From Servers to Services: Moving Day
You have made a list and checked it twice, and figured out what apps are naughty and nice. Now it is time to actually make the move from Servers to Services. The key to this final step is a well thought out migration (and fallback) plan. A clean install is best Unless you cannot re-install […]
From Servers to Services: The Great Purge
What is the first thing that happens before you move homes? All of those old clothes, exercise equipment, and children’s toys go off to the donation bin. This is also known as The Great Purge. The analog nature of all this stuff means that you are going to put it in boxes to haul it […]
From Servers to Services: A great game of technology Jenga
Going from servers to services is a lot like playing a game of Jenga. You have to pull out all the various blocks (apps) without knocking over the tower (your business). You can go for the slow methodical method, or the “turn if off and see who complains” method. We have found a balance between […]
Industry expertise matters when selecting a technology partner
The importance of industry expertise should not be overlooked when selecting a technology partner. Technology itself is standards-based, but the familiarity with HOW technology is used in a specific industry will accelerate your productivity gains with it. A professional landscaping group will have your yard looking great in one season. You and a lawnmower will […]
Impact of Technology in Professional Contractors
The impact of technology in the professional contractor industry has changed drastically over the past ten years. The explosion of mobile devices, ubiquitous LTE connectivity, and cloud-based file storage has made a big difference. Running from job-site to job-site with file folders full of timesheets, bill of materials, and progress reports can be a thing […]
Impact of technology in urgent and primary care clinics
The impact of technology in urgent and primary care clinics can make provider’s patient encounters better, or a frustrating exercise in attempting to get everything put into the EHR correctly! Ideally the technology sits in the background and is seamlessly integrated with the clinic workflows. Experience shows this is often not the case, and provider’s […]
Impact of technology in family-owned businesses
The impact of technology in private and family-owned businesses can be the difference in scaling up or sliding down. We have observed two key differences in how private and family-owned businesses approach technology change and investments. People are the process Most family businesses are built on people with whatever resources they had at the time. […]
New Edge browser better than Chrome for Microsoft 365 users
The new Microsoft Edge browser has finally caught up to Google’s Chrome browser, and the timing is great. The #wfh transition means that more personal devices are being utilized to access corporate resources. Often this is done via a web browser, which means your corporate security could depend on what browser they are using! Microsoft […]
Recalibrate your technology plan: Cloud Collaboration
Workforce collaboration has changed. We aren’t going back to conference rooms full of people, and that’s a good thing. When you are recalibrating your technology plan, enabling cloud collaboration should be a part of it. This is more than video conferencing and screen sharing. Cloud collaboration is accessing information and collaborating in an ad-hoc, yet […]
Recalibrate your technology plan: Zero Trust Security
Get ready to hear much about the Zero Trust security model in the future. The #wfh movement has put this front and center in any technology planning discussion. This is not a fad or product to implement, it’s a mindset shift that needs to occur in our technology planning. Many security models were built on […]
Recalibrate your technology plan: Communication
Business communication is and will continue to be based on direct human interaction. The massive switch to online video conferencing confirmed this during COVID-19. Voice is also a critical communication tool often taken for granted or not properly planned for. When recalibrating your technology plan it is important to understand how to plan for voice […]
It is time to recalibrate your technology plan
No matter how good your technology plan was going into 2020, it is time to recalibrate it. The business environment has permanently changed and will not be going back to “how it was” with or without COVID-19. Thousands of workers shifted to #wfh for the first time, and guess what? They were MORE productive than […]
Activating Azure
Many companies will eventually need to decide whether they should keep customer and other highly confidential information on their on-premise servers or in the cloud. When the time comes to make this type of decision it can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, this is where Azure Active Directory (AD), an identity management tool comes in to play. […]
Diving into Data Backup
Data loss is something we all know happens but many don’t like to talk about. We all assume it won’t happen to us if we just look after our devices but the reality is that it could happen to anyone, at any time. Whether hacking takes place or we accidentally damage our devices there’s a […]
Planning ahead with Planner
All of us have deadlines to meet, projects to implement, meetings to attend, and a lengthy to-do list on hand. Keeping track of all the tasks you must take care of in the workplace is without a doubt challenging as daily responsibilities start piling up. If you don’t write down all your assignments or keep […]
Working smarter with Microsoft Stream
There are many features of Microsoft 365 that some users don’t know exists as part of their subscription. In fact, a lot of individuals with access to this plan are aware it includes all Office applications, Microsoft Teams, and OneDrive, but not much else. One collaboration tool that is often overlooked is Microsoft Stream, a […]
Switching to SharePoint
Most organizations have one central place for storing a lot of sensitive information. Some offices save documents to personal or work computers, or somewhere else on their servers. Others, including myself, rely on SharePoint for information saving and sharing. If you’ve ever worked in Office 365 or Microsoft 365 you may be familiar with SharePoint […]
From Old School to OneDrive
Before I was ever introduced to OneDrive, I did not have a go-to place for storing and saving important information on my personal or business computer. Whether I had important files I created in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, all my items were saved as a random file name on my desktop or placed into a […]
Using Microsoft Teams, from a new user perspective
Almost all workplaces utilize email and an internal messaging system to connect with team members across an organizational level. Business tools like Slack, Zoom and GoToMeeting are often implemented in many offices to help individuals work more efficiently together. Microsoft Teams, however, still stands as the best all-in-one solution for team collaboration. When I […]
IT Metrics that Matter the Most
What IT metrics matter the most? Is it how fast an issue is resolved? How many times the same issue reoccurs? Cost to resolve the issue? All of these metrics can have a varying degree of importance depending on who you ask! Today we are going to look at the IT metrics that provide the […]
Now is the time to move to VoIP
[vimeo 415230686 w=384 h=339] The work-from-home shift has expedited the need for businesses to evaluate their technology roadmaps and make adjustments to their technology stack. One area that should be considered improving is the way to handle voice across a phone system. Many offices are still using an in-office PBX which lacks the phone capabilities […]
Technology Costs Should be Variable, Not Fixed
The COVID-19 pandemic has made businesses painfully aware of their fixed operating costs. The largest fixed costs are people, often followed by office space. Some business owners consider technology costs fixed. Outsourcing your technology immediately changes many fixed costs into variable costs that are use-based and positively impact your business efficiency. We already prepped you […]
Don’t Let the Sunk Cost Fallacy Drive your Technology Decisions
[vimeo 410306204 w=384 h=339] Business owners are constantly bombarded with information about fiscal responsibility and how to avoid incurring more expenses than necessary. But sometimes the fear over “losing or spending money” leads many to stick with a decision because they already purchased a product or service, not because it’s the right choice. This is […]
Three keys when updating your Technology Roadmap
The sudden shift in how we work has been challenging for many businesses. For some, it validated their technology platforms; for others, it exposed their limitations. Regardless of the outcome, taking these experiences and updating your technology roadmap is important. Here are three points to consider when updating your roadmaps. Things will not go back […]
Remote access and collaboration planning
Remote access and collaboration have been key components of Stringfellow technology roadmaps since 2006. It all started with moving users to “hosted” Exchange mailboxes, which sounds very dated in today’s world of Office 365 services. Today we focus on a cloud-first and servers-to-services mentality for all our roadmaps. The following are key components of building […]
Your Status matters more than ever working from home!
Status is now a communications tool in your office, not something to brag about! What we are talking about is the usage of the Status setting in Teams (or other products) to effectively communicate during the Work From Home (WFH) world we are transitioning to. In the physical workplace we could literally see what someone […]
Trust is crucial in a remote workplace
Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, clearly shows that Trust is the basis for developing high performing teams. Until this is addressed, it will be difficult for any team to achieve consistent and repeatable results. Unfortunately, some managers attempt to achieve results by imposing various controls on their employees which ultimately reduces […]
What the end of Windows 7 REALLY means
Today marks the last day that Microsoft will provide updates for the Windows 7 operating system. Depending on who you talk to, your computer may burst into flames OR it may continue to work perfectly for the next several years. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of that debate, the following three points […]
Do you need a technology phase shift in 2020?
If your business and technology planning are out of sync, it may be time for a technology phase shift. Fortunately technology capability is not cumulative, skipping some steps is allowed! The services-first, app-first approach to technology planning can enable much higher productivity without a huge lag in implementation or capital expenditure. First, let’s review some […]
DIY IT needs to stay at home
The DIY (do it yourself) movement has taken off with the advent of social media. Pinterest runs an entire business off of it! The two biggest drivers of DIY are saving money, and being creative. Neither of these are good reasons to DIY your corporate technology! The number of businesses STILL taking a DIY approach […]
Increase the success of your Microsoft Teams implementation
Microsoft Teams is fast becoming the go-to application for managing communication and information flow within organizations. We wrote HERE about how Teams will be supplanting email for internal communication in the near future. Many organizations don’t plan their technology deployments and this is a big mistake. Just because you can “turn on” Teams and start […]
Shift to managing data, not devices
It is time to shift your focus from managing devices to managing your data. The threat landscape changes quickly but the target remains the same, your data! Data is everywhere, and attempting to secure all the places it can be does not scale. Starting with a “data first” mindset will help secure you in a […]
Three cybersecurity standards most businesses are missing
Cybersecurity has finally been elevated to a “standard” in the business world. A business of ANY size needs to have a cybersecurity as part of their basic business planning checklist. This is especially important for businesses that are in the 50-500 employee size range, as these groups often are utilizing processes, and tools that have […]
MFA is like green beans, you just gotta eat them!
MFA is no longer optional in today’s threat landscape. Over three YEARS ago we started talking to our Clients about utilizing MFA, as passwords are no longer keeping your information safe. The number of IT providers that STILL do not ENFORCE this critical security configuration is very surprising. No one likes to be told what […]
The three illusions executives have about internal IT versus outsourcing
The first step to improve your business productivity is to understand the three illusions executives have about internal IT versus outsourcing. These illusions are reinforced by unsophisticated technology providers, vendors what want you to use their (on-premise) products, and internal IT’s need to stay employed. The illusion of control What is the first thing we […]
Netflix outsources their IT, what is your excuse?
Netflix has changed the way we consume video content, and grown into a streaming giant. A key to their success was knowing what parts of the business to outsource, and which ones to keep in house. Starting in 2008 they shifted their infrastructure over to a partner, and unplugged their last corporate datacenter in 2016. […]
Know before you grow, have a Strategic Technology Roadmap!
Congratulations, you are part of a growing business that is about to make an acquisition! All the financials are thoroughly reviewed, corporate culture is synergistic, and everyone is excited. Did anyone do a technology capacity and alignment review? Nah, we will let the “IT folks” figure that out later, no big deal….except that it is. This […]
Does your business strategy take technology consolidation into account?
Large technology companies are masters of technology consolidation, think Microsoft, Salesforce, and Apple. They watch new technologies emerge from other groups, and then buy or replicate that functionality. Over time, all the DIFFERENT technologies you need to accomplish a goal now show up under a single integrated application from a vendor. Your business strategy needs […]
Three ways you should STOP using email
Email is the defacto communication standard in business today. This is interesting considering the first email sent was in 1971, and the fax machine has come and gone since that time. Email continues to be useful in the business environment, BUT it time to consider alternatives for many scenarios. Here are three ways you should […]
Moving to an App-based delivery model
If what physical device you are using determines what applications and services you have access to, it’s time to reevaluate your technology setup! It still surprises me at the number of organizations still dependent on VPN, local file shares, and legacy applications. The “cloud” has become a common solution to many technology issues, but the […]
Do you still think the world is flat?
Digital natives will not hang around long with a company that still things the world is flat! This shift of mentality is real and happening now. Make sure that you are keeping an open mind about how technology can improve your productivity, profits, and results. If you agree with any of the following statements about […]
How to avoid technical debt
Debt refers to the state of owing something, usually money, to another party in the future. Technical debt is when you “borrow” from your company’s FUTURE PRODUCTIVITY by not making the proper investments TODAY. The justification is usually based on not having the actual financial capacity to invest in your business technology. This leads to […]
Goldilocks and the right level of technology involvement
Delegating is a key driver for growth and scalability in your business. You can’t do it all! Delegation does not remove responsibility, so you still need some understanding. Many executives and business owners struggle with the right “level” of understanding of technology. You don’t need to be an expert, but ABDICATION differs greatly from DELEGATION […]
Playing the long game in business
[vimeo 314332980 w=384 h=339] There is a time limit in sporting events is because there has to be a loser! Don’t put a time limit on your business relationships, play the long game. Three advantages of playing the long game with your business relationships: Allows for investments in improving the overall relationship…this can often take […]
Technology is NOT always the answer!
[vimeo 313262571 w=384 h=339] Technology is NOT always the answer to your business needs or issues. In the video we discuss four common areas where technology is not the answer. Wrong people Lack of Training Product or Service that is on the decline Broken Processes
110% client retention exists…here’s how!
Client retention is an important metric for any business, especially those with a high customer acquisition cost (CAC). The old saying it’s always easier to keep a client you have than to go and find a new one is true! What if you could plan on keeping all your (profitable) Clients and getting them to […]
It is 2019, and you are still talking about uptime?
First, no technology platform provides 100% uptime, period. Technology is too complex for that level of reliability. The car has been around for about 120 years, and they crash every day, albeit with a better survival rate. This is similar to technology in general. The crashes still occur but with less impact and a much […]
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles…how do you run your technology?
Do you run your technology like a plane, train, or automobile? All three will get you from point A to point B but in different ways. We can also apply this concept to how you run your technology. Let’s assume you have decided where you want to go, now let’s review how we are going […]
Technology is Making Us Busy Not Productive
Go ahead and reread the headline again; it’s correct. We have reached the limit of technology, making us more productive, and entered the era of “being busy.” We are losing the fundamental ability to prioritize our work time and now stay busy, responding to emails, texts, and other REACTIVE tasks. So what is technology’s role […]
Unless you like building power plants, get on board with technology subscriptions
Would you build a power or water filtration plant for your business? The answer for 99% of us is no, which would make no sense. Many large factories built their own power plants at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. There was no distribution network or centralized power plant to connect it to. This was the only […]