We have all heard the phrase “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. While that is sound advice on certain things that we do in our lives, it also points to a problem many face when it comes to the modern business world. Many of us work on the thought process that the only time you need to concern yourself with issues is when something is broken, but that is an antiquated thought process in many aspects of enterprise. Your business IT, computer system and network fall into this category. You need to be proactive when dealing with
your tech, but unfortunately, many companies still rely on the old “broke/fix” method of waiting for something to go wrong before addressing it. This approach can lose many businesses productivity, and money.
WHY BROKE FIX DOESN’T WORK
The broke fix model makes sense for so many things that we use in our day-to-day life. Something in your house breaks, well, call someone to fix it. Your car breaks down, then head to a mechanic. Even some medical issues are better treated with broke/fix, after all you are not going to treat a leg that isn’t already broken.
Your network, however, is none of these things. The broke fix method worked fine thirty plus years ago, when your network was only interconnected within your office, and your computers were not always online. Back then, you had a problem, you needed a technician, but you really did not have to have one in house or on contract. Your phone lines were traditional copper wire phone lines. Most of your files and bookkeeping was done with massive piles of papers, filing cabinets, and ink. Your PC’s were mainly used for emails, word processing, and web surfing purposes, and were all attached to an in house server.
Just as with everything else in our world, your network, and therefore your network needs have evolved. High speed internet isn’t merely for giant corporations and institutions and are now part of daily life for most people and businesses. Those old, clunky servers have been left in the past in favor of the cloud. Filing cabinets are basically relics of the past, as basically everything is done on computers at this point. In addition, the notion of team members and employees only having access to the network and the data on it while at the office is an obsolete way to work at this point. Fluid workforces with multiple devices, working from everywhere has become the new norm, and for good reason.
However, it is not all a bed of roses so to speak. These new techniques and solutions come with new problems all their own. Think of your network as your office. In the past, there was only one door, which made it harder for people to come and go as they please, and easier to track who is there and who isn’t. As your office space grew, you added more doors. Now, while it’s far easier for your employees to get in, for your deliveries to be dropped off, it’s also easier for unwanted, unauthorized people to come in. It’s harder to track who is in the office, who just left, and where people are coming from. It’s necessary, but you should probably throw some cameras and keypads up to keep the office secure, right?
When you add new pathways for access into your network, and new software that requires access, you need more protection. When everything is online, and interconnected, you need more monitoring, and more expertise. Technology changes by the day, and business technology is ever evolving with new updates, new products, and new innovations that can propel your business even further. With all that comes new threats, new ways in, and requires you as a business owner to adjust your course. You can go broke by hanging on to the
broke fix model, or worse.
PROACTIVE IS THE WAY TO GO
The importance of having experts watching your network and therefore watching your back is one that cannot be overstated. In your business, each department is headed and staffed by people who specialize in their field, be it accounting, human resources, logistics, etc. Your IT needs are no different than your needs of these departments. These are full time departments, gears in the machine that is your business that need to constantly be in motion. This allows for proactive management of these functions. Having a
proactive approach to technology will keep your business better protected and more productive as it is far easier to be at the cutting edge with expert guidance.
What’s the best method to employ to find these experts? That can be dependent on a few things. Employing a full time IT professional can be costly, often times in the six-figure range. However, this does give you some piece of mind when it comes to having someone who is familiar with the ins and outs of your business, whose sole job it is to stay on top of your network. However, unless you are employing multiple IT professionals there are some drawbacks to this approach. One person can only house and execute so much information. This can mean gaps that need to be filled. Say Lyle is your IT guy, and Lyle is great when it comes to troubleshooting, but not as strong when it comes to
security. Then you need to hire a security expert as well. Well lets say both of them are lacking when it comes to advisement on trends, well then you need what is known as a CIO, or Chief Information Officer, whose job it is to specialize in what’s on the horizon and what is best for the company. This is all necessary, however I just named about 300 to 400 thousand dollars’ worth of personnel.
For most small to mid-size businesses the best approach they can take is partnering with an MSP such as Delval Technology Solutions. With an MSP you get all of the expertise, guidance, and technology that comes with employing a full time IT staff at a fraction of the cost. An MSP can serve as a guide through things such as what is the right tech for the right situation, cyber security, cloud migration and everything in between. You get a whole team of experts in different facets of the IT world, watching your back and helping you
move forward. Once more, many company such as Delval Technology Solutions offer Co-Managed IT. This means if you have an in-house tech, you are now giving them
crucial backing and bolstering their confidence and their performance, which at the end of the day helps your business and your bottom line.
Don’t wait for something to break that can possibly break you or your bank. Get proactive, have a plan, and most importantly have the tools needed to execute this plan.