A growing number of companies are becoming reliant on using technology to not only keep in touch with customers but to aid employees to complete their duties efficiently and with precision.
Whatever the size of your company or the field you operate in, IT support is essential to ensure that your business runs smoothly.
What exactly is IT support, and what is it? Join us for a tour.
What exactly does IT help with?
It’s more likely to ask “what does IT support not do what does IT support not do?
IT support is responsible for ensuring that all IT systems used by a business run smoothly. The duties performed differ from one business to the next but will generally comprise:
Configuring, installing and procuring equipment, software and networks. This could include anything from laptops, mobile phone or computer all the way through to servers!
Monitoring, maintaining and updating the networks and systems
Resolution of service issues as fast as possible
Making sure new starters have the equipment they require and ensuring leavers are taken off the system
Instruction for staff on how to use systems and technology
Supporting customers with technical issues
The company is leading in data security and information security (for instance, ensuring that the company GDPR and PECR compliant). To do this, they will need collaborate with other departments , such as marketing, finance and sales
The company is leading the modernisation and optimization of business systems. This work will help the business reduce costs, manage data more efficiently and boost customer satisfaction.
The amount of assistance required will differ. For smaller firms, one person may be committed to every aspect of IT support, and it may be a position they perform alongside other responsibilities in the business.
For larger firms and those that have greater emphasis on IT there could be the presence of a larger team and with various people dedicated to various aspects of support. For example, you may have support for the 1st line, who will be the primary point of contact when an issue arises, and the 2nd and 3rd lines of support which handle specific, niche problems.
Do I need in-house instead of remote IT support?
Certain businesses have their own internal support while some rely on third party services to offer support for their own behalf. There are pros and cons to both.
The advantages of having an in-house support staff is that problems can be addressed immediately. As the support team is housed in the office, employees can not only develop a rapport with other people in the business but can master the many different devices and software programs you utilize too.
The main drawback to in-house support is the price – not just do you have to pay their wages, but you also have to pay for their benefits including holidays, training, and holidays.
The advantage of the option of remote IT support is the price it costs for the services that they provide, making it a great option for small businesses who may not be able to afford to recruit in-house staff.
There’s also the aspect that allows for flexibility. You can pay for as little or as many hours of assistance as you require, month-to-month. The drawback is that issues might take longer to resolve as you’re not their only client, you may not always have their undivided attention.
The system of support you choose to use ultimately depends on your business size and goals as well as budget. If you’ve got some sort of IT support London in place, that’s the critical thing.
What to look for from a support person or company
If you’d like to set up an IT support team within your company or work with a third party company There are a few factors to be considered to ensure you receive a top-quality service.
Here are some of the things to look for when deciding who to collaborate with.
Experience Do you know if your IT support staffer of choice got experience and knowledge in your industry? Do they have any contacts you can speak to in order to see how they did?
Qualifications: If using a specific system, does your person of selection have certifications and qualifications to demonstrate their expertise? If you’re hiring someone to work for you, are they willing and determined to acquire new skills and earn the appropriate qualifications?
Does well under pressure: IT support must stay steady and efficient when faced with potentially difficult situations. Are you able to be able to provide examples of situations when they needed to maintain their cool?
Trustworthiness: Since your IT support team member who has access to your sensitive information, they need to be reliable. It is possible to conduct a an background check and check out their previous references to ensure that they are responsible
Flexibility: If an issue occurs outside of normal working hours, your IT support person of choice should be available to solve the issue, whether it occurs at night, on weekends or on bank holidays. Do they have the time to do this?
Speaking clearly: The person of choice must be well-informed however, they should also be able to communicate in terms that staff members can easily understand. Are they able to describe how things work without resorting to jargon or technical speak?
In the end, is IT support vital?
IT support either in-house or outsourced IT support is no longer something that is just ‘nice to have’.
It’s a must for keeping your company’s infrastructure running efficiently, keeping your data secure and keeping your promotional channels open to prospective customers.
If you don’t have a support system set up for your company, now is an excellent moment to put one put in place.
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