Should You Standardize Your IT Infrastructure?
IT infrastructure needs repair, maintenance, and other services on a regular basis to keep it running in a smooth and uninterrupted manner. As a result, standardization makes economic sense because it means that the business needs less IT expertise and experience to provide said services. In contrast, a business with IT infrastructure made up of a wide range of makes and models will have to have the expertise and experience needed to handle all of them, which can seem no more than a minor inconvenience when there is a skilled and experienced specialist providing Ottawa IT services but will nonetheless increase their costs by a significant amount. So much so that said costs should be brought under control sooner rather than latter for the sake of their continuing competitiveness in their chosen field.
How Can You Standardize Your IT Infrastructure?
Here are some suggestions for Ottawa-based businesses that want to standardize their IT infrastructure with the assistance of a skilled provider of IT services Ottawa:
Centralize
Businesses should centralize their purchasing of the components that make up their IT infrastructure, which should reduce the incidences of their separate segments buying separate makes and models. However, too much centralization can be as bad as too little centralization because of the impact to responsiveness. Instead of running purchases through a single segment, businesses should consider creating a list of acceptable makes and models, which will enable their separate segments to make their own purchases as the need comes up without creating needless complications for their IT personnel in the process.
Buy in Bulk
Computer manufacturers tend to make small changes to their makes and models on a regular basis. As a result, businesses should buy their computers in bulk rather than one at a time, even if that means they will have to spend a little more on Ottawa tech support in the short run because the long-term benefits will be worth it. Furthermore, businesses should buy computers meant for business use rather than home use, which see similar changes to their configuration but on a less frequent basis.
Keep Records
Businesses should keep up-to-date records about the components of their IT infrastructure as well as their age, which should enable them to make useful estimates of when they will have to replace them. On a related note, keeping records of computers and their configurations is particularly important for businesses using a wide range of makes and models because the information will make it easier for troubleshooters to resolve potential issues, whether said individuals are in-house personnel or IT specialists sent out by a service provider as part of its Ottawa tech support.
Plan Ahead
The best way to ensure standardization of IT infrastructure is planning purchases ahead of time. As stated, keeping up-to-date records will prove useful for this task. However, businesses should also make sure that the managers of their separate segments engage in two-way communication over the issue, which should provide the relevant decision-makers with the information needed to make the correct choices when planning IT-related purchases.
Contact Us
Ottawa-based businesses that are interested in learning more about the practice of standardizing IT infrastructure as well as the benefits that it can bring to their operations should not hesitate to contact us at their earliest convenience. After all, we have not just the knowledge that they need to make the informed decision that is in their best interests but also the IT expertise and experience needed to assist them with the implementation, meaning that we should be their company of choice when it comes to IT support Ottawa.
