While running a business, there's a good chance you'll need to work with IT support services from time to time. How you deal with the situation can be as important as how the folks who provide IT solutions do their work. Follow these four tips to improve the way you interact with the process.
1. Audit and Inventory Your Systems
At places with numerous machines working, it's important to have a complete inventory of all the hardware you operate. In addition to computers, you should conduct a complete audit to identify cellphones, modems, routers, printers, servers, and other devices that are on the network. Being able to identify the hardware and what all of it is running will make things vastly easier when you have to discuss problems with your IT support services provider.
One bonus of conducting an audit is you might stumble over some things. For example, running software to detect machines on the network may help you spot moochers who are using your Wi-Fi. If you're not comfortable conducting this sort of audit yourself, a professional can assist you.
2. Get Familiar with Basic Computing Terminology
If you don't know your computer's OS from a hole in the ground, it's time to study a little bit about computing and the basic terminology. Learn the difference between software and hardware, too. Bring this knowledge to bear will make it many times simpler when you need IT support solutions. You'll likely feel less frustrated during the process.
3. Develop and Deploy Computing Systems Policies
This is a job most IT support services technicians will be happy to help you with. Your goal is to determine what privileges each user on your network gets. Everyone will be granted the least amount of privileges required to do their jobs effectively. This will ensure that someone working at the front desk, for example, won't have access to the salary files on the back office server.
4. Learn About Your IT Solutions Provider
It's important to know the capabilities of your services provider, too. For example, can they set up software that will allow them to create remote help sessions? Are they able to handle issues with mobile devices? Do they work on just Windows systems, or can they handle problems with Apple and Linux devices? Before you choose a company, it's critical to understand what they can and cannot assist you with.