Your IT checklist

As your business grows, so does your reliance on your IT infrastructure.

Many processes are critical to the day-to-day running of most businesses, which is why choosing the appropriate partner to work with to maximise the efficiency of your IT systems, their flexibility in terms of business growth, and, above all, reliability is so essential.

At Lanway we have developed a checklist that enables you to assess your IT partner’s capability at a glance:

• Always ensure you purchase hardware from an authorised value added reseller who can quickly remedy any issues. After sales care can be slow if you purchase from a supplier who cannot remedy faults as part of their after sales care package on site - in their own facility.

• Vet your maintenance supplier. The cost of entry into the IT maintenance market is low, and many low cost suppliers are a poisoned chalice! They need to offer the level of support you need for business critical operations, and may not have the size and scope of resources to match your requirements or appropriately qualified engineering staff.

• Always make sure that whenever you invest in IT you do so with future growth in mind. If you don’t consider growth it will prove costly in the long run.

• Deal with a supplier who knows what the latest and most appropriate technology is best suited to your needs. Developments such as virtualisation and thin client can result in huge cost saving in terms of installation, energy saving and reduced total cost of ownership, as well as providing greater flexibility.

• Think people! Think Environment! Home working is commonplace, and simple and easy to implement, as is video conferencing and converged telecoms technology – all technologies that make people easier to contact anywhere in the world without travelling. It’s good for business and good for the environment.

• See technology working. Good IT suppliers will be able to demonstrate the latest IT and advise you on how it will fit into your working environment and the benefits and cost savings your business can reap. Most should provide FREE consultancy on the best solutions.

• If they cannot provide all of the above tasks capably then ask yourself the question – Are they the right IT partner for my business?

Steve Ackers, managing director, Lanway.