During this time of uncertainty when people are working from home, getting work done can be a challenge. One of the biggest challenges is figuring out how to stay connected with colleagues and how to manage work responsibilities. A few ways to stay connected are video calls, chat rooms, and interconnected systems. 

Video Calls 

Video calls are a key option to stay in touch with your work environment. A few platforms to consider are Slack, GoToMeeting and Skype. These allow your team to feel like everyone is together, discuss current projects, and give updates on clients. They can also be used as a space to set up future meetings. 

Work shouldn’t be the only thing discussed in your company’s video calls. Office banter is something that keeps us all motivated and can be one of the biggest reasons we like our jobs. Your sense of culture and community can be lost during the current quarantine situation, so catch up with coworkers during video calls. This will lead to the sense of community that keeps everyone motivated in the office. 

Chat Rooms 

Chat rooms are a way to stay connected whether you’re in the office or not. They’re a great way to communicate with coworkers while working from home, and Slack is an excellent tool for this. Different threads can be created so conversations about specific topics can be organized, and there is a personal message setting for one-on-one conversations. As previously discussed, Slack also offers a video call setting that can be used for group or one-on-one conversations. Slack is a catch all application for the challenges we face while working away from the office. 

Chat rooms are helpful because they allow for constant communication throughout the day. A video call can be scheduled to meet with everyone, but it may not be ideal every time you need to communicate with a coworker. A chat room allows for a conversation to take place and documents to be shared, so everyone can stay caught up with what is going on. People also like separation of work and home, so a group message thread may not be the best option. This is why we recommend a platform like Slack. 

Interconnected Systems

An interconnected system is probably something your company already uses while in the office. It’s imperative to the survival of your business at a time when things are changing on a daily basis. An example of an interconnected system is Google Drive. This platform will allow everyone to share and edit any document in real time. It’s also easy to access and organize projects on an interconnected system like Google Drive. If you and your company aren’t together, this will help everyone keep up to date on projects and allow for collaboration and feedback on projects without long and confusing email chains or text threads. 

Another great interconnected system that allows your office space to feel like they are all together is Microsoft Teams. With this system you will be able to collaborate on projects together as if you were in the same space. You will never have to frantically search for files again. In Teams you can access, share, and edit Word docs, PowerPoint, and Excel files in real time. Microsoft Teams also allows for text thread chats within your company, individual face-to-face calls, and video conferencing so that you and your team will always feel connected and together. 

In a time when things are uncertain, we have to stay focused on what we can control. Work, whether it’s done in an office or not, is something that will keep us occupied as well as being something we all take pride in. All of these platforms and tips on staying connected will help your company continue producing the best product or service possible at all times.

To find out how we can help, contact us today!

Spring is a time to freshen our lives. As you begin your annual spring cleaning, one thing you may forget about is your I.T. systems. Getting your I.T. system clean and clutter-free can make it easier to organize and adjust your I.T. system as needed. Here are some tips to spring clean your I.T. department.

Clean Your Enterprise Data

Enterprise data is supposed to: 

• Organize data 

• Precisely define data 
• Easily integrate and effectively retrieve data for internal and external communication

If your data isn’t clean, then all of this may not be possible. Your big data collection will be less reliable and more difficult to retrieve and communicate with other people. One easy way to freshen up your enterprise data is to use an industrial-scale automated approach to filter out irrelevant data. This way your company has the data it wants and will be able to communicate it as accurately as possible.

Always freshen up your data. The actions taking place that are intended to save time and money might end up costing more of both. Now that your data is up-to-date and clean, there are things that can be done to improve your I.T. solutions.

Update and Delete

When looking at your company’s software systems, there may be some clutter that needs tending to. Your company has probably changed or updated software systems being used, but have you to update and delete old software? By removing unused, duplicate, and old software, your company will run much more smoothly. There will be less for your network to support which will save you time and possibly money, especially if you were paying for software that hasn’t been used in quite some time. 

Once your company has gotten rid of all of the unwanted software, it’s time to check for updates on the current software that is in use. Updating your software will maximize productivity for any I.T. needs your company may have. Once you have done what has already been outlined, there is only one more thing that your company must do in order to finish your I.T. spring cleaning. 

Stay Organized

Spring cleaning may not be the most fun and entertaining activity, whether it’s at home or with your company. But there is a way to prevent having to do a fresh spring cleaning every year, and that’s by staying organized. If you stay on top of updates and manage your big data year-round, there will be no need to go through spring cleaning every year.

This is an ever-changing world, so updates are coming almost daily for the software you use. Big data is being collected at higher rates which is great, but it also means there is a need to keep after it more than ever. Then the data will be reliable for you and your company to use on a daily basis.

Once you have done your cleaning, you need to set-up a clear, well-defined plan, so you can keep after it. Devote time to cleaning, updating and deleting on a basis that your company sees fit, so it can maximize productivity and there will no longer be a need for seasonal cleaning any time of year.

To find out how we can help, contact us today!

What is Business I.T. Alignment? This is an important question to ask when planning for your business’s future. Business I.T. Alignment uses information technology systems in a collaborative and interconnected manner across office disciplines and departments. In an ever-changing world, business and information technology will forever be connected.

The potential for how far information technology can help your business grow reaches new heights every day. However, achieving this dream is a daunting task. Companies cannot answer a very simple question as they embark on this alignment journey, “Where do we start?”

The first step to achieving Business I.T. Alignment is to know where information technology can help your business succeed. Whatever your business is doing, I.T. will be involved. In order to capitalize on its presence, you need a plan as to how much involvement will be needed from a third-party company, like Peak I.T. or your own I.T. division.

This can include monitoring a multi-site network, offering help desk solutions, running constant data backups, providing network hardware, or a myriad of other I.T. solutions. Once you have a plan and a clear-cut vision for where I.T. will be needed, you can move on to review your current Business I.T. Alignment. 

The next step should be to ask, “What is my vision for how I.T. can help my business and how is I.T. helping my business right now?” If you have a clear-cut vision from the previous step, then the first half of this should be easy. Assessing your current Business I.T. Alignment may be more difficult. If this is something your company has put off in the past, you must prioritize where I.T. can help immediately to start moving towards alignment. 

Once you have prioritized where I.T. is needed, then your company can start weighing its options to achieve this alignment. Make about what options you have to solve your problems and weigh each option carefully. Some important questions to ask when considering how to solve your problems can be…

• Do you take the operation in-house or do you outsource it?
• What is the budget?
• How soon can each solution be implemented?
• What is the longevity of the solution? 

Once you have all of these questions answered, your plan will be ready for implementation with a few final actions.

The last few steps in this process are to create your custom implementation plan. This is where all of your planning comes into place with the selected solutions. This should be a written out plan that clearly defines and describes the course of action for everyone involved. It will help make your team and company aware of changes taking place, and the impact it will have, both positive and negative, moving forward.

Not everyone likes change and if your company is going through a big change when trying to align your business and I.T. solutions, regular meetings should take place to make sure everyone involved is comfortable, confident and compliant with the approach. A smooth transition is what every company has in mind and constant communication with a well thought out plan will help achieve this.

Even with a well thought out plan and good execution, you will have to evolve. Constant evaluation of the plan is needed in order to reach alignment and I.T. companies, like ours, can help if outsourcing this task is built into your plan. Like anything else in your company’s life, adjustments to your plan will be needed due to unforeseen changes. The decision to involve more I.T. solutions in your company in order to achieve alignment is a very important one and will soon be unavoidable. Following these steps will help your business grow with proper alignment.

To find out how we can help, contact us today!