7 Tips for IT Device Management

Do your computers and other IT devices always seem to fail during the last few minutes before a critical deadline?  Do they quickly become frustrating due to speed, features, performance, compatibility, or appearance?  Here are some ways to keep you and your staff running smoothly and spend less time worrying about IT problems.

Physically Protect your Investment in IT Devices

Laptops, tablets, phones, and other IT devices are becoming more and more expensive.  Many of these devices are used in a variety of work environments - some are used within a strict area such as in exam rooms 4, 5, and 6 in a doctor's office.  Others, however, may visit construction sites across three states in one single day and be exposed to concrete and sheet rock dust, water and other liquids, bouncing or dropping, or dirt and grime in general.

Evaluate the specific users, uses, and environments in which each IT product will be used and purchase a protective case that will exceed each individual set of requirements.  Why put a pretty, sleek case on an IPad for a foreman that is visiting rough environments or a bulky, heavy case on a tablet or laptop that is only used in a physician's office?

Update Operating Systems and other Important Programs

Hackers and their viruses are similar to the flu, however they are a year-round problem.  They are always upgrading, learning, and finding ways to beat the latest and greatest versions of anti-malware programs.  To protect your investment in IT equipment not only must you keep your operating system updated, such as performing basic MS Windows Security Updates, but you must keep your end-point malware and virus protection programs up to date.

In yet another example, lets assume that protection is in place.  Often, a new software program is purchased and loaded onto a network for a small business.  At the last minute, one or two IT devices are found that are "not compatible" with the new software.  Furthermore, it is discovered that the users of these devices were not performing even the most basic software updates to their operating systems.  At this point, the initial software upload becomes a multi-day install that sparks last minute employee education.

Keep Your Staff Informed and Trained

Performance, preservation, and maintenance of your IT equipment should be a staple of your company culture - as important as maintaining a clean facility or following dress codes.  Employees do not need to be experts to understand some of the basics - password management, upgrades and basic virus protection, and the risks of unsecured or potentially dangerous links or attachments.

Purchase the highest Quality IT Equipment that will meet your Requirements

Not every customer needs the latest and greatest, but many suffer from saving a few dollars on a lower-quality product.  Re-furbished PCs, knock-off tablets, and many other low-cost options are available for purchase.  In most cases, these products use low-quality hardware components and leave users disappointed with life-span and warranty services.

Upgrade before it is too late

Don't let your aging IT device leave you in a bind while on the road or working to meet a deadline.  At some point, all devices fail due to the number of components that keep them running.  IT products are constantly changing and big bulk suppliers are always offering big sales on various items.  Keep your eye on replacements and when the right value is found, make the purchase and upgrade before its too late.

Always have a Fallback Team for Support

Perhaps most important for business continuity is to have an affordable, reliable IT service provider that can provide a quick turnaround for problems that are not able to be resolved by in-house staff.  Seras prides itself on offering same day service in most cases, and guarantees 24 hour response to all service requests.  Furthermore, our management staff is available 24 hours a day to handle any request that our customers may have.

Seras can also provide routine support for all of your IT components along with staff training and services related to all of the prior tips noted above.  Click here to get started!

Scanning Benefits for your Business

As a business owner or manager one of your goals is to find opportunities to help your business enhance the security of your data, become more efficient and reduce operational costs. One opportunity for businesses to accomplish those goals is document scanning. Last week we discussed when is it time to start using a document scanning service. This week we will discuss why you should start using a document scanning service. Here are some of the scanning benefits that your company can discover:

Scanning Benefit # 1: Additional Office Space

When you take advantage of document scanning services you reduce the amount of wasted space in your office. Space that is often wasted in an office are tons of file cabinets, excess boxes and desk space. Not only do you have more room to work but you provide more space for other office equipment and supplies that you need in your office.

Scanning benefits that frees up office space can help businesses in this regard:

Re-use office space for staff to focus on more profitable, core business activities

Additional workstations and people, avoiding costly office moves due to lack of space

Move to a smaller location and benefit from lower facility and housekeeping costs

Helps to de-clutter your office space which helps reduce stress on you and your employees

Employees can enjoy their new office space and be more productive - A cleaner office boosts employee morale

Scanning Benefit #2: Enhanced Security

Data security is at the top of the goals and concerns for all business owners and managers. There is a much larger risk of paper documents being damaged, stolen or lost through fire and flood. With digital file management comes control and reduced risk. Manage access and exceed your security goals - should the housekeeping staff have access to your company, employee, and client files? Should employees have access to payroll and benefit information? Electronic records allow for simple-to-use security measures that are easily managed.

Improved security, peace of mind and data protection compliance

Scanned documents can be securely stored in a document management system which has security requirements and access to be available only at certain user or role levels

Scanned documents can be regularly backed up

Scanned documents will remain in the same pristine condition from the time they are scanned, as opposed to paper documents where the quality of the document is reduced over time and wear occurs

Permanently capture older, damaged documents with crystal clarity and protect important files form weather damage and theft - with records properly stored and backed up, you can eliminate the worry of flood, fire or other damage to stored paper files.

Scanning Benefit #3: Increased Efficiency

Once your files are scanned, you will be able to retrieve files faster, reduce workflow downtime, and provide enhanced customer service. With patient or client files at your fingertips, there is no longer a need to send staff into storage rooms, attics, basements, storage providers or to storage units looking for files.

Scanning documents provides the opportunity to create and complete many levels of workflow efficiency by allowing multiple-user access to files or folders and by giving employees the ability to fit those documents into appropriate and relevant record keeping functions. Whether you need 24/7 access to all files or occasional access to some files, scanning and organizing your documents in an electronic medium is faster and more efficient than sorting boxes full of papers.

Scanning Benefit #4: Reduced Operational Costs

Maximize storage space, eliminate file retrieval down-time and costly records storage services. By having your files stored digitally in-house, you can greatly reduce the time and man-power it takes to locate files.  Less work hours need to be spent searching for files and scavenging through boxes and file cabinets.

Scanning Benefit #5: Enhanced Company Image

If a vendor, associate, or customer requests a document from a closed file, how long does it take you to get it to them?  In most cases where an outsourced storage service is used, it takes about three days.  Scanning services allow you to send requested documents within minutes, thus enhancing the image of your company in the eyes of the requestor.  Going paperless boosts productivity and boosts a company's responsiveness toward requests from their clients/customers.  Moving to a document scanning service also gives companies an edge over their competition.

Additionally, Seras provides disks with your company logo and any other requested labeling information that can be provided to your customers, vendors, or associates with closing letters or other correspondence.  This not only enhances a company's image, but reduces call backs for requesting old files.

The benefits that a company who moves to using a document scanning service can enjoy follow a path. With scanning, companies have the benefits of a cleaner office which helps boost employee morale, which helps produce a more efficient workplace, which reduces the operational costs and allows for an enhanced company image and security.

Click here to learn more about the document scanning services offered by Seras.

When do I start Document Scanning Services?

During a recent conversation about document scanning with a customer, an interesting comment was made: "We have plenty of room in the office right now, and we can just put files in a storage unit if we need to."  This may sound like it was said by someone who is decisive and practical, but he was actually unorganized, short-sighted, and/or not concerned with protecting client information.  It also sounds like a cheap alternative to expensive records storage service programs.  The reality is that this comment was made by a successful attorney with 10 years experience working in both large and small firms.

The difference between the past and this current conversation is that the costs associated with records management are now coming out of his pocket - he is now a partner at a firm with more than 30 attorneys.  This particular attorney will be kicking himself for not implementing a document scanning strategy early in the life cycle of his firm.

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The tremendous frustration felt by many firms around the country and costing them tens of thousands of dollars follows a fairly consistent path: closet to storage unit to additional storage units to large-scale storage service provider to scanning.  As businesses grow, especially law firms, the amount of paper generated through closed legal cases exponentially compounds.  Most decision-makers are unaware of the large volumes of paperwork that begin to pile up over time.

As stated previously, most firms begin by placing closed case paperwork into closets and storage rooms located within their office.  Things quickly get overwhelming and the decision is to fix the problem with a band-aid: rent a storage unit.

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How many attorneys do you know that are going to put 20 boxes of closed case files in their car and take them to a storage unit in Columbia during mid-August?  So how do these boxes get to the shiny new storage unit or units?  Typically it is the runners and office assistants that are tasked with transporting files to storage units.  Runners are part time, often seasonal, employees that have no vested interest in proper file management or oversight over this process.  How often is an office manager or partner going to visit a storage unit and inspect the condition of records or how they are organized?  6 months after the last runner leaves, a file is requested from the storage unit, and the new runner is unable to find it (or just doesn't have the physical strength to get to it).  Fortunately, this new runner can blame the problem on the last runner and the cycle continues.

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Eventually, a catastrophe occurs: flood, fire, damage, theft, or the dreaded visit to the storage unit by the managing partner.  Once this happens, the decision is made to begin using a document storage service center.  The sales process is fairly straight-forward - "we'll store these boxes for you and it only costs about a quarter per box, per month.  If you need something out of one of them, just let us know and we'll bring it to you."  The reality of this new program doesn't set in for about a year.  Pricing schedules are multiple pages including fees for retrieval, delivery, rush delivery, failure to locate, permanent removal, destruction, re-file, indexing, and many more.  What originated as a $X.XX monthly bill has now tripled and continues to grow. 

After a thorough review of the current document management process, an attempt is usually made to switch to a new storage service provider.  At this time, decision-makers are made aware of what the industry terms as "hostage fees".  The costs for removal from the storage facility creates a situation in which it is not financially feasible to permanently remove these boxes from the facility.  This includes shredding boxes of records that have met their retention life span.  Now the firm is in a situation in which they do not feel that they are getting a great value and are using the following process to retrieve a single document from storage:

An attorney requests a document from a closed case

His/her paralegal makes the request to the office manager or runner

The runner or office manager has to locate the case and box by index list

The runner or office manager has to call an automated phone system requesting the material

Typically, a second call is required to schedule the delivery

The service provider delivers the file to the runner or office manager

The office manager or runner gives the file to the paralegal

The paralegal copies records that are needed and returns the file to the runner or office manager

Another phone call to an automated system is made to schedule the pickup of the file for its return back to the storage facility

There are quite a few people involved in this process, which can often take several days.  Many might say, "this is a lot of great information, but what are my alternatives?"  The South Carolina Bar states that "there appears to be no prohibition against placing the files on a medium, such as a computer disk, microfilm or microfiche, and thereafter disposing of the original hard copies, as long as there is no prejudice to the client.  The attorney should also make reasonable efforts to ensure confidentiality with all suppliers and vendors who would have access to client records.  SCACR 417 (d) provides that records may be maintained by electronic or other media provided that they otherwise comply with this rule and provided further that printed copies can be reproduced."

So how do you retrieve a file using the document scanning process?  Much simpler than with storage services:

An attorney requests a document from the office manager or head runner

The runner emails the requested file to the attorney or prints them and hands them to the attorney

This is truly as complicated as it gets.  Period.

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The document scanning process is as follows:

Boxes are provided to the firm at no charge

As cases are closed, paralegals or attorneys place the closed cases into boxes

When a box gets full, a runner takes them to a holding area

Once per month (or as needed), the runner contacts Seras for a pickup

The boxes are labeled, transported to our facility, tracked, prepped, scanned, and electronic copies returned to the runner

Following approval, the hard-copy records are shredded via a certified shredding process

Hard copies are gone, taking up no space and are not susceptible to flood, fire, theft, damage, or other potential loss.  Access to records is virtually immediate, with no long-term commitment and easy budget forecasting.  Retention is indefinite, with easy backup to off-site servers for continuity and peace-of-mind.

The costs for document scanning services vary from customer to customer depending upon their organizational requirements.  More importantly, Seras has documented numerous customer scenarios in which direct cost comparisons between storage and scanning show a much higher value with document scanning services.  Click here to learn more about document scanning with Seras.

Working From Home, Risks and Rewards

Working from home offers many benefits both to a company and to it's employee. Working from home offers the employee benefits such as: fewer interruptions, no office politics, no stress in regards to commuting, and a comfortable work environment. Working from home also offers benefits for the company as well - noted by Sarah White here:

"...Stanford professor, Nick Bloom, conducted a study to evaluate the benefits of working from home. He found workers were more productive, got more done, worked longer hours, took less breaks, and uses less sick time than their in-office counterparts. These employees were also happier and quit less than those who went into the office on a regular basis. He estimated that, on average, the company saved around $2,000 per every employee who worked from home."

Working from home can be a great tool; whether you have full-time employees working from home or you occasionally take your work home and work remotely. In 2014, 1 in 4 workers in the US said they telecommute at least part of the week. However, there are some serious risks to working from home. Most of that risk is in regards to data security. Did you know that only 50 percent of employees that are working from home actually work from their home? A good percentage of those employees actually take their work to coffee shops or other places with a public Wi-Fi. This creates even more security risks to your data and your server at your office. Everything that is being worked on is susceptible to third party viewing.

Companies need to safeguard their systems to protect from data breaches and cross contamination from the multiple devices that they use to connect to their workplace server and computer systems.

Do you or some of your employees work from home? Are you concerned with the security of your data and the potential threats that are looking to harm your systems? At Seras we can help! We can help you protect your data and your computer systems from such threats! Call Seras today to see how we can keep you protected! 803.233.9216

Computer and Electronics Disposal

Government trash and waste services make things very convenient for consumers and up until recently, you could put just about anything on the street and the city would pick it up and dispose of it for you.  However, several years ago, the state of South Carolina began enforcing their new legislation that prohibits the disposal of specific electronics in solid waste landfills.

This includes computer hardware and computer related items, stereos, televisions, printers, copiers, faxes, and just about any other harware related to electronics.  According to The Department of Health and Environmental Control, "residents may not knowingly place or discard a computer, computer monitor, printer (or) television in any waste stream that is to be disposed of in a solid waste landfill".

There are few public options for e-waste disposal that allow for the free disposal of computer and electronic equipment; they are limited in number and may not be convenient for consumers.  Futhermore, many are limited to consumers only and will not allow large volumes that may be brought by businesses.

Seras is constantly replacing hardware components for customers, and fortunately we have developed a great relationship with Shred360 to handle all of our e-waste disposal services.  Due to the high volume of recycling, we are able to provide both businesses and consumers the lowest possible pricing available with pickup and delivery services included.  Additionally, our customers recycle with Seras having full confidence in the security practices we employ to ensure that confidential data is permanently destroyed during the recycling process.  Hard drives, SIM cards, cassette tapes, flash drives, and other items that may hold sensitive information are destroyed and recycled.

Contact us today for more information or to schedule your computer and electronic recycling service.

Managed Services vs. In-House IT Staff

Most businesses, small and large, rely on computers to help accomplish their organizational goals. Often, those computers which are supposed to make you more productive can lead to even more frustrations than you can imagine. Your computer is moving slower than ever. Your computer freezes more than it runs. You keep getting these viruses etc. This leads you to the conclusion that you need help! What do you do?

Should you hire a person to be your in-house IT help or should you hire a provider to handle your managed services? Check out the benefits of using a managed services provider.

What is Managed Services?

Managed services is a service that an information technology (IT) service provider that manages and assumes responsibility for providing IT services to its clients. Managed services providers (MSP) are responsible for monitoring, managing and problem resolution for your computer systems and functions.

Some responsibilities of a managed services provider are server installation and more, data backup and recovery, data security, malware/anti-virus protection and much more. MSPs act as your own IT department, taking care of routine and non-routine computer monitoring and management.

Why do you need Managed Services?

Many companies wrestle with the idea of outsourcing their IT systems to an MSP or to hire their own internal IT person. At first glance, having an internal IT person would seem to be an easy choice. However, it can end up costing much more than hiring an MSP to handle your managed services.

Let's take a look at some costs for hiring and managing your own IT staff. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2014 a Computer Systems Analyst in South Carolina on average makes $70,000 a year. A Network & Computer Systems Administrator in SC makes on average $68,500 a year. A Computer Network Supporter in SC makes on average $57,000 a year. In total, according to the BLS, the average wage for a Computer or IT professional in the state of South Carolina is $66,500 a year. Even if your company does not need multiple IT staff, the yearly costs are high for just one employee. Then you add to that equation payroll taxes and benefits. Even more, you will be faced with the challenges of scheduling around vacations, training, illness and other leave's and absences. Then you need to take into consideration the cost of equipment, training, and other supplies and expenses that can add up.

With a managed services provider you take all of that out of the equation. You don't have to worry about salary, payroll taxes, health and paid time off benefits, training and other hidden expenses. Those concerns and worries are gone.

Let's also consider that you may be a small operation without a need for even one full-time IT person and you also have a little bit of computer knowledge. Are you really maximizing your time if you are having to worry about computer maintenance and care? Are you really taking serious the potential risks of not monitoring your computer systems? Having a managed services provider for a small business provides you with more confidence in your computer systems and frees up your time to focus more on running your business.

What to look for in a Managed Services Provider?

So, you've decided to use an MSP. What now? What do you need to consider when choosing an MSP? Finding the right fit with an IT firm is crucial to your business. You don't want to choose one and have even more headaches because they weren't the right fit for your business. Here is a helpful list to consider when looking for an MSP:

• Do they follow industry standard practices? Are their technicians certified in the services they provide?
• Do they have experience serving other clients in your industry or same business size?
• Do they have enough resources to serve you effectively and timely?
• What are their normal business hours? Are they available outside of business hours? Can you contact them 24/7 in an emergency?
• Do they properly document their work?
• Do you trust them?
• Can you understand them?

Why Seras is the best choice.

Not only does Seras check off all of the boxes on that list, but we go far above and beyond that list. With all of our staff, you will find a commitment to customer satisfaction far above anyone else. We put a priority on our customer relationships. When we first meet with a prospective customer we don't try and sell you on our service. We actually will ask you questions about what your business goals are. We ask about what your needs are as it relates to your computer systems. We look at the customer first. We aren't going to sell you on a service that you won't need. We look to you and we look to how we can meet your needs and help you to reach your goals. Your business' success is our priority! We also offer flexible pricing options which fit your budget and speak in plain English! We don't talk over your head. We want you to understand what we can offer to help you succeed.

If you are interested in how you can benefit strategically, financially, and technologically by working with an MSP to handle your managed services, click here or contact Seras today at 803.233.9216!