Argentum IT
Argentum’s primary focus is on providing I.T. infrastructure and desktop on-site and hosted managed services to small and medium sized organizations.
With leading-edge expertise in a broad range of I.T. environments including virtualized and cloud applications, we take on the responsibility to provide state-of-the-art operations to our customers and allow them to concentrate on their core business functions. We ensure the customer’s I.T. investment is optimized while eliminating the confusing and frustrating dilemma typically experienced at the CEO and CFO management level of small and medium organizations.
We focus on strategic partnerships with our customers by generating real bottom-line R.O.I. as a result of optimizing the I.T. investment and providing operational enhancements to core business functions.
Our passion for service is focused on delighting our customers with our specialized expertise and exceptional responsiveness.
Fake Tech Support Scams Target Your Business’ Lack of Organizational IT Knowledge
All businesses need a little IT assistance from time to time, whether it’s for a simple hiccup some software or a full-blown technology emergency. Cybercriminals will often pose as IT support in attempts to capture this low-hanging fruit. Your employees should know how to spot the following warning signs from a fraudulent tech support squad.Keep in mind: these tips are helpful whether you have IT staff or not. Major Tech Companies Won’t Call YouHave you ever received an email or phone call from someone claiming to work for Microsoft, Apple, or another big-name tech company, asking about your c
All businesses need a little IT assistance from time to time, whether it’s for a simple hiccup some software or a full-blown technology emergency. Cybercriminals will often pose as IT support in attempts to capture this low-hanging fruit. Your employees should know how to spot the following warning signs from a fraudulent tech support squad.Keep in mind: these tips are helpful whether you have IT staff or not. Major Tech Companies Won’t Call YouHave you ever received an email or phone call from someone claiming to work for Microsoft, Apple, or another big-name tech company, asking about your computer’s status? This is a classic example of a fraudster trying to use the authority of a reputable company to their advantage. Don’t believe anything they say; a company like Microsoft is not going to reach out to you to address an issue on your computer.The reason: it’s simply unfeasible for them to do this for every single Windows computer on the planet. It also helps that governing bodies have agreed that no tech company will call you unsolicited.So, if you receive a message from anyone claiming to work for any major technology company, telling you there’s something wrong with your computer, you can safely assume that it’s probably fraudulent. If you’re ever worried that they might be right, you can contact a trusted IT provider like Argentum IT first to verify the issue actually exists.There Is No Need to Give IT Support Sensitive InformationHere’s another big one: if tech support is asking you for credit card details or login information, it’s safe to say that they are not asking with pure intent. Your trusted IT resource should be able to remotely sign into your computer regardless of whether or not you give them your credentials; that’s part of their job, after all. So why should you need to give them access to your own personal login credentials for them to do their job? It just doesn’t make sense.The same goes for credit card information. More likely than not, your business has already worked out a deal with its IT provider (if you use one) where services are rendered and the company receives a bill or invoice for payment. There should never be any reason for you or your employees to send or tell anyone from supposed IT support your credit card numbers.Notice anything familiar? Most of these issues target a lack of organizational knowledge about how your business receives IT support. Which brings us to our last major point…Make Sure Everyone Knows Your Go-To IT CompanyThe reason most employees would fall for a tech support scam is simple: they don’t actually know who your IT resource is. You can minimize the risk of a tech support scam by making sure your team has the contact information and support ticketing procedures for your IT company available at all times. This way, when they receive a suspicious message, they can simply cross-reference the contact information, or they can recognize that this is not the typical way IT support happens at your business.What happens when you don’t have a dedicated IT provider? That’s where Argentum IT comes in. We’ll be your business’ trusted support provider—one your employees and your business can rely on. Learn more by contacting us today at (502) 473-6407.
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Achieving the "It Just Works" Reality with a Proactive IT Strategy
Business leaders and decision makers have plenty to deal with… and that’s before factoring in all the problems and obstacles that pop up over the course of their normal operations, particularly when it comes to the technology their businesses rely on.Naturally, a smart business owner would want their technology to be as reliable as possible, available without requiring conscious effort. As it happens, one of the modern options for IT support enables circumstances to be as close to this ideal as possible… but the other predominant option ultimately gives you more to worry about.Why is Break-Fix
Business leaders and decision makers have plenty to deal with… and that’s before factoring in all the problems and obstacles that pop up over the course of their normal operations, particularly when it comes to the technology their businesses rely on.Naturally, a smart business owner would want their technology to be as reliable as possible, available without requiring conscious effort. As it happens, one of the modern options for IT support enables circumstances to be as close to this ideal as possible… but the other predominant option ultimately gives you more to worry about.Why is Break-Fix IT a Bad Fit for Future-Focused and Success-Driven Businesses?Break-fix IT is a strategy that addresses technology issues after they arise and impact operations. It is based on repair over prevention, and as such, has some critical shortcomings:Financial issues - There are several contributing factors that make break-fix IT a less ideal option financially. Not only are your costs unpredictable, as there is no way to anticipate issues and errors, but the provider is also not motivated to prevent trouble from affecting your IT. After all, they make money by solving your problems, so preventing them actively hurts the break-fix provider’s business model.Operational disruption - Break-fix is also very reliant on the “break” part, as in, the repair process only begins once something has actively broken and work has stopped. This downtime brings with it numerous issues, from revenue loss, wage loss, will hurt your business’ reputation, and ultimately leads to missed deadlines.No strategic value - The nature of break-fix services is inherently transactional. There is little to no consideration of long-term goals, from technology planning to strategy building, or any other guidance.What Makes Managed Services a Good Choice for the Modern Business?Comparatively, managed services focus on preventative maintenance and technology optimization. As a result, it is a partnership between the business and the provider, and brings its own features:Preventative measures - Managed services are inherently preventative, focusing on maintenance and IT optimization. As such, errors and issues are anticipated by design, and since the provider’s goal is to minimize as much downtime as possible, they are motivated to mitigate as many as they possibly can.Financial predictability - As managed services are built around the subscription model, support is always available in exchange for a predictable operating expense. Resultantly, budgeting is far simpler and more stable. Plus, this motivates us to prevent your problems, as that is what you are paying us to do, to some degree.Enhanced uptime - Through enhanced monitoring tools, we can detect and diagnose issues, all while ensuring all of your maintenance needs—from security patches, updates, and health checks—are handled in a way that doesn’t impact your operations… effectively invisibly.Strategic expertise - As a partner, we provide our guidance freely to our clients, enabling them to grow more successfully. In doing so, we effectively offer an entire department of experts in all things IT.Find Out More About the Strategic Benefits of Managed ServicesYour IT doesn’t have to be a significant focus in your business… in fact, with the right IT at your disposal, it can be effectively invisible. The right IT management model, managed services, allows you to enjoy these benefits.Argentum IT is here to provide the businesses of Kentucky and Southern Indiana with these services. Reach out to us at (502) 473-6407 to learn more.
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Essential IT Security Policies Every Business Needs
A successful business is a secure business. You probably have a good lock on the front door, maybe an alarm system, and secure cabinets for important documents. You do all of this to protect your business' physical assets from threats. So why wouldn't you do the same for your digital assets?Just as you have physical security measures, your business also needs strong cybersecurity policies. They help create clear rules for employees to follow and a plan to fall back on if an incident occurs.Here are five essential security policies every business needs.Acceptable Use PolicyThis policy explains
A successful business is a secure business. You probably have a good lock on the front door, maybe an alarm system, and secure cabinets for important documents. You do all of this to protect your business' physical assets from threats. So why wouldn't you do the same for your digital assets?Just as you have physical security measures, your business also needs strong cybersecurity policies. They help create clear rules for employees to follow and a plan to fall back on if an incident occurs.Here are five essential security policies every business needs.Acceptable Use PolicyThis policy explains how employees can and can't use your company's technology. It should cover everything from hardware and networks to Internet access and software installation. Do you allow employees to use work devices for personal use, like social media? How do they request new software instead of downloading it on their own? This policy outlines all the procedures for these situations and more.Password PolicyEven with all the new security tools available, passwords are still a critical line of defense. A password policy ensures employees use strong, unique passwords. This policy should specify minimum length and complexity requirements and prohibit password reuse. You can also recommend or require the use of a password manager to make it easier for employees to create and store their passwords securely.Data Handling PolicyWhat kind of data does your business handle, and how sensitive is it? This policy classifies your data and establishes clear rules for how each type should be handled, from storage and accessibility to sharing. It helps your team understand what data can be saved and shared, and if so, how.Remote Access PolicyWith many companies embracing remote or hybrid work, a remote access policy is more important than ever. This policy tells your team how they should securely connect to the company network from other locations. It should require the use of a virtual private network (VPN) and prohibit accessing company data over public Wi-Fi.Incident Response PlanNo matter how prepared you are, a security incident can still happen. The worst thing you can do is panic, which is why an incident response plan is so important. This plan defines who to notify, how to contain the threat, and what to communicate to customers and employees. Having this plan in place before you need it can help you minimize the damage and recover quickly.Strengthen Your Business with the Right PoliciesSecurity policies aren't meant to restrict your employees; they're designed to protect your team and your company. By putting these safeguards in place, security becomes a clear, actionable strategy rather than a vague concept.Writing these policies can be a complicated task, but Argentum IT can help. We assist businesses with all kinds of IT needs, including designing effective security policies that protect your business while fitting its unique requirements. Give us a call today at (502) 473-6407.
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You Can Make It Easier for Yourself to Take Time Off
As we try to eke out as much fun from the final months of summer as possible, many of us will find it increasingly challenging to disconnect from the office—even from miles away. We could be lounging on a quiet beach in Bora Bora, but instead of enjoying the tranquility, we’d still be itching to check our emails. Instead of being able to truly relax, many team members and business owners still feel the pressures of the office even when away, essentially undoing any benefits of the vacation.Let’s discuss how this can be addressed for the mutual benefit of everyone, allowing you and your team me
As we try to eke out as much fun from the final months of summer as possible, many of us will find it increasingly challenging to disconnect from the office—even from miles away. We could be lounging on a quiet beach in Bora Bora, but instead of enjoying the tranquility, we’d still be itching to check our emails. Instead of being able to truly relax, many team members and business owners still feel the pressures of the office even when away, essentially undoing any benefits of the vacation.Let’s discuss how this can be addressed for the mutual benefit of everyone, allowing you and your team members to step away from time to time without causing disruptions.Why is It So Hard to Step Away from Work and Just Relax?What is it that keeps us so preoccupied with work, even when it is time for play? There are a few contributing factors to address:Certain people need to be present for specific functions. Let’s assume a business has been structured in such a way that specific individuals are required for various processes or to provide key information. In that case, it not only puts productivity at risk but also places undue pressure on those individuals to be present. For business leaders, it can lead to them overloading their own agendas, fearing that they are the only ones reliable enough to follow through.There are always issues that need to be solved. It can be too easy for anyone, particularly business leaders, to fall into a pattern of merely catching up with the latest issue, only for a new one to emerge just as the preceding one is being addressed. This puts you in a pattern of playing catch-up, not excelling or improving.The company’s technology offers various issues. Oftentimes, a business’ technology can grow and twist without a strategy to guide it. This results in a litany of problems, including redundant and incompatible applications, siloed information, company data being saved on personal cloud accounts, and software going without updates. In any case, it's a bad time.So, how can we address these challenges so that any time set aside for rest and relaxation is actually restful and relaxing? Simple: by creating a system that frees and encourages your team to take advantage of their time without worrying about their tasks falling to their coworkers.Let’s discuss how to do so.How to Help Your Team Feel Free to RechargeThere are five elements that you can pursue to assist your team in taking a break when appropriate. They are as follows:Use Automation Everywhere PossibleThere are a lot of manual and repetitive tasks that frequently pop up, each of which takes time and energy to complete. Automating these tasks allows you to commit more time to more pressing tasks, with your technology handling the time-intensive ones… things like invoicing, email marketing, social media scheduling, and backup preparations.Centralize Your DataThe better organized your data is, the less stressful it will be to find… even after some time away. Modern, centralized systems are available to facilitate various business needs, including customer relationship management, cloud-based file management, and unified communications. Having things securely accessible makes it far less stressful, simply because resources are easier to find when needed.Secure Your BusinessIf you and your team are worried about a cyberattack striking your business while you’re away, the relaxation you’re supposed to be getting is more than likely going to be out of reach. That said, implementing a comprehensive security solution that is proactively managed and maintained will help give you the peace of mind you need to fully enjoy your vacation. Your business needs an assortment of tools to help accomplish this, such as:Managed firewallsEndpoint detection and response (EDR)Vulnerability scanningMulti-Factor authenticationDocument Your ProcessesHaving a clear and written record of how your various business needs and processes are to be carried out is simply useful. Therefore, you should establish these processes so that your employees know how to do any task in their purview. This will empower them to act with independence, rather than needing to check in at every step. Disconnect and Stress TestThis part is, practically speaking, the easiest step of this process… but at the same time, it can be the hardest for many business owners to do: let go.Completely unplug from the workplace. Take a long weekend. Let your processes run, and check in on how well they operated once you’re back. Review what worked, and even more crucially, what didn’t.Using this data, refine your processes and take some time—gradually expanding this time until you’re able to step away without impacting your business operations for weeks.Everyone on Your Team Should Feel Able to Use their TimeThat’s just the beginning of the benefits, too. Ensuring your business can adapt when key personnel are missing is a key part of business continuity planning. Ready to build your own business’ resilience? Give us a call at (502) 473-6407.
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Transform Data from a Liability Into an Asset
While data might be the new currency, your own business’ data might be a bit too messy to make full use of. You might be paying to store it and protect it, but you’re not doing as much with your data as you’d like. Here’s how businesses find themselves with these “data graveyards” and why it essentially functions like a debt rather than an asset.Examining the Data GraveyardIf you find your data has little use, chances are it’s because of the following reasons:Data silos: Your company’s data is probably siloed in multiple different locations; you might have sales data in your CRM, or your accou
While data might be the new currency, your own business’ data might be a bit too messy to make full use of. You might be paying to store it and protect it, but you’re not doing as much with your data as you’d like. Here’s how businesses find themselves with these “data graveyards” and why it essentially functions like a debt rather than an asset.Examining the Data GraveyardIf you find your data has little use, chances are it’s because of the following reasons:Data silos: Your company’s data is probably siloed in multiple different locations; you might have sales data in your CRM, or your accounting data in your QuickBooks, but they don’t necessarily connect or speak to each other in a productive way.Dirty data: Your data could be corrupted by small errors like typos, duplicate entries, and missing fields, rendering it worthless. If you try to analyze data like this, you won’t get very far.No clear questions: Businesses will collect data without really knowing why or what they hope to glean from it. Unless you have a question or a need for the data, it’s not particularly useful.How to Ask the Right QuestionsIf you want to make the most of your data, you can start by asking yourself some simple questions. This will transform your data from a liability into an asset. Consider the following:Who are our most profitable customers (not just the biggest)?What are our top three most common customer complaints?Which marketing efforts brought in our highest-value clients?What is the average time between a customer's first and second purchase?Once you have these answers, you can start to focus on getting value out of your data—value that can improve your operations and your bottom line.Implement the Right ToolsNow that you have questions, you can start thinking about tools that will help you reach the answers:Unification and cleaning: First, you’ll want to free up your silos and clean up your data to ensure that your critical systems can access all relevant information in one centralized location.Business intelligence dashboards: Next, you’ll need a simple visual dashboard that can track key metrics in real time.Artificial intelligence and futurecasting: Finally, you can project into the future to identify trends and make better predictions.Make Better Use of Your DataLook, if you’re not making the most out of your data, it’s time to change that… and you don’t have to do it alone—you can rely on Argentum IT to help you make it happen. Learn more by calling us today at (502) 473-6407.
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To Get from Point A to IT, an IT Roadmap is Crucial
Are you blindly sprinting forward where your technology is involved, picking things that sound good, hoping you have enough forward momentum to reach the next stop? Unfortunately, this approach is often an option that many businesses take, usually to their detriment.We want to remind you that you there is a better way: creating an IT roadmap to strategically merge your technology with your more functional business goals, helping you progress with every dollar invested.What Does a Good IT Roadmap Prioritize?Generally speaking, a proper IT roadmap will address four critical questions around your
Are you blindly sprinting forward where your technology is involved, picking things that sound good, hoping you have enough forward momentum to reach the next stop? Unfortunately, this approach is often an option that many businesses take, usually to their detriment.We want to remind you that you there is a better way: creating an IT roadmap to strategically merge your technology with your more functional business goals, helping you progress with every dollar invested.What Does a Good IT Roadmap Prioritize?Generally speaking, a proper IT roadmap will address four critical questions around your business:Where do we currently stand? Answering this will require a comprehensive assessment of the IT systems you are currently using, including hardware, software, network infrastructure, and security.Where do we want to be? This will help you merge your business goals with your technology, whether you want to expand operations, grow your workforce, or achieve other objectives.How can we get there? This question is what will bring about your step-by-step plan, determining which projects, specifically, will be most conducive to your goals.What’s the cost? As you develop your roadmap, you should build a multi-year budget alongside it, allowing you to more effectively plan out your business’ finances.How Does This Roadmap Benefit You?There are quite a few benefits to be had from establishing a roadmap for your business technology:You’re able to make plans that inform your decisions, as compared to making decisions out of panic.It is easier to budget, helping to moderate your spending over time and avoid massive bills.The enhanced security that comes from planning ahead allows you to proactively address breaches and vulnerabilities.It becomes far simpler to provide your team with the tools they need.Give Your Business Every AdvantageIf you’re trying to operate your business without some idea of where your IT is going, you’re simply making things harder for yourself. We can help make things easier for you, instead.Argentum IT can serve as your virtual Chief Information Officer (or vCIO). We’ll sit down with you to ensure that we understand your business, creating a roadmap to success and growth. Interested? Give us a call at (502) 473-6407 to get started.
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Why Proactive IT Is Always the Superior Solution
Business owners have a lot of duties and responsibilities, and while you can hire a lot of people to cover some of the more stressful ones, it might feel strange to outsource your company’s technology management. You know IT is important, so that’s why you feel like you have to do it yourself, or at least in-house, but in reality, you’re the last person who should be working with your technology—and we’ll explain why.You Just Don’t Have TimeLet’s not beat around the bush; managing an IT infrastructure is a full-time job itself. There’s a reason why businesses choose to hire expert IT administr
Business owners have a lot of duties and responsibilities, and while you can hire a lot of people to cover some of the more stressful ones, it might feel strange to outsource your company’s technology management. You know IT is important, so that’s why you feel like you have to do it yourself, or at least in-house, but in reality, you’re the last person who should be working with your technology—and we’ll explain why.You Just Don’t Have TimeLet’s not beat around the bush; managing an IT infrastructure is a full-time job itself. There’s a reason why businesses choose to hire expert IT administrators, and that’s because the task is important enough that busy business owners just don’t have the time, knowledge, and expertise to dedicate to it. The unfortunate reality is that when you spend time managing your IT, you’re pulling from time you should be spending on other parts of your business, and for a business owner, that’s simply not feasible.Proactive IT Solves This ProblemOne of the best investments you can make into your business is hiring an entire team dedicated to your IT infrastructure. While it might be difficult to justify the expense outright in terms of adding additional salaries to your budget, you also have the option of hiring a managed service provider for your proactive IT needs. With proactive IT, you’ll have a team dedicated to ensuring your infrastructure is functional at all times, with minimal downtime and disruptions to operations. This is achieved through a combination of advanced monitoring tools, routine maintenance and software updates, cybersecurity measures, and data backup, all of which work in tandem to keep your business agile enough to predict and respond to hiccups before they even happen.The Benefits of a Proactive IT ArrangementThink about all the peace of mind you’ll experience knowing that your technology is cared for by trusted professionals. Consider all the time you’ll save from addressing issues before they escalate into operational disruptions. You can get all of this and more when you call upon a managed service provider for your IT needs. You get a breadth of knowledge and the dedication your IT deserves without taking time to hire multiple professionals, and you’ll reduce the risk of downtime that distracts you from effectively running your business.Learn More About Proactive IT TodayIf you’re ready to make the jump and experience the difference between break-fix IT and proactive IT, look no further than Argentum IT. We’ll ensure your business is ready to tackle just about any technology issue head-on. Learn more by calling us at (502) 473-6407 today.
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The Key to Understanding How Bandwidth Works
The Internet is a staple in most offices around the world, and you’d be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t rely on it in some fashion. A big part of seeing success with the Internet depends on your bandwidth, as well as your network’s capacity to reach the capabilities of your Internet service provider. Today, we want to break down what bandwidth is, as well as how you can make the most of your Internet package.What Is Bandwidth?Bandwidth measures how much volume of information per unit of time that your network can transmit. The more bandwidth you have, the faster your connection, which me
The Internet is a staple in most offices around the world, and you’d be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t rely on it in some fashion. A big part of seeing success with the Internet depends on your bandwidth, as well as your network’s capacity to reach the capabilities of your Internet service provider. Today, we want to break down what bandwidth is, as well as how you can make the most of your Internet package.What Is Bandwidth?Bandwidth measures how much volume of information per unit of time that your network can transmit. The more bandwidth you have, the faster your connection, which means more data can be transferred. Bandwidth is measured in seconds, so you might see some ISPs use language like megabits per second (Mbps or Mb/s).An important distinction to make, however, is that Megabytes, or MB, does not measure bandwidth. If you see a connection advertised as 15 MB/s, that number is actually much lower (1.875 Mbps), since there are only eight bits in a byte. If all that sounds confusing, that’s because it is, and suffice to say that you should always look for the Mbps of an advertised connection rather than MB if you can find it.The good news: most ISPs will advertise their Internet packages at a megabit value. Even still, this isn’t a reliable way to know how much bandwidth you can expect from your connection, as there are several factors that can contribute to how much actual bandwidth you have—variables like your physical location, the location of your ISP’s data centers, your networking hardware and whether you’re on a wired or wireless connection, etc. To see how fast your connection is, you’ll need to use a speed tester; there are plenty on the Internet, including one built right into Google, but we like to recommend the one at speedtest.net.A Practical Explanation of BandwidthBandwidth can be compared to plumbing in a lot of ways. Think of your data as water flowing through a pipe. It can only send so much at a time. If you want to send more water through, you’ll need a bigger pipe so more water can pass through at once.Most users who only take advantage of simple applications and a web browser probably don’t need too much bandwidth, but bandwidth can get dicey when you add in streaming media or accessing resource-intensive cloud-based resources. Especially for SMBs, you might find that a lower bandwidth is just not cutting it, and that’s to be expected. We always recommend that you look into enterprise-grade bandwidth options whenever possible so your options aren’t so limited.If your bandwidth is already high enough as is, and you want to upgrade the speed of your network, you have a couple of options available. You might look into purchasing a new router, changing the location of that router, switching from a wireless connection to a wired connection, and so on. Keep in mind there is only so much blood you can squeeze from this stone, and in many cases, you’ll have to upgrade with your ISP (or find a different provider) to increase your network speeds.If your business needs to make adjustments to its network, bandwidth, or networking hardware, you can count on Argentum IT to provide the necessary expertise and support. Learn more by calling us today at (502) 473-6407.
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Is All This Extra Tech Actually Making Your Team More Productive?
You should want your team to be ready and able to accomplish as much as possible. So, when a team member approaches you with a request for a better laptop or a dual-monitor setup and the wish to do more with their time, you should agree. However, there may be that little voice in the back of your head, whispering, “Was that a wise investment?”It can be hard to balance the need for employee satisfaction with your budgetary restrictions, but it must be done. Let’s go over the considerations you need to make… as well as the pitfalls that must be avoided.Your Existing Technology May Be Holding You
You should want your team to be ready and able to accomplish as much as possible. So, when a team member approaches you with a request for a better laptop or a dual-monitor setup and the wish to do more with their time, you should agree. However, there may be that little voice in the back of your head, whispering, “Was that a wise investment?”It can be hard to balance the need for employee satisfaction with your budgetary restrictions, but it must be done. Let’s go over the considerations you need to make… as well as the pitfalls that must be avoided.Your Existing Technology May Be Holding You Back More Than You’d ThinkWhether your employees are requesting new or additional technology or not, you must maintain your technology over time, upgrading it as necessary. Exactly why it is so vital becomes clear with a few simple calculations.Let’s assume that an older computer burns through an extra five minutes of the user’s time every day, just because of slow loading times, restarts, and laggy boot times. That’s obviously frustrating, but it only gets worse when you start looking at it on a macro scale.If an employee works about 250 days each year and loses five minutes each day, they lose 1,250 minutes each year. This equals 20.8 hours, half of a work week. If this impacts your whole team, that’s suddenly months down the drain.So, ensuring that your team has the technology that reliably works really does make a difference.The benefits don’t stop there, either—back in the 1920s, studies indicated that productivity could be measurably boosted if workers felt their needs were being noticed and met. Essentially, the study demonstrated that prioritizing the well-being of a workforce was sufficient to motivate that workforce to perform more effectively. This means that simply providing your team with new equipment can help boost productivity.How Modern Productivity Can Be MeasuredThere are a few key signs that your productivity has improved, if you know where to look. Here are some places to get you started:Support tickets - The number of support tickets that come in for specific issues can indicate if productivity-sapping problems have been solved. For instance, if you’ve suddenly received far fewer tickets concerning Internet connectivity issues after you’ve updated your router, you’ve improved productivity by taking away a problem.Task time - If a task took 25 minutes to complete, and it suddenly takes 12 minutes after new tech has been introduced, that’s an opportunity to consider how your productivity has been improved.Employee feedback - Simply ask your team members if they’ve noticed anything changing after you’ve made improvements.We Can Help You Manage Your Hardware!Instead of having to make the decision when the duress of a desktop conking out or a server’s hum fading into silence is adding pressure, why not plan for it ahead of time so the panic doesn’t have to set in? Argentum IT will be there to help you design a predictable schedule to refresh your hardware, allowing for more effective budgeting and standardized IT across your business.We’re dedicated to helping businesses invest in the correct tools for their needs and ensure that their teams are able to maximize what these tools can do. Let us help you next. Give us a call at (502) 473-6407 to get started.
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Don’t Let Miscommunication Eat Up Your IT Budget
There’s a specific stress that comes from the disconnect between the money you invest in your business IT and the value that comes back from it. Sure, you know what the money is being spent on… but that’s a far cry from knowing how these investments are shifting the needle.Let’s discuss the importance of understanding what your IT is telling you and when you need to demand more information… politely, of course.IT Reporting and Business Communications Speak Different LanguagesMetrics are crucial for sharing information, but different departments use different metrics. Business metrics focus on
There’s a specific stress that comes from the disconnect between the money you invest in your business IT and the value that comes back from it. Sure, you know what the money is being spent on… but that’s a far cry from knowing how these investments are shifting the needle.Let’s discuss the importance of understanding what your IT is telling you and when you need to demand more information… politely, of course.IT Reporting and Business Communications Speak Different LanguagesMetrics are crucial for sharing information, but different departments use different metrics. Business metrics focus on key performance indicators such as return on investment and cost per lead. Meanwhile, the average IT team is focused on achieving low latency and maximizing uptime, among other objectives.All of these metrics are important, of course… it can just be challenging to connect them into a cohesive story, and this is where any disconnect causes problems.Connecting these Languages Can Change Your BusinessWould you rather your technology cost you money for the privilege of housing it, or would you rather it strategically shape your operations and generate profits? The latter is the clearly better choice and isn’t all that complicated to do.The key is to connect every technology decision you make to a business-centric outcome you want to accomplish.Proactivity Should Be a Feature of Your TechnologyIt’s too easy to write off your business’ technology like any other business utility. You pay the electric bill, you pay your water bill, you pay your IT bill.This mindset is a mistake. Your IT shouldn’t be seen as another service you have to pay for each month. Your IT should be considered a strategic investment into a revenue-generating asset.Why? Simple: the right IT always contributes directly to accomplishing one of the outcomes you’ve prioritized for your business.You aren’t just boosting the capabilities of your business network; you’re enabling your team members to work more efficiently and accomplish more in the same amount of time.You aren't just overhauling your business communications; you’re making it easier for new sales opportunities and prospects to stay in touch with you across multiple channels.You aren’t just upgrading a server, you’re making it easier for your sales team to process orders and take on more clients.You aren’t just boosting the interactivity between your network and your website; you’re making it easier to connect opportunities with customer needs.You aren’t just investing in better security, you’re actively working to protect the data you’ve generated and that has been entrusted to you.All of these goals, directly or indirectly, help support your business and its success.Working with Us Will Bring Transparency to Your BusinessWe can work with you, acting as a virtual Chief Information Officer—a vCIO—helping you manage your tech through plain language and shared goals. By collaborating with you, we’ll establish a future-focused plan for your technology, complete with clear reports that outline your position in simple, straightforward language that you can fully understand and utilize.Let’s face facts…you should know where your IT-budgeted dollars are going. We’re here to help ensure you do. Give us a call at (502) 473-6407 if you’re ready to take a more strategic approach to your business’ tech.
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