Posted by Rachel Shuster on Wed, Apr 18, 2012 @ 08:07 AM
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Here are next two ways managed IT services can strengthen your business:
4. If you have certain compliance requirements, your MSP will ensure you will be compliant. Some small and medium sized businesses may not even be aware of their need to be compliant, not something you want to overlook.
5. Your business is strong and thrives when everyone is working in their zone; researching, marketing, selling and delivering every day. Most small and medium sized businesses need to be hyper-focused on what they know and will drive results. Most often IT is not among those key and core competencies. That's ok, know what you know and outsource what you don't.
What are you considering? And, what are those questions you are asking as you decide whether to continue to in-source or you consider an outsourced solution?
Missed the first three? Check them out here.
Posted by Rachel Shuster on Fri, Apr 06, 2012 @ 01:23 PM
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Now that the scope of work is done and the implementation in underway consider how this outsourced solutions strengthens your business.
1. You do not need to scale, manage and retain IT talent. When you work with an outsourced provider you will have the best of various IT skill sets and expertise. Focus your HR efforts around your core business.
2. With a strong MSP you have the most up-to-date knowledge, resources and technology. It's critical your service provider is cutting edge, current and reinvesting in their technology and processes. Focus your investment on your own products and services.
3. Ask how technology can decrease your costs or inefficiencies and increase your revenue. Often it takes someone from the outside to assess outdated process and habits and suggest new solutions and tools to increase productivity and keep employees and customers engaged. Focus on how online tools can increase productivity.
Check back in a couple hours for the final two ways Managed IT Services Can Strengthen Your business!
Can't wait until tomorrow? Check us out on the web: www.remotehelpdesk.com
Posted by Colleen McKenna on Thu, Apr 05, 2012 @ 12:29 PM
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No question technology is overwhelming, expectations greater and it's hard to know when to continue insourcing or to outsource to certain support functions to an outside managed service provider (MSP). If there were only a help button on the keyboard!
Well, since there isn't, how do you decide whether to stay the course and navigate the tech challenges or align with an outside provider?
First, decide between insourced or outsourced services.
- Can you afford the IT staff you really need to meet the needs of your business and your users?
- Can you afford the IT staff you really need to meet needs of your business and employees?
- Can you keep up-to-date on the latest trends and options and not lose your competitive advantage and relevancy?
- Can you build out a strategy and redundancy for varying IT scenarios and emergencies?
- Are you comfortable recognizing when your current situation no longer makes sense and you pivot carefully and quickly?
- Are you prepared for the "what ifs" that have put so many companies under?
Now that you have decided that moving to a managed service provide or remote help desk services determine what you need today and what you may need six months down the road.
Why? It will help the provider understand what is important to you and where you think your business may be in a year.
They may even be able to assist in growth by accomodating various staged phases.
Check back in a couple hours to find out the first 3 ways to strengthen your business!
Can't wait until then? Visit us on the web for more info! www.remotehelpdesk.com
Posted by Rachel Shuster on Mon, Mar 26, 2012 @ 12:48 PM
Chief Technology Officer Josh Lippy Honored
On Thursday, March 22, 2012, ARHD's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and co-owner, Josh Lippy, received the "CTO of the Year" award presented by SmartCEO Magazine.
SmartCEO’s CXO awards celebrate exceptional Executive Management leaders who go above and beyond to support the needs of their businesses.
With over 15 years of Information Technology planning, management and implementation experience, Josh is a trusted advisor for ARHD’s clients. From annual budgeting to choosing the right technology for an important project, Josh operates as theCTOfor each client, providing sound technology decisions and seamless, well-executed implementations. He designs and utilizes proven technology to match the specific business needs of each company with which he works with customizable solutions.
“This is a great honor for me and AHRD,” said Lippy. “Winning this award acknowledges that ARHD’s client specific approach to IT management has proven to be a success for our customers. We have been able to make IT meet their business needs.”
By implementing the proper products, Josh is able to guarantee that ARHD can provide reliable support for any environment. His unique approach reduces the client’s stress level and maximizes the effectiveness of ARHD’s service delivery.
Josh Lippy’s focus on establishing reliable and stable customer environments and his vision for the transformation of IT into a proactive, easier to manage, defined process makes him a truly SmartCTO. His vision for the future combined with his approach to everyday support position him as a leader in his field.
To learn more about Josh and the rest of our Executive Team, click here.
To check out more pictures from the award ceremony, click here.
Posted by Rachel Shuster on Fri, Mar 23, 2012 @ 10:10 AM
This is an ARHD strength. I believe when everyone in the company reads this one we are all saying I’m doing or I’ve done this. I agree 100% and this is why we as owners have loyalty to our tenured employees.
We all have busy lives and ARHD has the motto family comes first. We care about each employee so they can have a good work/home balance and quality of life. It is my responsibility, along with management, to retain our employees. In order to do this we need to have a fair give and take. Your give is your time to perform your responsibilities, mostly during your normal business hours, but sometimes outside your normal hours. Part of our job performance (NE’s) must occur after hours due to the nature of our work. It sometimes compromises your personal life which we don’t like to do, but it comes with the territory.
As owners and managers we strive compensate our employees through various measures including incentives, bonuses, spending time with you and assisting in various ways, such as backing you up in tough times, or creating a customized career path, and being fair and reasonable.
The only way we can ask for over and above behavior is for management to go over and above for you. It’s a 50/50 thing. We must be in it together. A big THANK YOU for being flexible with your schedule when ARHD is in a pinch.
Posted by Rachel Shuster on Thu, Mar 22, 2012 @ 07:33 AM
We all make mistakes, no doubt. When mistakes occur it is management’s (could be a peer or a report going to their manager) responsibility to:
- Bring up the topic in a timely fashion
- Communicate the mistake professionally, not in a condescending fashion
- Discuss how this mistake occurred by listening to the employee and other parties involved
- Take some time and think about the crux of the issue
- Come back to the parties involved to provide feedback diplomatically
Based on these steps, the employee should be MORE open minded about understanding what occurred and accepting feedback. Sometimes its tough to take the feedback but understand this please.
We are a team, we win together and lose together. Not everything is going to be smooth. As long as we have a common goal and keep our composure everything will work out. This is part of having healthy conflict.
Click here for 7 more tips on how to accept feedback constructively.
Posted by Rachel Shuster on Mon, Mar 19, 2012 @ 09:42 AM
Given the great country we live in, we take a lot of things for granted such as our living conditions, entertainment options, awesome technology, and nice vacation opportunities. Many of these luxuries we now come to expect, especially compared to only 50 years ago when families had a black and white tv, on car, a much smaller house, and took minimal vacations. Big difference.
How does this translate to ARHD? I like to take the throw back approach a bit by providing an excellent work environment, fair compensation, and sharing in our successes. At ARHD, loyalty is rewarded with an open door policy to address issues and concerns in a very modern day business model where employees have the autonomy to make things happen.
In order to do this we must earn everything we get. The opportunity to work and continue to work at ARHD, and the trust, competence, and the 4 areas of focus we give each other is all earned. Management to employees and employees to management, ownership to management and management to ownership. Nothing is given in the long run, except rope to longer term employees. Loyalty is a big thing, an ARHD differentiator for sure. After all is said and done, we earn everything we get, the good and bad.
Parents of my generation have created an entitlement mindset with our kids that will yield softer men and women in the future. All this will lead to a harsher reality of the real world where mommy and daddy can’t help them address an issue directly with their boss. We bring the real world to you with coaching and caring! Entitlement is expecting something for nothing. What you should expect is a supportive environment to help you grow as employees and people with a quality of life where you are compensated on time all the time.
Posted by Rachel Shuster on Fri, Mar 16, 2012 @ 12:22 PM
ARHD's 4 Areas of Focus: Responsiveness, Quality Support, Communication, and Customer Service
When we execute and deliver, all 4 areas are being address well. When we don’t,at least one of the 4 areas of focus are not meeint our clients’ expectations. When more than one area is not meeting expectations, damage control by the account owner needs to occur.
Take a minute and think about how you can impact these 4 areas. We all can and do everyday. Clients can be our paying customers, co-workers, management. You are all my clients. I need to be executing these 4 areas with you everyday.
At the end of the day, poor communication (the relationship) and/or long term poor execution is what gets us fired. This doesn’t happen often. We have a choice everyday with how well we achieve the 4 areas of focus. Make the right choice
Check out Microsoft's Areas of Focus here.
Posted by Rachel Shuster on Thu, Mar 15, 2012 @ 07:29 AM
We all have deadlines. Sometimes, too many. Help Desk closing tickets for users, Engineers completing projects, Sys Admins juggling projects and break fixes, and all the deadlines office and Management handle.
Whatever your role is at work or home, this is a primary focus to demonstrate value and perception to ARHD, the client, your family, friends, etc. There’s a big ripple effect.
We all miss deadlines, and it’s ok as long as it’s the exception and not the norm. When you know you will miss a deadline, call it out with lead time. People appreciate this and know you are thinking about the impact on them. Proactively calling it out demonstrates the difference between caring and not caring about the people around you. Everyone should think about this during their interactions with co-workers.
Need help meeting deadlines? Check how 14 essential tips here.
Posted by Rachel Shuster on Mon, Mar 12, 2012 @ 07:30 AM
We all interact with clients: Service Delivery, Sales, Finance, Development, everyone. Each time we interact with a client (that client could also an ARHD employee or vendor) we need to:
- Put ourselves in their shoes
- Deliver a satisfactory outcome
- Call out issues to your supervisor when you sense something
- Follow up when appropriate
- Be sincere, professional, unemotional, humble
I’m only going to focus on point #1. When we interact with clients always put ourselves in their shoes. . It’s amazing how people treat us as customers in their daily lives. Treat people the way you want to be treated. We havea very strong character throughout the company, and we know what crappy customer service is when we see it.
In your interactions always be aware of how you are coming across. Communication is 57% body language, 36% tone inflection, and 7% the words we use. This is why we conduct body language training. Be aware of this at all times. People read or sense things. Own your world and make it a great one; it’s what we have control over.