If there is one area of a business where technology trust is paramount, it's on a customer's network.
Creating value means gaining trust. Showcasing our technical skills and knowledge, communicating it clearly, and continuously staying abreast of IT trends to share with potential customers? That’s how Datamax can Value Up! In 2020, according to Arkansas Director of IT Network Services Brian James.
He and VP of Strategic Technology Justin Huffaker share their thoughts on "Value Up!" and what it means for the IT side of the building in 2020.
Here's Brian's 4 Key Value Up! Initiatives for the Technology Solutions Group:
1. Our Discovery / Assessment Process.
Understanding the needs of the customer during the discovery process is critical. Datamax can only develop a winning strategy if we are clear of the current status of the IT infrastructure. Our Assessment information gains tremendous knowledge of the compatibility of the solution we are going to propose. If our proposal isn’t compatible with the customer’s line of business software, it won’t be considered a solution.
2. Our Statement of Work Document.
We can never expect our customer to understand the technicalities of our proposal. A clear Statement of Work allows our team to present the outcome of the solution we are proposing. Gaining a signature from the customer agreeing to the implementation that defines a clear start and end is also critical. Too many times we find ourselves in a position of customer “scope creep” due to the lack of an agreed end to a project.
3.Training.
Customers are exposed to so many options in the IT space. Cloud Servers, Cloud applications, Office 365 and hybrid infrastructures with many variations can baffle our customer. We must keep ourselves trained to understand and sort through the options so we can make recommendations that benefit what the customer is trying to accomplish. Once agreed, our training will also allow a smooth implementation and gain our ability to support it long term.
4. Security.
Ideally, the customer views Datamax as a trusted adviser. All customers are concerned about their ability to secure their information and restore if a catastrophic event occurs. Datamax should value up our security offering keeping our customer at ease with our ability to monitor, eliminate and recover from all threats.
Justin's 3 IT Service 'Value Up!' Initiatives:
1. Take Advantage of Knowledgewave.
There's always value in investing in yourself, Justin says. Knowledgewave offers a plethora of resources for his team to expand their skills on familiar programs like Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Office 365.
"I consider myself a very knowledgeable user of Microsoft Word or Excel, but I tuned into one of their 15 minute sessions on Excel, and immediately learned two or three things that had an impact on me I didn’t know before."
2. Pay Attention to Socially Engineered Attack Emails.
This applies to ALL employees, of course, but it's especially important for the IT service team to lead the charge in company awareness and prevention from socially engineered attacks.
"If every employee is not aware, we're vulnerable," Justin says. "Stew regularly sends out emails that say 'watch out for this,' and we need to be paying attention."
3. Minimize Buzzwords.
In other words, cut the geek speak, Justin says.
"Remember that people you’re talking to see their technology as a tool, and they may not be as passionate about it," Justin says. "Don’t turn people off with your geek speak, turn people on with your courtesy and your desire to help them solve their problems."
