6 Tips That Could Save You a Bundle on Computer Support

Business owners learn how to save on computer support
With computer users totalling in the millions worldwide, the computer support industry has clearly become a cash cow for many support companies. Yet, were it not for the unreliability of many computer technologies and configurations, many support people would be out of business including myself.

Many so-called support specialists will sell you the philosophy that it is best to let the experts take care of the technical stuff while you take care of running your business. While this may seem reasonable on the surface, I can assure you that it is the best way of losing control over your technology while sending your overall repair bills through the roof.

Having spent the past 10 years advising small businesses on computer management strategies, I believe that the key to saving money lies in your instinctive desire to be independent and responsiblethe true spirit of entrepreneurship.

Being independent and responsible does not mean that every business owner should suddenly hop on the computer certification bandwagon in an effort to never allow a computer support professional on your premises again. The very essence of business independence and responsibility, which I am referring to, lies in your ability to understand and control as much of the basic business resources as possible. These resources are commonly referred to as:

Physical Resources
- Physical assets such as car, buildings,
- Furniture, office equipment including computing.

Financial Resources
- Accounting & cash flow management as well as marketing and sales.

Human Resources
- Personnel, people and skills management.

By understanding how these basic resources actually influence your bottom line, you can begin to take increased control over all your computing technologies.

The process of streamlining your support expenditures will always be a question of knowledge about your resources. Here, then, are 6 tips that could save you plenty of money in support costs.

Tip No.1: Know Thy Office

The process of curbing your support costs will always start by knowing what technology you need and dont need. Of course, there is no point filling your office with technology that you dont really need. Doing so will only create an environment where more equipment needs to be supported. Hence, an increase in support expenditures.

Therefore, your first task in streamlining your costs is to really get acquainted with your office and its computing needs. Know the computing needs of all your departments and individuals. Get nosey! Snoop around! Ask questions! Know the job descriptions of your people. Know the skill level of all your personnel. All purchasing decisions should be based, in part, on the needs of your departments. By going through this investigative process you should end up with only a list of equipment that you really need. From that point on, your task will be to acquire equipment from your list that is less proned to requiring support.

For instance, if your office requires only a basic inkjet printer, then there is no need to acquire a laser printer that will need to be maintained and cleaned on a regular basis. Similarily, if you only require a simple word processor, then dont purchase a complete office suite. Doing so guarantees that your users will begin to use the whole suite and eventually require support. The true essence of this first tip is to create winning computing conditions. Conditions that you can easily understand and manage. Dont put yourself in any position where more equipment is acquired than is actually necessary. The more equipment you purchase, the more it may need to be maintained. Learn to manage the physical resource aspect of the business.

Tip No.2: Know Thy Computer Dealers

Once youre ready to make a purchase, make sure you know who youre dealing with. If you buy a clone computer, the warranty often stands as long as the store you purchased it from is in business. If you purchase a brand name, your warranty is usually covered worldwide by service centers. This does not mean that clones are risky. It does mean, however, that you must deal with a store with a proven record. A really good computer- deal from a store with little history is generally not a safe bet. Dealing with a brand new store could be risky. The computer industry is ferociously competitive. Since new players come and go daily, you should avoid the pitfall of ending up on your own and with an office full of equipment and no warranty. Do the research! Deal with people you trust. Learn to manage the human resource aspect of the business.

Tip No.3: Read The Specs

Read the specs and understand them! Dont end up with a product that is likely to be difficult to upgrade. Do research on the internet to make sure the product youre interested in does not have known issues. What is the warranty? Is it on-site or carry-in? Do the research. Know ahead of time, not after the fact. Furthermore, dont be afraid of looking into the process of doing memory upgrades yourself. Im always amazed at the number of clients that call me up to go do a ram upgrade. Nowadays, installing ram in a computer is no more difficult than opening up a case of sardines.

Products that are difficult to upgrade will most likely increase your support costs. Products that require heavy-duty technical specs just to open the case will also increase your support costs. Hence, get to know the products you wish to purchase. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Manage the physical resource aspect of the business.

Tip No.4: Create Your Own Level-1 Support

What is level-1 support? Any support that can be resolved over the phone is known as level 1. Thats how easy it generally is. Not all level-1 support calls get resolved easily, but for the most part, they do. About 25% of support calls can usually be resolved by any experienced user.

A moderately trained human resource should be capable of providing level 1 support in your office. This reduces the quantity of minor incident calls made to your computer support company and therefore a substantial savings at the end of your fiscal year. However, the real benefit is measured in time. The amount of time a computer is disabled is what actually costs a bundle. This is especially true if the employee cant do anything else. If you have an internal support person, chances are, many minor problems can be resolved immediately. Your internal support person should also be capable of assisting in doing research and other preliminary work prior to making purchases as well. Furthermore, this internal support person should always be present whenever a level-2 support person arrives on-site. This gives your internal resource person a chance to learn. Manage the human resource aspect of the business. It pays well.

Tip No.5: Get Organized

Heres how to start saving immediately on some support calls. Get organized! Some computer technicians just love visiting certain companies. Why? Because some companies are so disorganized with their computing resources, that the technician shows up on-site and ends up waiting for specific information required to do the job. Naturally, the technician gets paid by the hour! Therefore, organize yourself and do it well. Here are some things you or your internal level-1 support person should have quick access to: Usernames and passwords Software and peripheral serial numbers Operating System Licenses / serial numbers (ie. Win 95/98, etc.) Install CDs and diskettes for all software Contract number (if youre on a yearly support contract)

So whats the rule of thumb? Dont make the technician wait.

Tip No.6: Educate Your Employees

Theres little doubt that a well-trained work force will cut your support expenditures. The common scenario, of course, that many managers fear is that they will spend money sending employees on training and then those employees will go work elsewhere with the freshly acquired training. This happens and will likely continue to happen. However, it can also be minimized with a little judicial human resource management. Train those employees with the most seniority first, then provide the necessary resources for those same employees to train other employees in the office.

In todays workplace, employees are often bullied into producing more and better. This type of work environment is the ideal situation to lose employees to another company. In other words, one of the best ways for a small firm to protect their investments is to make their employees want to stay and contribute to the firms objectives and to speak well of their employer.

A Final Thought

Some managers are easily afflicted by the psychology of more. The most common piece of advice I offer my clients when visiting them on-site is, "Stop upgrading!" Its amazing how long a computer system can last when properly managed. In other words, stop looking at all the goodies out there and focus, instead, on what can be done with your current resources. Chances are, you can do a whole lot with a bit of imagination thereby saving you money in purchases, training and maintenance. Learn to manage the financial resource aspect of the business. It pays extremely well.

About the Author

Alain G. Monney is a freelance writer, photographer and social activist with 12 years experience. He consults in the areas of human resource management in the Montreal region. He can be reached at the following email: a.monney@valangin.com