tech support confidential: insider advice for nonprofits on selecting the right it support
DESCRIPTION
These are the presentation slides from a breakout session at the 2013 Nonprofit Technology Conference. Audience was small-medium nonprofit organizations. Learning Goals: 1. Gain a clearer understanding of the breadth of IT support options that are out there. 2. Understand the pros, cons, and cost ranges of different IT support options, with guidance on what type of support tends to work best depending on the culture, size and budget of your organization. 3. Take note of must-ask questions that will help you get the information you need to sort out the best fit, and most reliable IT support.TRANSCRIPT
Slide 1Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
Tech Support ConfidentialInsider Advice on Selecting the Right IT Support#13NTCsuppt
Ber YangRoger HagedornKaren Graham
Slide 2Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
What is your burning question about selecting the right IT
support?
Slide 3Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
1. Questions to ask before you
start
2. Overview of major options for IT
support
3. Learning activity
4. Tips for choosing a provider
5. Questions and wrap-up
Slide 4Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
Getting Ready
Slide 5Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
Needs Assessment for IT Support Basic Items to Consider
SCOPE: How much help do you need, and what kind of help is it?• What are you looking for? Help desk, network administration, troubleshooting, web site…• Consider whether your IT needs be divided into different types of work that can be handled differently…(For example, maybe your website can be updated by a volunteer, and your database be handled by a staff member.)
Slide 6Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
SKILL LEVEL: How technically challenging are your needs?• Ask yourself how complex your tech needs are.• Find out and document the technical knowledge and abilities of your staff
AVAILABILITY: What availability do you need from your IT support?• Expectation of availability to staff: do you need someone available during all office hours, after hours, or is a scheduled visit or on demand sufficient?• How frequent do your IT problems pop up?• How fast do you really need to have these problems solved? Ideally?
Slide 7Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
BUDGET: How much help can you afford?• What can you budget for IT support? • Are you in a position to invest more now in order to potentially reduce costs later or improve productivity?
STRATEGY: What investments would go furthest in supporting your mission?• What elements of your technology are most mission-critical?• Where are the stakes highest?What’s the relative importance of…• Quick response time and resolution time• Reliability/availability• Depth of understanding of organization• Strategic approach• Cost
Slide 8Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
Do your homework
• Who provides internet services for your organization?• Who supports your telecommunication services?• Who supports your network cables (voice & data)?• Who supports your telephone systems?• Who supports your copy machine?• Where is your Domain Name registered?• Who host your DNS?• Where is your web site hosted? • Who supports or maintains your web site?• Where is your email hosted? • Who supports your email?
Slide 9Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
• Do you have SPAM filtering for your email?• What kind of databases do you have? (Donor, accounting,
client, etc.) Are these databases online or hosted on a server or workstation your network?
• Who does your social media?• How is help desk type support provided now?• Do you have a Technology Plan or Database Plan?• Do you have an IT Budget?• Do you have a backup system? If yes, where? Online or
locally on your server?• What knowledge and expertise do you have on staff or on
the board? Are there people who may have skills you could leverage?
Slide 10Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
Options for IT Support
• Internal staff• Volunteers• On Demand• Managed IT
Slide 11Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
Staff
Average annual salaries
Small <$1M Med $1-5M
System/network admin
$7,500 $48,200
Technician/IT support
$27,500 $33,000
IT staff to org staff ratio
Small <$1M Med $1-5M
1:24 1:54
Slide 12Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
Volunteers
Slide 13Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
On Demand
Slide 14Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
Managed IT services
Slide 15Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
Pros Cons
Internal staff
Availability, knows your systems well, around to observe and make proactive recommendations, invested in the organization.
Less flexible to match workload fluctuation, most expensive cost of ownership, training is your responsibility/working in isolation
Volunteer
“Free”, potentially available, project work, engage people in meaningful way
Scheduling/response time, knowledge/skill level and need for supervision widely variable, can be flaky
On Demand
It’s on demand! There when you need it. Often higher level of technical expertise/resources.
Most expensive (hourly at least), unfamiliar w/your system. Focus on putting out fires. Variable budget item.
Managed IT
Regular maintenance, proactive. Knows your system. Potentially strategic. Predictable cost.
Not necessarily invested in organization. Some bundled services may not be necessary.
Slide 16Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
• Questions to ask• Contract• Relationship tips
Slide 17Tech Support Confidential: Insider Advice on
Selecting the Right IT Support
Quiz
• What’s one question to ask before you choose an IT support option?
• Compare and contrast: managed IT vs help desk support
• Name two things that can help make your IT support relationship successful.
• Your questions?
Evaluate This Session!Each entry is a chance to win an NTEN engraved iPad!
or Online using #13NTCsuppt at www.nten.org/ntc/eval
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