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So it didn’t work with your newest employee, in fact it didn’t work out would be an understatement…they left under quite a cloud! A recent Symantec study states that “half of the employees who left or lost their jobs in the last 12 months kept confidential corporate data and 40 percent plan to use it in their new jobs.” You’ve got the work laptop/computer back, but have they deleted things? How do you know what they were doing and looking at before they left? They used their own devices for work, do they still have their work material? What to do when employees don't leave on the best terms? The vast majority of staff finish employment and move on with no issues. But occasionally people leave in less harmonious circumstances, or they are just plain dishonest. We’d like to cover off on some of the basics to ensure that your risks are minimised for if, or when, this happens to you. Importantly, it makes a big difference what systems you use and how you are set up, so keep that in mind. For the purposes of this simple article, we assume you are a small to medium kiwi business, with a fairly simple IT setup, using one of the lower-level Microsoft 365 licences for your email document storage and sharing. Set up the employee properly when they join and have proper security. To get the best outcome when an employee leaves you need to start when they join the company. Practice ‘need to know’ access to systems and data:
Set up an off-boarding system The obvious (we don’t want to tell you how to suck eggs with your HR, but people sometimes don’t do these things, or forget) things to do when the person leaves:
The not so obvious things Of course IT being the mysterious being it is to most of us you might not consider the less obvious things to do:
Use technology to protect your organisation. If you are on a lower level 365 licence, such as Exchange Online, Business Basic or Business Standard, then talk to us about the benefits and costs of moving to a higher licence with more security features such as 365 Business Premium. For example, configure 365 to prevent bulk downloading of company data, etc. In Summary: Put in place protections now, so that you have them there before you have a problem. Once the person has left, it is often too late. In general, these suggestions are a good place to start with ensuring your business is protected. If you need a hand with any of these steps get in touch with the team at Decision1
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In IT we love to use fancy jargon, and Managed Service provider or MSP is no exception. In this article we will break down what an MSP is, how it can help your business, and use some real-life examples of businesses. like you, who have made the switch to an MSP.
Firstly, what is a Managed Service Provider??? In a nutshell an MSP is your ‘outsourced IT Dept’ that provides proactive IT support. An MSP provides preventative measures, detecting most issues long before they become a problem. The mission of an MSP is to protect your business from costly downtime and ensure that business continues seamlessly. What is the break-fix model of IT support? In contrast the ‘break-fix’ model of IT support is when you call an IT company when something breaks, and they come and fix it, on an adhoc pay by hour model. There is no ongoing support or preventative security measures taken. Top advantages of an MSP for your business: We become an IT partner to your business: As an MSP we are interested in understanding your entire business. We see ourselves as a business partner who wants to help your business to succeed and grow. This is quite different from the ‘break-fix’ model. We anticipate a long-term working relationship with your business. Proactive IT Support: As an MSP, our mission is to keep your business technology safe and available, and to anticipate your needs and requirements. This means minimum costly down time, and maximum business continuity. Knowledge of your needs: As we have a long-term relationship with your business, we become closely acquainted with your IT systems, and your personnel. Because of this we understand how the parts make up the whole, rather than just offering a quick short-term solution, which may be costly in the future. Cost savings: By outsourcing your IT management to us, you get a well-informed IT department on your team, without the cost and responsibility of training, recruiting, and retaining staff. Case-Study “An IT Alliance member had a company who was reaching out to them on a ‘break-fix’ basis. During Covid the IT Alliance member reached out to them to discuss become their MSP. They sat down and discussed what this actually meant, the services that the MSP offers, and the priority that is given to MSP clients. The client has been using them as an MSP for over two years now, and happily sings their praises, saying that having an MSP has revolutionised their business. No more waiting for IT support, no more downtime and so much more alignment” So, what does an MSP actually do? Remote Monitoring: An MSP proactively monitors, patches, and updates your software on an ongoing basis with 24/7 monitoring. This is all done in the background on an ongoing basis and requires no input from you. Security: As an MSP we constantly review your systems to identify and address vulnerabilities. We can keep up with system updates, software patching, antivirus and more. It would be difficult for any business to keep up to date with all the daily security alerts. With an MSP this is all taken care of and is one less thing to worry about, so you can focus on your business. Optimising hardware: An MSP provides information on optimal hardware that synchronises across your business. This includes laptops, desktops, and mobile devices, plus your network and servers. We can work with you to understand your growth requirements and work on the best timeline for your budget. Strategic advice: As IT is our passion, we hear about a myriad of tools that may be of benefit for business goals. We share this advice with you, rather then you having to research or find out how you can optimise technology for your needs. Regular reviews: As an MSP client, you are a priority which means that we schedule in regular proactive reviews. No more waiting on the phone to talk to someone to get IT support. Business Continuity and disaster-recovery strategy: Nowadays it is crucial that you have a solid data-backup plan. We can help you with this process and ensure that everything can be efficiently restored should the need arise. So what do I do now? So now you have an overview of what an MSP is, and how they can help your business. The next step is talking to the team at Decision1 about your specific needs. Please feel free to reach out here for further advice. |
AuthorVictoria Murgatroyd-McNoe has been working in the IT sector helping businesses achieve their technology goals for over 20 years. Archives
November 2022
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