Category Archives: Manage Service

Do You Have An Effective And Valuable IT Help Desk?

Manage Service, ,

Your IT help desk is more essential than ever for your company to run smoothly.

It is almost time for the office to close on a Friday. Your boss is expecting to receive a report from you. You attempt to print the report, but nothing happens when you hit the print button. You decide to call your help desk, but no one answers the call. How are you supposed to receive help from the help desk when no one is available to help you?

You are already having problems that are stressing you out. You do not need any added pressures, nor do you need any excuses about why someone cannot help you with your problem. Thankfully, this does not have to keep happening. IT Help Desk support is available to help you. There are a few traits that can make an excellent help desk.

Attention To Customer Service

Everyone does not have the ability to be a part of an IT Help Desk. An IT Help Desk team should consist of a professional and experienced engineer. The IT Help Desk engineer will need to work at a fast pace, but every call should be treated with attention and care so the caller will feel important.

Callers should understand the words members of the IT Help Desk team are using. Callers should have a clear understanding of what to expect in terms of a response and a resolution. If a caller has a simple request, the caller should be able to have their problem resolved while they are on the phone or participating in a chat conversation.

The IT Help Desk Process

An effective IT help desk will have the proper processes in place to handle any type of process. No one wants to hear that a member of the IT help desk team will have to contact you later because he or she has to check something. No caller wants to hear that a member of the help desk team has never seen a particular problem before.

An effective IT Help Desk system will be able to diagnose and dispatch any issue to the appropriate person so callers will have a fast resolution. An IT Help Desk that is efficient and effective will be able to create a report on how long it takes to begin working on a request once the request has been submitted. A report should also be made about how long it takes to resolve the problem.

There will be issues that will require higher abilities and knowledge and those issues should have their own processes. If the service desk is closed, who should be contacted after hours? The IT Help Desk should be as efficient and effective as possible at all times.

IT Help Desk Tools

Before an IT Help Desk service engineer can understand how to use the equipment, tools, and software that is needed to fully support your infrastructure, engineers and members of the IT Help Desk team will need to be available. If you want to have an effective IT Help Desk, you will need to make sure you have the right tools and resources in place.

Some of the tools you will need to have an effective IT Help Desk include the following:

  • A comprehensive database that is used to host company and customer information
  • A ticketing system that can be used to create service tickets
  • An automated system that can actively monitor the servers and infrastructure

The tools you need are designed to save you time so you can place more attention on improving your business operations. The tools and resources you use should not hinder your process. If you want to have a valuable business or organization, you need to have a valuable IT Help Desk. Does your IT Help Desk have all the right moving parts?

Contact us today for more information on how to have an effective IT Help Desk.

Managed IT Services: Common Misconceptions That Surround Outsourcing IT Services

Manage Service, ,
VOIP, communications, remote, phones, technology, systems

Outsourced IT services are less complicated than you think.

While many companies are choosing to outsource their IT needs to a managed service provider, you are not alone if you are hesitant to make the switch to managed IT services, as there are many misconceptions about hiring an MSP. However, these misconceptions could be damaging to your business in the long-run, as a managed service provider can help to improve the security and efficiency of your business. To help you make an educated decision about whether or not hiring an MSP would be right for your company, take a look as we debunk a few of the most common myths and misconceptions that exist regarding outsourcing IT services.

MSPs Are Expensive

One of the main reasons many businesses are hesitant to outsource their IT needs is that they believe that a managed service provider will cost them more than in-house IT services; however, this is far from the truth. In fact, the most common reason companies make the switch to an MSP is due to the extent to which outsourcing IT can save them money. When you partner with an MSP, you are only paying for scaled IT services as you need them. This often represents substantial savings when compared to the costs of paying full-time IT personnel. Additionally, when you rely solely on an in-house IT department, you will also have to spend significant amounts of money investing in, and researching, the latest IT technology in order to keep your business secure. However, with a managed service provider, these costs are spread across all of the MSP’s clients, helping to further save you money.

Only Large Companies Use MSPs

There is also a misconception that only large companies use, and benefit from MSPs. While it is true that many large businesses use a managed service provider, small businesses actually have the most to gain by partnering with an MSP. The fact is that smaller businesses often have limited resources, which can make it difficult to maintain a sufficient IT department. This can be particularly difficult for growing businesses, as you may find that your needs are constantly exceeding the capacity of your IT department. By partnering with an MSP, you can access the services your company needs at an affordable price, and you can scale your services to meet your changing needs and budget. Partnering with an MSP actually gives small businesses a competitive edge by allowing them to access world-class technology and services they would not otherwise be able to afford.

We Can Do The Same Thing in House

Of course, perhaps the most prevalent myth surrounding outsourcing IT services is that many businesses believe that they can get the same level of service from an in-house IT team that they would get from an MSP; however, whether or not this is true comes down to resources. The fact is that it takes a large IT team with diverse specializations to meet all of the technology and security needs of any business. If you do not have a sufficient IT team, you may find that efficiency is reduced and that your business’s security is put in jeopardy because you do not have access to the right resources. However, MSPs hire only the best IT professionals who specialize in various aspects of IT management, maintenance, research, and development. They have the resources necessary to ensure that your business has everything it needs to maximize its security and efficiency.

These are just a few of the misconceptions surrounding managed service providers that cause businesses to forgo outsourcing their IT needs. Contact us to learn more about the services we provide as well as to learn more about how your business could benefit by partnering with a managed service provider.

IT Monthly Management Reporting Can Lead To Success

Manage Service, ,
IT, IT reports, information technology

IT reporting can be a recipe for success.

As in several other industries, the information technology sector is facing a familiar debate about the production of IT reports. Should IT reports be created to increase success? Can the production of IT reports help your business maximize its value? While IT reports can be used to increase success and lead to greater development, if there is no way to gain insight from the data, will it be worth it to complete the IT reports?

In the IT industry and other industries, these two questions are asked often:

  • How many support tickets did we have this month or last month?
  • What was the average length of time to resolve the support tickets?

If the reports you produce are not able to answer the above questions and other questions, you will not have the ability to support your IT department the way you need to. Also, the success of your IT department will be hampered.

Today, IT reports can be created with ease and with great detail due to the advancements in technology. We are living in the digital age, and it should be easier to create the IT reports your department will need to answer some of the most common questions. The IT monthly management reports you create today can be more powerful than the IT monthly management reports you created a decade ago because the reports can include a wealth of essential details.

What is an IT Report?

An IT report will consist of key performance indicators(KPIs) that you need to track over a period of time. The key performance indicators you name can be used to assess a variety of situations that will relate to the following:

  • help desk concerns
  • project management
  • operational costs
  • revenue data
  • help desk resolution times

Regardless of what you want to assess in your IT reports, your IT reports should be valuable and insightful. Your IT reports should also align with the missions, goals, and objectives that have been established by your business. It is important to remember that your IT reports do not have to track every indicator because this can result in an overwhelming amount of data.

Understanding Your Business Goals

When you have a better understanding of your business goals and objectives, you will have a better chance of choosing the key performance indicators that matter most to your business. With the right key performance indicators and metrics, you will be able to use your IT report to view the data that has the most value and the strongest impact. Your IT reports can be the connection you need to help your business run as smoothly as possible.

How Can An IT Report Help You?

When you are creating your own business strategy for your business or your IT department, it is important to have a clear identification of your goals. When you have a clear understanding of the goals you want to achieve, the IT reports can be used to help you achieve those goals. The IT reports will include the information you need to make the right steps. The reports will also be able to help you identify what you have achieved and what the results of those achievements were.

It is important to use IT reports in the correct way. If you are reporting data that does not have an impact on your business, it could have a negative impact on the department or your business as a whole. You do not have to struggle with the creation of IT reports or deal with bad reporting. Contact SystemsNet today to find out how you can improve the success of your IT department.

How Small Businesses Can Outsource All Your IT Needs

Manage Service, , , ,
Small business owner on the phone with outsourced IT company with questions holding a tablet

Are you spending too much time in IT and not enough time on your other business needs?

The business world has changed significantly in the last twenty years, especially when it comes to your business IT management. Never has it been more expensive to keep an in-house IT expert, or more accessible to outsource. With unemployment at an all-time low and demand for technical skills at an all-time high, startups and small businesses don’t stand a chance in the hiring frenzy for IT technicians of any kind. Salaries and benefits packages are on the rise and competition is fierce even among tech giants who could once have hired anyone they pleased.

IT Outsourcing for Small Businesses

So how does a small business stay cutting-edge and tech-savvy (or just keep your website and office computers functional) in this environment? It’s easy, you outsource! The thing about the current tech-industry environment is that the technicians know they’re in high demand and like any healthy market, that demand is being met!

There are now many types of outsourceable IT services available to serve small-business needs at small-business prices. As long as you’re willing to share. And hey, you don’t need full-time IT anyway. Just someone to help keep your website afloat and fix the computers when they get mischievous.

Full-Service Website Hosting & Maintenance

The best place to start is with your website. Every business needs a website, and you certainly don’t need an in-house developer to get one, then host and maintain it with all the necessary considerations. All you need is a full-service web hosting provider. Start by hiring a web developer contractor to build you an awesome website that can be managed with standard controls, ensuring that it has all the necessary security measures and features and is not made in WordPress, which is hacker-bait.

Next, host that website with a reputable hosting service like Azure, AWS, or Digital Ocean who also provide managed security hosting and website maintenance packages. Website IT solved until you decide to hire another temporary web-dev for an update.

On-Site Computer Repair Services

You don’t need an IT employee for your on-site office equipment support either. In most small businesses, the computers need direct physical servicing once in a blue moon. If you are leasing or renting your equipment, the leasing company often has a repair service available who will help you keep your computer, tablets, printers, and such in good condition in addition to installation and setup. Most cities also feature more than a few on-site computer repair services who would be glad to count you as their occasional clients.

So if a computer starts doing something you don’t understand and needs direct support, a local repair service can help over the phone or send a technician right over to fix it. So that’s in-house device IT covered as well.

Managed IT Service Provider(MSP) & Cybersecurity Team

Finally, there’s your network setup and business data security to consider. Your company’s network security is critical to everyday functions from managing inventory to keeping customer information safe from hackers. And you don’t need an in-house IT employee to take care of that either. There’s already an entire industry of service IT known as MSP for Managed Service Providers. Yes, the name is vague, but it’s definitely IT.

MSPs specialize in network, server, and software stack IT services from installation to ongoing maintenance and upgrades. And, of course, they’re prepared to take care of all your cybersecurity needs for these aspects of your business tech as well. With your cybersecurity and network management covered, that’s all your business’ IT needs neatly outsourced without a single recruiting competition for a high-priced in-house IT staff member.

Whether you’re a new startup trying to protect your cash flow or a practical small business looking to keep up-to-date on today’s complex IT business demands, there’s no need to join the War for Talent for in-house IT. Not when there are such convenient and reasonably priced outsourcing options made precisely for your small business needs. If you are putting together your outsourced IT stack for services as you need them, when you need them, contact us today! Our MSP team would be proud to help your small business manage your IT expertly from your software stack to your network security.