You’ve taken the leap, picked up the phone and decided we’re the ones for you (Hurrah!) So, what’s next? Usually, we hear these three Qs from our new clients:
1. How long will it take to move away from my current provider?
2. How long will my systems be down for?
3. Will it go smoothly?
There are five steps we follow to bring you onboard, it’s pretty straightforward and even better we tend to complete this in just ONE weekend. That’s right, your staff can finish work on a Friday and arrive back on a Monday to everything done, dusted and ready to go! That’s zero downtime and minimum disruption right there.
Here’s how we roll in the onboarding process:
Get to know you
We come down to your offices to check out the environment. We find out from you what it is that’s had you throwing your hands up in despair and make a decision to give us a call. We then work with you to decide which would be the best solution for you. We take a look at your phones, servers and computers, we investigate what’s not working and why not and we discuss with you what you want from your IT systems to ensure an awesome streamlined way of working in the future.
As part of our initial process we also take over liaising with your current IT providers, we send them a document to fill in so we can ensure all services and IP are transferred smoothly during the switch over period. If you don’t have a current IT company then we can still gather all this info from your bills and systems and include it in our documentation process (which we cover a little bit further down) That’s one fewer headache for you to worry about then!
2. In-depth
We conduct a full and extremely thorough site documentation. We take a look at all aspects including things such as
• Who you pay for broadband
• Who you pay for website domains
• Who has control of your website and design
• Passwords for computers and servers
• Phones/Phone numbers
Documenting everything as the first job enables complete organisation, accessibility and control for us and you going forward.
3. Clense
This bit for us is like a day trip to a spa, except we’re cleansing your systems instead. Once we know what’s going wrong, we don the proverbial rubber gloves and get down to business. We clean up all the systems, remove any unnecessary applications or temporary systems which are slowing you down and strip everything right back down to the basics.
4. Optimisation
Time to bring things back up to speed. We take a look at your core systems and ensure
they’re working at their top levels. We ensure they’re both quick and reliable, after all time is money right!
5. Advise and teach
Once everything’s complete, updated and switched over, we’re 100% available to teach your staff everything they need to know about the systems, we’re at the end of the phone to answer any questions and provide ongoing support. Educating your staff is crucial to ensure you get the best out of your new IT service, so we’re able to offer training workshops on anything and everything they need to know.
So basically, a switch over to AGT is faster than a Sunday morning jog with Usain Bolt, easier than 1+1= 2 and as straightforward as A to B.
You’re all set up for your 11am video call with your client, things are going well, pleasantries have been exchanged and you’re just about to start screen sharing that big presentation and…
They’ve gone, you’ve lost them and your internet connection has failed you!
Is there anything more frustrating than a broken con…sation when… can’t …. hear… sorry what was that?
It was to be expected, with more people now working from home, video calling, working online, streaming music, films and TV, all at the same time.
Things were never going to be working at the optimum levels you expect in an office but it’s not exactly helpful for your productivity is it?
So, what can be done for you and your team?
Check what services and coverage are available in your locations. Are you and your staff with the best provider or would a move be a better solution?
Could you subsidise your team members to move to a better and faster internet provider?
Check the routers. Is there a better option for the kind of work you do? Would a range extender solve any issues?
We understand this remote working life presents its own problems, but there’s usually a way around it when you’re given the right tools for the job.
What can we do?
We can check these for you.
We can provide advice on upload and download speeds.
We can find the best providers for you in your area.
We can basically ensure your internet connectivity at home is as top notch as it would be back in your office (those were the days, hey!)
Here at AGT, we’re your IT support system wherever and whenever you’re working, your handy go to people for ‘Help, why is this not working?’, your ‘maybe I need a better way of working’ team. We’ve got your back. Need a hand? Get in touch via our contact details here
Ok, that’s a major understatement! Things have been completely turned upside down for many, including the transition to working from home. How’s that gone for you? Has it been smooth and straightforward or has it catapulted your business into a world you never expected?
On the bright side, it’s also given a lot of companies the opportunity to work with new systems and find better ways of communication between the staff.
If remote working is still looking like a longer term prospect for you, then you may have questions such as:
How will I continue to conduct meetings professionally?
How can documents be shared, added to and refined easily?
How will I keep staff motivation and morale up without face to face contact?
That’s where a programme like Microsoft Teams steps in.
This month, we’ve created a step by step guide for you to use this programme really effectively from now right up until you’re back in the post Covid-19 world (whenever that may be)
Step 1 – Download! If you have Microsoft 365, then you already have it (you’ll just need to
download it). If not, there’s a free plan if you’d like to suss it all out before making a commitment. And a month’s free trial for businesses.
Log in to OneDrive to access your docs
Add the app to all your devices to access wherever you are.
Step 2 – Create your teams! This can be done via department, management level, project team etc…
Step 3 – Create your channels! For example, yours might consist of a channel for product development, one for marketing, one for sales, another for design, etc.
Or it could be made up of different projects, such as one for each different product in the range. All of the docs, conversations, apps and meetings that relate to a product or project would be held within that channel and everyone in the team can access it.
Step 4- Set up a meeting! Using the Meet Now function, you can schedule a catch up, decide if you’re using video or audio and invite people to join at a specific time and date – as straightforward as that.
Step 5 – Save on time! If you’re a member of various projects and teams across the company, you can pin the ones you deem as most important or most used to ensure you can access them quickly and easily.
Step 6 – Get personal! Teams allows you to personalise your view to make it easier for you on a daily basis. Oh and if you’re a fan of a GIF, there’s even a handy little button for that.
Step 7 – Stay updated! Turn on your notifications to ensure you never miss out on any important updates. You can select the relevant people to receive a notification and you can keep an eye on what’s been going on recently using the activity function.
For the full step by step usage guide, we’d be happy to send this to you! Simple get in touch via our contact details here and quote ‘Microsoft Teams AGT assistance’ and we’ll get that straight over to your inbox!
Any questions in the meantime, then just shout! We’re here to help.
We come down to your offices to check out the environment. We find out from you what it is that’s had you throwing your hands up in despair and make a decision to give us a call. We then work with you to decide which would be the best solution for you. We take a look at your phones, servers and computers, we investigate what’s not working and why not and we discuss with you what you want from your IT systems to ensure an awesome streamlined way of working in the future.
