Here’s what you need to know to keep your costs down:

1)      Watch the soft costs.

While we always need to consider the hard costs in your IT budget it’s equally important to keep in mind the soft costs.  Consider this, an employee who looses 10 minutes a day will waste 43 hours a year.  We find that most companies have above average soft costs due to simple problems like SPAM, non-work related activities (online shopping), poorly configured and supported computers.  Considering that the soft costs can easily surpass hard costs seek out providers that are focused on reducing problems and increasing the productivity of your staff.

2)      Invest in “prevention” to save money.

Since most IT providers are paid hourly and used “only when something breaks”, you can save money and improve productivity by working with a company that is focused on prevention.  Unlike hourly providers that typically make more money each time something breaks, prevention oriented providers offer an unlimited service plan that will fix almost everything for a fixed fee.  Fixed fee agreements are great for clients because they remove variable costs and place the burden of IT working right on the provider.  The best IT support companies prevent problem so you never need to ask for help!

3)      Make sure your plan is comprehensive. 

Be warned … not all flat-rate services are the same.  Often providers claim to have flat-rate service, but instead tier their service packages with popular services costing extra.  Exceptional flat-rate service providers will provide an unlimited model that is client-centric and places the burden of IT management upon them, not you.  These plans should be comprehensive and provide “unlimited”: phone, remote, and onsite support. This ensures you get maximum value minus the roller-coaster bills.

At TechMD, we pioneered flat-rate service and have been removing roller-coaster bills for over 10-years!

Slow response is the number one frustration with IT support, so don’t worry, you are not alone.  Waiting around for help is not only frustrating but can cause real pain and loss for your business and your reputation.

Here’s what you need to ask up front to ensure that you get the best response when you need help:

1. 1.       Ask your provider how they make their money:

If they are a “time and materials” company then you need to understand that they make more money the more problems you have.  Since they know that the longer you wait the bigger the problem gets, it’s no wonder you are frustrated in reading this. Instead, look for companies that provide unlimited service for a fixed monthly fee.  This business model incentivizes  them to get to your problem as quickly as possible, because the burden and cost to fix the item is on them.

2)      Ask your IT partner how they manage their help support requests:

Any good provider should have invested in a ticketing system that monitors and dispatches service teams to those needing help. Exceptional providers will use SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS (SLA’s) to guarantee their work and outline the necessary response times (look for the SLA to be spelled out in your contract). Elite providers will have dashboards that measure and show their response times.  Providers that do all three are better able to load balance their resources to ensure that their customers receive the fastest support.

At TechMD, we are fanatical about responding quickly and have a 98% customer satisfaction rate! 

Have you ever felt like you weren’t maximizing your full potential?

For many companies, the frustration of feeling constricted and held back by IT is a very painful and real situation. Many companies find it challenging to deploy a plan that helps them remain competitive and further the business.

If your company is being held back by IT, here are some things that you should consider:

1) Realize that you are not falling behind because of the lack of technology.

When a company feels held back and constrained by the IT department, it is usually not for the lack of technology. More often than not, a company feels they are being left behind, because of the lack of vision within how technology should be deployed and used within the company.  This misalignment of vision within the C-suite can cause turmoil for many of the day-to-day users.

2) Bring a vision for IT into the C-Suite.

Unfortunately, many great IT Directors do not make great CIO’s.  Sure they know technology and can “fight fires” but they often lack the business sense, interdepartmental knowledge, and vision to be chief.  Although many companies could benefit greatly from a CIO, many companies consider the post more of a luxury than a necessity. A great way to bring the necessary executive leadership to the C-suite is by partnering with an outsourced IT group that can provide virtual CIO muscle at a fraction of the cost.

3) To implement a vision, you have to know how to do it.

Today, many internal CIO’s and IT Directors are challenged to keep pace with the rapid changes in technology.  In fact, many even hesitate to lead people into the new technologies because they are comfortable with the status quo. Virtual CIO’s are often better equipped to lead organizations because they live on the cutting edge of technology and understand how to implement high level change across many different types of organizations.

At TechMD, our CIO’s take the guesswork out of technology and provide you with the insight you need to take your business to the next level.

If your organization is being hampered by poor quality work or reoccurring problems here are some things you should consider:

1) Quality service can only be delivered by a quality provider.

If you’re having recurring issues the error may be on their end and not yours.  Repeat problems could be a sign that your provider doesn’t have the right processes in place to properly respond to your needs.  If you suspect that your provider is not capable to fix your issues properly consider calling in another IT provider to get a second opinion.

2) How you pay impacts quality.

Time and materials providers are typically motivated by increasing their billable time and often allow problems to repeat because they get paid more every time there is a problem.  If you are paying someone by the hour and you are unhappy with the quality of their work consider switching to a provider that charges a fixed monthly fee for unlimited service and never worry again about their motivation to provide a permanent fix.

3) Delivering quality service requires a diverse team and skillset.  

Because technology is complicated, it is important that you seek out providers that offer a diverse team of people with multiple skillsets and aptitudes.  Good providers will be able to tell you how their certifications, processes, and the diverse backgrounds of their people.  Exceptional providers will also be able to tell you how they measure their teams’ skillset, how their investing in the education of their employees, and be able to give you some type of quality satisfaction report.

At TechMD, we don’t skimp when it comes to quality and have a customer satisfaction rating of 98%.

If you’re concerned that you’re outgrowing your current IT solution, here are some things you should consider:

1) Service and scalability are important.

There are some inherent limitations when you’re being supported by either a small 3^rd party IT shop or a small internal team. You begin to sense that your provider is spread too thin because of growing response times or degradation of service. But more importantly, you may realize that your team is losing productivity because technology isn’t functioning properly. A good partner should have processes in place to monitor their service so that they can continue to provide the same quality of support as both businesses grow. A great partner may even be able to offer additional solutions that leverage your growing economies of scale.

2) Growth requires planning.

In IT there are various ‘tipping points’ that can make one solution more appropriate than another. In some cases, going from 30 users to 31 could call for a completely different approach. Having a partner with a wide array of skill sets and a broad spectrum of experience can prevent you from going down the wrong path because “you don’t know what you don’t know”. A well thought out plan created by a knowledgeable guide will ensure that you achieve your goals and reduce the cost of growing your business.

At TechMD, we have a brain-trust of Chief Information Officers and IT professionals that know to properly prepare your company for growth. 

If you’re concerned about protecting and securing your company’s future, consider this:

1)  Catastrophes kill businesses.

Gartner reports that over a third of all businesses that suffer catastrophic data loss file for bankruptcy within 18-months. Creating a back-up and recovery plan is not an option, but a mandatory requirement for securing your company for the long-term.   To ensure you are adequately protected, it’s important to design a plan that has a halo of protection that safeguards all of your important assets through planned emergency measures, redundancies, and backups.   A quality IT partner shouldn’t just understand the latest technology, but they should be able to help you build and execute a quality plan that secures your business for years to come.

2)  Understand risk and risk tolerance.

Although there are many different ways to secure your business, it’s important to understand what your companies risk tolerance may be before you put a solution in place.   Depending on your company, some solutions may be more risky than others, so it’s important that you work with a provider that understands what your trying to accomplish and can help you develop a plan that you’re 100% comfortable with.  Remember, securing your business is not just putting technology in place, but working with a provider that understands your company’s vision and can build a plan that secures your investment for the long-term.

At TechMD, our team understands technology and has helped many companies secure their future.  

If you’re concerned that you’ve got too many things on your plate, here are some things you should consider::

1) Smaller signs often hint at bigger problems.

If you’re having recurring issues the error could be a sign that your provider doesn’t have the right processes in place to properly scale their service offering to your needs.  If you’re enterprise is preparing for expansion, be aware that the little problems may be compounded with additional growth.  If you suspect that your provider might not be able to keep pace with your company’s growing need, consider calling in another IT provider to get a second opinion.  Great providers should be able to scale to the needs of your organization while providing outstanding service.

2) Proper planning can lighten the load.

Growing companies require a diverse set of skills and knowledgebase to help them optimize their processes for maximum value.  I order to properly prepare your company for growth, be frank with your current provider and ask them to provide you with a plan based around your company’s scenarios for growth.  If you’re concerned with the plan, consider calling in another IT provider for second opinion.

At TechMD, we have a brain-trust of Chief Information Officers and IT professionals that know to properly prepare your company for growth. 

Not a problem at all.  We realize that every company is different and have a team of technology experts that are ready to help put your technology needs in focus.  Not to worry, we aren’t pushy, and you’ll never get the hard sales pitch from anyone at TechMD.  We are straight up, realistic, and care about helping you “do IT right”.  If we can help, we will tell you.  If we can’t, well,  we will tell you that too. Either way, we’d love to show you the TechMD difference and will help you in any way that we can.  We call it “doing IT right”.

At TechMD, we’ve been helping companies “do IT right” for over 10-years!  

We know how hard it is to “do IT right”,  so kudos to you! Congrats!  Thanks also for checking out our site and allowing us to share our knowledge with you.  Keep us in mind if you ever need an additional resource.

At TechMD, we love it when IT rocks!!!  It makes us happy! 

“Irks” Of Life:  Poor Cable Management

Best Thing Ever:  Gun Game In The Dome

With responsibility for service delivery, Sebastian thrives on solving complex business problems with robust solutions.

“I’m passionate about technology, but I know it is a means to an end, and that end is the success of our clients. While continually expanding TechMD’s innovative approach is high on my priority list, the most important thing we do is serve our clients. Every day I push our team to look for ways to continually improve our processes and our services, and make technology work just a little bit better for our clients.”

Prior to founding TechMD, Sebastian served as Director of Technology at Tulon Inc., where he led the company’s IT strategy through its fast-paced expansion efforts into Mexico, Singapore and Germany. He currently resides in Huntington Beach with his wife, Andrea, and their two rambunctious sons.