2010
IT Outsourcing
A Recent survey has shown that Businesses in the current climate are looking at cutting their IT costs by Outsourcing part or all of their IT. These companies are demanding flexibility and access to skills within these support contracts to assist them in their cost cutting exercises whilst retaining the Efficiency & Effectiveness of their IT Support.
By outsourcing this area of expertise companies can further focus on more important matters and wouldn't need to train their current employees. This alows a firm to concentrate on its core competencies, thus increasing the chances of further sucess in their business environment.
Companies have aligned their services within this framework for over 5 years ensuring that skills are constantly updated and has made sure that the flexibility in its contracts and services favours our clients.
There are a number of elements in IT Support Contracts that greatly assist our clients including: Full outsourcing of IT Department or Partial Outsourcing to assist current staff as well as full CRM based Helpdesk Management system. There are dedicated onsite engineers either full or part time and no Overtime/Out of Hours. IT Outsourcing is definitely the efficient and effective way to go.
There are also many advantages to outsourcing:
Overall staff costs reduced
Benefit from a pool of engineers
No dependencies on single people
Holiday cover
Sickness Cover
Escalation path to vendors (ie. Microsoft)
No training costs
Improved service as policies are already in place
Directors/managers need not worry about IT and can concentrate on other areas of the business
This level of IT outsourcing can greatly enhance a companys competitive advantage and increase their edge in the market. It can allow a company to focus on its core priorities and therefore run more effectively. All in all in provides a great advantage to any business whether they are looking for a complete overhaul of their IT systems internally, or whether they are requiring just a relatively small assistance within their IT support.
By outsourcing this area of expertise companies can further focus on more important matters and wouldn't need to train their current employees. This alows a firm to concentrate on its core competencies, thus increasing the chances of further sucess in their business environment.
Companies have aligned their services within this framework for over 5 years ensuring that skills are constantly updated and has made sure that the flexibility in its contracts and services favours our clients.
There are a number of elements in IT Support Contracts that greatly assist our clients including: Full outsourcing of IT Department or Partial Outsourcing to assist current staff as well as full CRM based Helpdesk Management system. There are dedicated onsite engineers either full or part time and no Overtime/Out of Hours. IT Outsourcing is definitely the efficient and effective way to go.
There are also many advantages to outsourcing:
Overall staff costs reduced
Benefit from a pool of engineers
No dependencies on single people
Holiday cover
Sickness Cover
Escalation path to vendors (ie. Microsoft)
No training costs
Improved service as policies are already in place
Directors/managers need not worry about IT and can concentrate on other areas of the business
This level of IT outsourcing can greatly enhance a companys competitive advantage and increase their edge in the market. It can allow a company to focus on its core priorities and therefore run more effectively. All in all in provides a great advantage to any business whether they are looking for a complete overhaul of their IT systems internally, or whether they are requiring just a relatively small assistance within their IT support.
IT Support and IT Efficiency
One major factor of IT Efficiency is Cost. Do I go for a pay-as-you-go service that will not cost the earth or do I go for a pro-active support solution that will guarantee that my IT will move forward with my company? The answer to this question may seem to be down to cost however it shouldnt be.
The answer to this question is within another question; How much do I value my IT and do I really want to move forward? Let me explain, if as a Director you can appreciate the power of the Internet and the power of IT you will always want to have a pro-active IT partner in place.
Such a Partner will monitor the Infrastructure on a daily basis, ensure that backups and virus updates have been completed successfully. They will be heavily involved in the IT strategy of the organisation, and will continuously look at technologies that will assist you in not only being efficient & effective but to provide added value.
Ask yourself this question, do you want to have to call your IT partner to tell them that your server has crashed and no-one can work or do you want them to know that it crashed and get onto the problem before you can even pick up the phone? Having to call is a reactive IT partner, knowing it crashed is a semi pro-active partner.
Is there another higher level? Of course, IT partners that have monitoring systems in place that flag any major or minor issues on their systems is the highest level. Generally small minor problems or errors can grow into major problems such as server crashes, email systems failing etc.
The highest level of pro-active support is to use these monitoring systems to resolve issues before they become critical errors. As a business owner/director, do you spend the extra to ensure that you have a fully pro-active IT Partner? Of course you should.
The answer to this question is within another question; How much do I value my IT and do I really want to move forward? Let me explain, if as a Director you can appreciate the power of the Internet and the power of IT you will always want to have a pro-active IT partner in place.
Such a Partner will monitor the Infrastructure on a daily basis, ensure that backups and virus updates have been completed successfully. They will be heavily involved in the IT strategy of the organisation, and will continuously look at technologies that will assist you in not only being efficient & effective but to provide added value.
Ask yourself this question, do you want to have to call your IT partner to tell them that your server has crashed and no-one can work or do you want them to know that it crashed and get onto the problem before you can even pick up the phone? Having to call is a reactive IT partner, knowing it crashed is a semi pro-active partner.
Is there another higher level? Of course, IT partners that have monitoring systems in place that flag any major or minor issues on their systems is the highest level. Generally small minor problems or errors can grow into major problems such as server crashes, email systems failing etc.
The highest level of pro-active support is to use these monitoring systems to resolve issues before they become critical errors. As a business owner/director, do you spend the extra to ensure that you have a fully pro-active IT Partner? Of course you should.
IT Support with IT Partners
The level of IT Support is now fully Pro-Active, but we have another problem. IT Partner A looks after your Servers PCs and Printers, IT Partner B looks after your website or eCommerce, Partner C looks after your Telephony system and Partner D looks after your applications.
I am sure that if the above is the case you will have experienced situations where IT Partner A says that the fault described is nothing to do with them and to call IT Partner D, Partner D then says it is nothing to do with them and you should call IT Partner A or B. You are probably nodding your head and raising one eyebrow.
So we have high levels of pro-active support from all the IT Partners however we are now in a pass-the-buck situation. I can list dozens of cases and examples where I have personally seen and experienced this scenario and I have to say it is incredibly frustrating when the IT system is down.
Equally as frustrating, you will be drawn into these situations trying to mange all the IT companies and trying to get one of them to take ownership so that your company can start operating efficiently again. After all not only are you acting as headmaster or referee but your staff are sitting at their desks with no IT system. You are losing money in more than one area.
What can you do about it? Are there IT partners around that are true one-stop-solution providers? Are they any good? Can they be experts in all areas of IT? These kinds of companies are sparse however they do exist. Many companies claim to provide a one-stop-shop but if you look at their website and talk to them you will quickly see that they are not as one-stop as you may think.
With a team of pro-active, professional and friendly engineers SDS offers exceptional support whether you are a company requiring Small Business Server Support or a large enterprise.
I am sure that if the above is the case you will have experienced situations where IT Partner A says that the fault described is nothing to do with them and to call IT Partner D, Partner D then says it is nothing to do with them and you should call IT Partner A or B. You are probably nodding your head and raising one eyebrow.
So we have high levels of pro-active support from all the IT Partners however we are now in a pass-the-buck situation. I can list dozens of cases and examples where I have personally seen and experienced this scenario and I have to say it is incredibly frustrating when the IT system is down.
Equally as frustrating, you will be drawn into these situations trying to mange all the IT companies and trying to get one of them to take ownership so that your company can start operating efficiently again. After all not only are you acting as headmaster or referee but your staff are sitting at their desks with no IT system. You are losing money in more than one area.
What can you do about it? Are there IT partners around that are true one-stop-solution providers? Are they any good? Can they be experts in all areas of IT? These kinds of companies are sparse however they do exist. Many companies claim to provide a one-stop-shop but if you look at their website and talk to them you will quickly see that they are not as one-stop as you may think.
With a team of pro-active, professional and friendly engineers SDS offers exceptional support whether you are a company requiring Small Business Server Support or a large enterprise.
IT Industry Support
How do you know that an IT Partner is a true one-stop-solution provider? Look at their services and see whether they offer everything that you would classify as IT.
Do they provide consultancy and support, offer websites, develop applications, provide CRM systems, Telephony systems, pro active monitoring, Digital CCTV, Remote access, Asset Management, Presentation systems such as Plasma displays and Interactive Whiteboards. A more relevant question would be Do I have anything IT related within my organisation that they would not be able to deal with?
In addition to offering all the above, a true one-stop-solution provider should have vendor partnerships in place to ensure an extra level of customer protection. If a Windows Server issue cannot be resolved, do they have the support in place to get assistance from Microsoft? Are they partners? Better still are they Gold Partners?
Do they only have one or two vendor partnerships or are they partners with several vendors? This is normally a good indication of the level of an IT Partner as these partnerships are monitored and guidelines are in place to ensure quality.
From over 18 years experience in the IT industry and working with many companies ranging in size from 5 users to over 7,000 it is clear that the IT in an organisation is generally seen as important. However the level of importance is the sticking point especially when costs are involved. Too many directors/managers see the figures on a proposal and instantly dismiss them.
The directors that have a true understanding of the value of IT look at the figures and see how that quotation will save them x amount of staff time on IT failures, x amount of extra revenue in selling their products online, x amount of staff time saved with fully integrated systems. Once the proposal is seen in this light it becomes clearer and more obvious that this is the way forward and needless to say with an IT Partner that will be Pro Active rather that Reactive.
Contact Swift Digital Solutions Limited for your IT Support London
Do they provide consultancy and support, offer websites, develop applications, provide CRM systems, Telephony systems, pro active monitoring, Digital CCTV, Remote access, Asset Management, Presentation systems such as Plasma displays and Interactive Whiteboards. A more relevant question would be Do I have anything IT related within my organisation that they would not be able to deal with?
In addition to offering all the above, a true one-stop-solution provider should have vendor partnerships in place to ensure an extra level of customer protection. If a Windows Server issue cannot be resolved, do they have the support in place to get assistance from Microsoft? Are they partners? Better still are they Gold Partners?
Do they only have one or two vendor partnerships or are they partners with several vendors? This is normally a good indication of the level of an IT Partner as these partnerships are monitored and guidelines are in place to ensure quality.
From over 18 years experience in the IT industry and working with many companies ranging in size from 5 users to over 7,000 it is clear that the IT in an organisation is generally seen as important. However the level of importance is the sticking point especially when costs are involved. Too many directors/managers see the figures on a proposal and instantly dismiss them.
The directors that have a true understanding of the value of IT look at the figures and see how that quotation will save them x amount of staff time on IT failures, x amount of extra revenue in selling their products online, x amount of staff time saved with fully integrated systems. Once the proposal is seen in this light it becomes clearer and more obvious that this is the way forward and needless to say with an IT Partner that will be Pro Active rather that Reactive.
Contact Swift Digital Solutions Limited for your IT Support London
Sage CRM and IT Support
Sales Forecasting & Reporting Accurate, timely forecasts allow Sales Reps and Managers to make their own assessments of all leads. Ensure leads are never lost. Point & Click reporting and graphs to allow sales teams to access data for on the spot analysis.
Account & Activity Management
Escalate and reassign leads/cases to ensure the employee most qualified to handle the situation addresses your client's needs. Configure alerts to trigger literature fulfilment, follow ups, call backs, and much more
Graphical Reporting Graphical features of reports to allow you to filter data any way you choose. Use system default reports or create your own. For more complicated reports SDS can custom built to match your requirements. Manage Vital Opportunities & Leads
Tracking of leads from first contact to final sales. Manage and analyse all current and historical account details, enabling your sales team to easily identify and recruit new clients and resell to existing ones.
Territory Management
Assignment rules to automatically route leads/cases to the right sales rep or technician based on territory.
Quotes and Order Entry
Generate sales proposals automatically using local customer currency, customs, taxes. Access is available on current product information.
Build/Maintain Profitable Customer Relationships
Deliver superior customer service by having the most up to date and complete customer information at your fingertips. Information captured on your customers creates cross sell and up sell opportunities.
Enhanced Outlook Integration
Share you Outlook contacts, tasks, appointments into Sage CRM MME. Work through your Outlook client window to reduce clutter. Synchronise incoming and outgoing emails to individual and relevant cases building a tracking history.
Time Management
Onscreen reminders, alerts, email notification and automation of tasks using Workflow to improve speed. Individual Tasks and Calendars as well as department Tasks and Calendars are available.
Self Service
Enable clients to log their cases via the Internet allowing them access to up to the minute data. Develop the self service component into your website for seamless integration. Manage the workflow of your cases to increase efficiency in your company.
Access Anywhere, Anytime
Work offline or online over the network or the Internet, seamlessly synchronise between the two. Work from anywhere in the world over secure channels.
Account & Activity Management
Escalate and reassign leads/cases to ensure the employee most qualified to handle the situation addresses your client's needs. Configure alerts to trigger literature fulfilment, follow ups, call backs, and much more
Graphical Reporting Graphical features of reports to allow you to filter data any way you choose. Use system default reports or create your own. For more complicated reports SDS can custom built to match your requirements. Manage Vital Opportunities & Leads
Tracking of leads from first contact to final sales. Manage and analyse all current and historical account details, enabling your sales team to easily identify and recruit new clients and resell to existing ones.
Territory Management
Assignment rules to automatically route leads/cases to the right sales rep or technician based on territory.
Quotes and Order Entry
Generate sales proposals automatically using local customer currency, customs, taxes. Access is available on current product information.
Build/Maintain Profitable Customer Relationships
Deliver superior customer service by having the most up to date and complete customer information at your fingertips. Information captured on your customers creates cross sell and up sell opportunities.
Enhanced Outlook Integration
Share you Outlook contacts, tasks, appointments into Sage CRM MME. Work through your Outlook client window to reduce clutter. Synchronise incoming and outgoing emails to individual and relevant cases building a tracking history.
Time Management
Onscreen reminders, alerts, email notification and automation of tasks using Workflow to improve speed. Individual Tasks and Calendars as well as department Tasks and Calendars are available.
Self Service
Enable clients to log their cases via the Internet allowing them access to up to the minute data. Develop the self service component into your website for seamless integration. Manage the workflow of your cases to increase efficiency in your company.
Access Anywhere, Anytime
Work offline or online over the network or the Internet, seamlessly synchronise between the two. Work from anywhere in the world over secure channels.
IT Support
IT Support has become very important of the last few years as business try to function in an efficient manner to suit customer's requirements. In an increasingly competitive business climate, IT can be the difference between success and failure.
When your computer systems fail and something goes wrong, you need a quick response to ensure the problem is resolved with the minimum amount of hassle. Software is now available on the market which allows companies to solve these problems quickly.
Common problems can be related to hardware malfunction, data loss, security, spam and spy ware. The impact of these types of problems can be high and reduction in confidence as well as productivity can be seen when these problems occur.
This is why IT support and consultancy is so important and without this many businesses would be at a loose end. When considering your IT support make sure you think about time and support given. These are the key areas when determining what type of IT Support to go for.
Further to this, make sure you know what systems are in place to ensure the management of your computer systems are of the highest standard. Advice and support should be given at every point and this is particularly important when deciding what type of hardware and software is ideal for your business.
Ensure you ask the right type of questions and this will lead to a smooth transition when you IT systems do fail. This area is of extreme importance and be sure to do your research and choose the ideal company that is suited to your business needs.
All in all, if this is done properly it will give a company the peace of mind to concentrate on what is important for the business rather than being bogged down with IT related problems.
When your computer systems fail and something goes wrong, you need a quick response to ensure the problem is resolved with the minimum amount of hassle. Software is now available on the market which allows companies to solve these problems quickly.
Common problems can be related to hardware malfunction, data loss, security, spam and spy ware. The impact of these types of problems can be high and reduction in confidence as well as productivity can be seen when these problems occur.
This is why IT support and consultancy is so important and without this many businesses would be at a loose end. When considering your IT support make sure you think about time and support given. These are the key areas when determining what type of IT Support to go for.
Further to this, make sure you know what systems are in place to ensure the management of your computer systems are of the highest standard. Advice and support should be given at every point and this is particularly important when deciding what type of hardware and software is ideal for your business.
Ensure you ask the right type of questions and this will lead to a smooth transition when you IT systems do fail. This area is of extreme importance and be sure to do your research and choose the ideal company that is suited to your business needs.
All in all, if this is done properly it will give a company the peace of mind to concentrate on what is important for the business rather than being bogged down with IT related problems.
We offer an optimum level of service when it comes to novell zenworks or small business server support. If you require more information please visit http://www.swift-ds.co.uk/ |
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