Information Technology

5 Key Areas That You Should Always Look To Outsource

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In business, everyone will always have their own way of doing things. Some prefer to micromanage, others want to take a step back, and some will prefer to only keep their toes in what’s going on. And whatever works out for each business the best, is often the greatest solution for them. However, from here, there’s also the great debate of working out where you sit when it comes to the idea of hiring in-house or outsourcing. Both options come with their ups and downs, but when you look at outsourcing, it’s hard not to be impressed by the benefits. Because when you outsource a certain function or area of the business, you’re going to save yourself time and money. And the best part is that you’ve got experts working on it, so you know that it’s going to be done properly. So let’s take a look at the five key areas you should consider outsourcing.

Customer Service

First of all, you have your customer service. And this is always the first thing to think about outsourcing. But we’re not just talking about sending it off to some company that can just take it off of your hands. Instead, you need a dedicated company that is going to be able to do a much better job than you can. Because keeping your customers happy should be at the core of everything that you do. So you need a service that will be able to talk to your customers from all angles and really ensure that their needs are met and queries are taken care of.

HR

When it comes to HR, there’s often a lot that you need to cover off. And it can be overwhelming. There are a lot of rules and regulations that you need to, and making mistakes is not something that any of us wants to do. But when you outsource to a specialist company, you don’t have to worry about it. You know that the team will be taking care of everything, keeping you legal, and ensure that your staff are looked after.

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IT

When you’re busy, you do not want to be dealing with computer issues. So this is where IT support comes in. By hiring the right support company, you don’t have to worry about downtime or having to deal with issues yourself. It will all be taken care of for you.

Finance

Next, you’ve got finance. And this one can be debatable, but unless you want to bring a full team in to take care of things, outsourcing your finance department could be what you need. After all, you need to keep your eye on the prize, so things need to be taken care of expertly.

Sales

And finally, you’ve also got your sales department too. If you know that you’re not great at making sales, and you really don’t have the time to take this on, then bringing in a specialist sales or business development company will not only save you time, but it will be in the best interest of your business.

How Well Do Your Know Your Computers?

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Computers are fantastic inventions that have enabled us to be incredibly productive at work and at home. However, computers are still a mystery to many people and it’s understandable considering how complicated they are and how many parts they involve. However, we believe that it’s important to understand how your computer works, what it’s capable of and how you can make the most of them.

So whether you’re moving into a new office and equipping it with new computers, or if you just want to learn more about the technology that you use in your business, we’ve prepared a thorough article that will teach you everything you need to know.

A rough understanding helps you cut future costs when purchasing hardware

As with many other industries, it’s important to have a rough understanding of something before you make investments in it. If you understand how computers work and the value of the parts, then you can easily cut future costs by purchasing second-hand or refurbished hardware instead of brand-new from manufacturers. With this rough understanding of computers (a simple course) you’ll be able to make some huge savings. 

Equipping your employees with the right tools will help their productivity

How much do you know about your computers and their costs? Do you know how satisfied your employees are with them? If you want to equip your employees with the right hardware and tools, then it pays to have a deeper understanding of the tools they use, the software they require and so on.

Computer slowdowns and errors are a common cause of low productivity

You may have experienced crashes and slowdowns in the past with your computer systems, but had no idea how to deal with them. By learning about computers and their errors, you could easily fix common problems without having to call out an engineer or tech specialist. If your business suffers from computer slowdowns and errors then you’ll likely experience staff lazing around and nothing productive. With just a bit of experience, you can easily fix any common errors before they have a chance to become annoying and ultimately slow down your business.

Software can do more than you might initially think 

If you have a large number of computers in your workplace then you might be considering managed IT support to help you look after your computers. This is to help you keep your software updated, to ensure that your programs are installed properly and to also inform you on how you can use different types of software to help you grow your business.

Conclusion 

Computers are an integral part of any business, but it’s also important to understand how they’re used, how they work and also what they’re capable of.

Devious Dealings: Handling An Errant Employee Properly

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Providing a comprehensive security in your business isn’t just relegated to your IT infrastructure, you have to consider the human aspects too. There are some industries where this can be low down on the priority list. But, there are personal issues that are very difficult for a business to deal with. An errant employee, either one who isn’t pulling their weight, or is even committing fraudulent activities on site, is something that every entrepreneur and business owner can have a struggle with. Firstly, it reflects poorly on the business if any employee does anything to undermine the company, but also, dealing with the person can be a very sticky situation. So, generally, how can you deal with the person, but also, how can you make sure that this doesn’t happen again?

Astute Observation

For something like an employee committing fraudulent activities on site, you need to make sure you gather enough evidence. Nowadays, there are so many different approaches to collecting this data, there are companies like WesTec Services that provide video security, so you can see exactly what is going on. On top of this, if the offending employee knows how to cover their tracks, you may need to spend a lot more time developing more sophisticated ways to keep tabs. You have to be very careful when amassing evidence, because if you are accusing someone of something that they will flat out deny, whether it’s a criminal offence, or if it’s something relating to their personal attitude towards the work, you need to ensure that you can display this evidence clearly before progressing with any form of punishment or feedback.

The Punishment Matches The Crime

For something like criminal behavior, it’s more clear cut; it’s usually an instant dismissal. But when it comes to making sure that the person who isn’t pulling their weight in a business is adequately punished, this is where semantics is best discussed. Especially, with regards to HR rules and regulations, you need to make sure that you are developing the member of staff appropriately, and not punishing them needlessly. Learning and development, as well as constructive criticism are things that will help, but also, implementing specific deadlines can be something to ensure that they are taking the feedback seriously. This is why quarterly reviews and one-to-one sessions are so beneficial now.

Give A Clear Message

It’s a very overused sentiment, using someone else “as an example”, but it’s important that you give a message to the other members of staff who are going down this slippery slope. For something like criminal activity, an instant firing can give the right message to the employees, but for those employees who are underperforming, using someone as an example is certainly a great way to make sure all that other workers are performing to standard. In addition to this, this communicates to clients and people outside of the company that you have a handle on dealing with these types of employees appropriately.

It’s very difficult from the perspective of a business owner, because you have your own reputation as well as your business’s reputation to maintain. You don’t want these types of employees to show up your company, and this is why you have to have something in place that deals with these errant types effectively.

Why Entrepreneurs Should Outsource IT

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When it comes to managing a business in the modern world, there is no getting away from the fact that most entrepreneurs will rely on IT to keep their operation moving forward. That means those people have to decide between employing computer specialists in-house or outsourcing the job to professionals. Today, we’re going to discuss some of the reasons the latter option is most suitable. With a bit of luck, anyone who reads this post will have no doubts left in their mind about the value of outsourcing IT and why it’s vital to the success of their venture. There are hundreds of specialist firms out there just waiting to jump into action on behalf of your brand.

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Reason 1: Outsourcing IT saves money

Firstly, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that outsourcing IT services is going to save your company a lot of money. That is because you might only need assistance from your chosen partner a couple of times each month. So, it doesn’t make sense to employ someone in-house who will spend most of their working day twiddling their thumbs. Instead, you should entrust the task to an established and experienced brand with an excellent track record. Not only will you save money on wages, but you will also ensure you minimize any downtime.

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Reason 2: Outsourcing IT boosts productivity

Companies that offer managed IT services can help your venture to become more productive overnight. That is because those experts will conduct assessments and make recommendations based on your use of computer technology. There is a reasonable chance the specialists working for your chosen brand will come up with ideas that will assist you in reducing workloads and boosting profits. For example, they might tell you to use a new automated software package that removes the need for data entry.

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Reason 3: Outsourcing IT protects your company

No business owner knows when their company might fall victim to a hacking attack. There are hundreds of thousands of expert cybercriminals out there just waiting to penetrate your system and steal your most valuable documents. IT specialists understand the risks you face more than most, and they’re always willing to take a look at the protections you have in place, and then make recommendations on how you can improve and ensure hacking never becomes a problem. IT professionals will develop disaster recovery strategies for your employees to follow too!

Now you know about some of the primary reasons you should think about outsourcing IT this year; it’s time to speak to your trusted managers and team leaders so you can come up with a plan for the future. When it comes to discovering the best IT company, ensure you read as many reviews and testimonials as possible online. Some firms are better than others, and you need the best minds in the industry if you want the desired outcomes. Reading what clients thought about the service in the past should give you an indication of whether or not they were satisfied with the experience.

What To “Tech Away”? To Build Or Buy Your Computer Infrastructure?

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When pushing forward as a dynamic entrepreneur, there are so many different aspects to keep a handle on. For most of us, technology is quite an alien concept, and, because there is such an importance on having the right server package, as well as an inappropriate IT infrastructure in place, it can seem like quite a big expense. So, either the topic of outsourcing comes to mind, or, whether you can harness the appropriate balance in house and build your own IT infrastructure. This is something that lots of people now do to build your own, or is it better, and cheaper, to buy?

To build…

Building your own IT infrastructure, whether it’s a server or a vast system, requires a lot more prior knowledge, of course. But in building your own server, there are many different things you have control over. In terms of how you are building the system, you will have the final say over every aspect of the system. From the circuit board design, all the way up to the data capacity, which is great in terms of wanting to save money. Building every little aspect of the system does require the best people on board. If you have limited assistance at your disposal, you will have to put more money into finding the best people for the job. This can be an expense upfront, but it can be worth it further down the line. In addition to this, by having the appropriate staff members on board that have this finite knowledge, you can utilize their unique skills when you want to expand the business. This does sound quite complex as a startup opportunity, but this is why so many of them outsource to external companies…

To buy…

To buy the server, or even to outsource to an external company, means that you have, to an extent, relinquished control over your IT infrastructure. While so many IT support companies make their living supporting startup companies, this means that you are in capable hands. Lots of these companies provide servers that are scalable depending on the success of your business. They can also provide 24-hour help, which might not be possible if you decide to build a server in-house. And while you are paying for this service, lots of these providers can charge through the nose, but some are cheap, depending on what you want out of your IT infrastructure. This begs the question, what do you want from your server? You have to crunch the numbers, especially if you are after considerable results from your tech.

But, in conclusion, this is why so many businesses decide to outsource in the first place. It’s simply, a solution that they don’t have to deal with in house. But, this does mean relinquishing your control to an extent. If you are an entrepreneur that has the overall vision of everything under one roof, this can be a fly in the ointment. So, you need to ask yourself if you can make sacrifices now to make room for this  infrastructure that is purpose built, or if you need to get the business up to a certain level and so, outsourcing becomes the only option. Budget is always the big takeaway from these issues, and you need to check the figures first.

Help Your Business Grow Through Virtual #CTO Services

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CTO Services are vital IT Services required by all business entities. The services offered by the IT software consultants are inclined majorly towards the strategic planning of the website, applications, online learning etc. CTO services are a group of services assigned to the key professionals offered by the IT software consultancy firm in a large organisation.

Key IT professionals involved in providing CTO as a Service

Chief Technology Officer

When dealing with small and medium-sized businesses, the role of the Chief Technology Officer is to align their strategical curriculum and ensuring the smooth functioning of the IT systems. The CTO deals with the overall planning and strategy of the business plan making sure the business objectives are achieved, and values justified.

Chief Information Officer

A properly planned and strategically analysed CTO service offered by the Chief Information Officer for large organisation requires a high experience and high expertise in the industry. It deals with achieving and supporting the enterprise goals and objectives.

Trusted Advisors

The trusted advisors will provide the company with ideal web solutions for their technological queries.In case your SMB is encountering technical issues, these trusted advisors will be the first one to provide you with perfect web solutions.

Key Roles of a CTO (Chief Technology Officer)

Understanding the Business drivers

The Chief Technology officer holds an important position in a consultancy firm and provides responsible dealing with small or large scale businesses. It understands the vital role of business drivers in the market for ideal and optimum business exposure.

Meeting Business objectives

It ensures the accomplishment of the business objectives by understanding the radial flow and ideologies of the business drivers.The CTO as a service provides an immediate web solution, strategic analysis of the business plan etc.It also maintains a balance between the technological advancement and SMB growth in the market.

Alignment of values

It also keeps in mind the alignment of the company values with the strategic planning making sure the moral attributes of the consultancy firm is justified. Once the CTO finds the streamlining of the company values with the business planning it becomes easy enough for the further planning and detailing of your business project.

CTO as a service for growing SMB’s

CTO as a service is specially designed for small and medium-sized businesses as not every organisation hires a CTO on a full-time role. The services majorly include :

  • Proper management of Internal IT teams
  • Analysing business plans and strategies
  • Management of External IT Teams(Outbound)
  • Executing On-site Audits

The CTO services as stated above are the major attributes related to the growing small and medium businesses(SMBs). CTO consulting adds a lot to your already optimised business plans ensuring that the long-term vision of the company is achieved.

Benefits of taking up CTO as a Service

Small and medium businesses(SMBs) when taking up CTO as a service to facilitate an interrupted growth of their company are looking forward to  :

  • A planned business Strategy
  • An Immediate Web Solutions
  • Good Project management
  • Strategic Advice
  • Offshore development

In addition to the aspects mentioned above of CTO as a service, most importantly it is a direct cost to result service and provides an immediate result to your investment making it a unique and mandatory services in the market right now.

Technological advancement and the growth of digital media in all the spheres of the Industry has pushed the SMBs to expand their services and quality of work. And therefore incorporate CTO as a service offered by large consultancy firms.

Author Bio: James Fordham is the owner of Zenith Information Systems a principal learner and a tech-savvy who is always found tinkering with software and technology, especially the ones related to cybersecurity.

 

 

How to Choose the Right Work Laptops for Your Business

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Most modern-day businesses require owners to get a laptop for each of their team members. If this is the case with you, putting some extra effort into finding the right work laptops is a good idea. However, with so many laptops and deals offered by tech stores, choosing work laptops for your business can be overwhelming. However, with some help, you should be able to make the right decision and provide our employees with the machines they need for their work. Therefore, let’s take a closer look at our guide for choosing the right work laptops for your business.

Figure out your budget

There’s no need to say that your budget plays a significant role in choosing the right work laptops. Fails to figure out your budget before you start shopping for laptops and chances are you’ll end up overspending. On the other, you don’t want to go for the cheapest laptops out there since they’ll probably cause your team members a lot of problems. The key here is to figure out how much you can spend and stick to it when choosing your laptops.

Depending on how much money you’re working with, there are different laptops you can consider buying. For example, if you realize that you simply can’t afford to buy top-notch laptops for your employees, you might want to stick to cheaper machines. Just bear in mind that this means your employees will have limited storage and slow performance. We recommend buying such laptops only if your employees will use them for nothing but browsing the web. But if you’re able to spend more on your work laptops, you’ll be able to get more powerful models that’ll suit all of your employees’ computer needs.

Compare the important specs

Of course, you’ll need to take a closer look at the specs of every laptop model you seem to like. It’s critical that you go for the laptops that fit all of your employees’ needs.

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First of all, there’s CPU. The quality of your laptops’ processor has a huge impact on how usable they are. This means you’ll probably want to go for midrange or high-end CPUs, which means Intel Core i5 and i7 processors are something you just can’t go wrong with.

Opting for a laptop with enough memory and storage is extremely important. Still, this is also where you’ll first want to think about what your employees are going to need. For example, if Microsoft Word is the only thing they’ll need to use, 2B RAM laptops might be enough. However, it’s always a good idea to go for laptops with 4GB RAM or more.

Another thing to have in mind when choosing your work laptops for your business is battery life. No matter what kind of work you do, you’ll probably want laptops with long battery life that can be used on the road. This means that opting for laptops such as Lenovo X1 laptop with 11-hour battery life is a smart move.

Choose the right operating system

Another important decision you’ll have to make is which operating system you’ll want your employees to use. It’s recommended that you stick with the same operating system for each of your new laptops since you’ll want every employee to be able to use each of our new work laptops. Therefore, when buying you’ll want to choose between laptops that are run on two most popular operating systems out there – Apple OS X and Windows OS.

Apple OS X is something many business owners decide to go for. This is the case because there are plenty of die-hard Apple fans who’re willing to pay more to get a beautiful interface. While Apple OS X-run laptops are a great option, bear in mind that they usually carry hefty price tags.

Windows OS is the standard option for small businesses. Not only that going for Windows means there are more laptops to choose from, but it also guarantees you all of your employees will know how to use them. On top of this, Windows machines are available in every configuration possible which means you’ll be able to find laptops that fit into your budget easily.

Go for the right design

When choosing work laptops, you’ll also want to go for the right design. This is especially the case if it’s in the nature of your business for your employees to spend multiple hours in front of the screen. Therefore, going for laptops with a comfortable keyboard is your safest bet. Larger keyboards are your safest bet since typing on a miniature keyboard can be very tiresome.

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Portability is another aspect of your work laptops that you’ll want to have in mind when choosing your work laptops. If your employees spend a lot of time traveling, going for smaller and more portable laptops is recommended. So, make sure you check the dimensions and weight of every laptop model you like before you make any final decisions.

New hybrid laptops are constantly gaining more popularity. Basically, these machines can work as a laptop and as a tablet, depending on what your employees need at that point in time. Again, we recommend thinking about how your employees are going to use the laptop and determine whether they might need a hybrid laptop or not.

Purchase your work laptops

Once you’ve narrowed down your choice, it’s finally time to make your final decision on which work laptops you should go for. If you’re still unsure which laptops you should go for, you can always take some extra time to read reviews online and put more time into comparing specs.

Guest author, David Webb, is a Sydney-based business consultant,online marketing analyst and a writer. With six years of experience and a degree in business management, he continuously informs the public about the latest trends in the industry. He is a regular author at BizzmarkBlog. You can reach him on Twitter or Facebook.