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Posted on November 12th 2019
Password resets and software patches are just two of the daily challenges IT Managers face when they arrive in the office. Your responsibilities stretch from making sure the printer is working to ensuring the IT environment can support the delivery of key strategic business objectives. Here are solutions to some of the most common IT management issues you face each day.
Keeping up-to-date with patches is a constant challenge. It’s your responsibility to ensure that all of the systems that your business relies on are regularly updated. Failing to do so puts you at risk from hackers who have found exploits in previous versions of the software.
It’s time-consuming but vitally important. Just one breach can result in a loss of data or a ransomware attack and cause serious damage to your reputation. The more systems you use, the more of your working week this process takes up.
Solution: Unfortunately, there’s no quick solution that’s going to stop you from doing this. Although, there are some steps you can take to make your life easier. For example, ensure you have a strategic plan in place so that the software you’re using is always within support periods. Developers stop deploying patches and, as a result, you’re at risk of breaches.
A long-term solution is to outsource this process to an MSP like BCN. They’ll provide help with everything you’re doing now and assist with any necessary upgrades or migrations. This reduces your workload and gives you the time to focus on other work.
As an IT Manager, you’re expected to find creative IT solutions to the wider issues facing the business. It’s your responsibility to deliver IT solutions and processes that will drive the business forward and help you to stand out from the competition.
It’s not always easy to find the time to work on these top-level strategies. Your day is taken up with security checks, meetings and ad-hoc tasks that can be as simple as resetting someone’s password.
Solution: Better time management and organisational skills will only free up so much time. The most effective way to ensure you have time during the week to work on innovative projects and research industry-leading technologies is by considering outsourcing.
When working with an MSP, you can determine exactly how they’re utilised. It can be support with rolling patch management, larger tasks like cloud migrations and help from the increased number of skilled support staff at your disposal. However you take advantage of their assistance and wide knowledge pool, you’ll benefit from more free time in your calendar to focus on innovation.
The same ad-hoc IT tasks always seem to need your attention. These small but often time-consuming tasks are frustrating but important. Without you, staff would be unproductive and inefficient – even though they do take up a lot of your day.
You’d prefer to focus on how IT can support key business priorities rather than fixing the printer, resetting a password or recovering a deleted file. Managing your important daily tasks while still finding time in your calendar to work on top-level projects though, is easier said than done.
Solution: If you consistently deal with the same daily issues, then one solution can be to create a resource hub that staff can access. Include useful tutorials and guides that will help them to reset their passwords or clear a malfunctioning printer queue. Providing this information will hopefully reduce the number of times your phone rings each day.
Another solution would be to consider working with an MSP who’ll be able to understand where you’re currently allocating your time and resources. They’ll evaluate your specific situation and find bespoke solutions to ensure your time is better managed.
Remote working is good for staff and your business. It reduces costs, improves staff retention and boosts productivity too. However, it can be a headache for you. Remote working presents certain IT challenges that you’ll need to deal with.
For example, staff expect to be able to access the same software, systems and files as they do in the office. Your current setup might not allow for easy access, especially if your business relies on certain hardware that doesn’t utilise the cloud.
There’s also the added issue of security. Company data can be accessed on multiple devices from any location. It’s vital you consider the potential for data loss and theft that this presents. You’ll need to ensure your security procedures are robust enough to cope with the added challenge of remote working.
Solution: Making sure your remote staff are productive and efficient while also managing possible security risks is no easy feat. Migrating to the cloud will make processes a whole lot easier for staff, wherever they’re working. There’ll be no need to connect remotely or use a VPN. Instead, they can easily access all of the files and systems they need.
No matter where your staff are working, security needs to be a high priority. Robust email filters and rolling patches can mitigate some of the risks but the vigilance needed to keep your business safe at all times is a full-time role in itself.
Working with an MSP can resolve many of the common IT management issues you currently face. Each challenge does have its own specific solution but finding the time to implement them can be a problem in itself.
The right MSP will thoroughly analyse your existing environment and procedures to see where improvements can be made. They won’t try to change the way you currently do things just for the sake of change. Instead, they’ll listen to your concerns, address the issues you already know about and focus on the aims and goals of your business.
MSPs are not a replacement for you or your team. They’re a partner who can takeover the time-consuming daily challenges you face to give you more freedom to focus on the most important aspects of your role.
Contact BCN today.
