IT Onboarding and Project Roadmap (Questions/Answers)

What’s The Key To Successful IT Services Onboarding?

Strategy and planning are key aspects of success – that just makes sense, right? Why then, is it so common for migration and onboarding of IT services to be unstructured and unplanned? In order to ensure a successful transition, Nexus IT Consultants rely on a detailed Onboarding and Project Roadmap.

Like any other transition, onboarding from one IT provider to another comes with its own set of challenges. The key to pulling off a successful migration that gives your business exactly what you need out of your new technology services is to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into before you start.

Changing from one provider to another — whether IT or otherwise — should never be made impulsively. Taking the time to figure out the specifics well ahead of time can eliminate added complications and costs that could otherwise crop up down the road, and make the entire process much smoother.

In simplier terms, your business should have a very clear idea of why you’re making the move in the first place, how that move will impact your day-to-day operations, and what you intend to get from the new provider.

Why Are You Considering Changing IT Services?

There are a number of reasons why you would want to change the nature of your IT services, whether it’s from an internally managed model, or from one third party to another:

1. You can’t work. Whether it’s a slow server that won’t let you access shared company files or a buggy email client that leaves you unsure whether your messages are actually being sent, when your computers aren’t working, you’re not working.
2. You’re paying for short-term fixes.
   Poorly maintained computers will often need quick fixes, handled by local repair shops for one-time fees. The problem is that while the hardware may work when you get it back from them, there’s no guarantee it’ll last for long. That means there’s no way of knowing how quickly you’ll have to go back to that same shop and pay for it to get fixed again.
   
3. Your customers are unhappy.
   If you can’t work as quickly or as effectively as you should be, it’s only a matter of time before that affects your customers’ experience. And there’s nothing worse than having to face an angry customer and tell them that it’s because your computers aren’t working right.

Regardless of what the reason is, you don’t want to be hasty about the change. That’s why, when evaluating your potential options, you always want to be sure to inquire about how the IT services provider will manage the transition process.

The worst-case scenario is that they don’t have any sort of plan in place whatsoever. This is more common than you may think. The new provider will simply come in for a single meeting, find out what you’re looking for, take stock of your local IT environment, and that’s about it. If nothing goes wrong, and there’s nothing to install, you may never see them again.

Does that sound like the right approach to you?

The problem is that this process is based on a lot of assumptions. Namely, it assumes that everything you’re currently using IT-wise is optimized (not likely, given that you’re changing IT providers). It also assumes that there’s no room for improvement (also unlikely, given how quickly technology changes and improves).

What Does An Effective Onboarding Process Really Look Like?

The bottom line is that a truly effective onboarding process needs to be based on a plan. That’s why Nexus IT Consultants rely on the following Onboarding and Project Roadmap:

As you can see, we have carefully laid out every vital step in the onboarding process, from the initial signed agreement to the transition of ongoing support. Incorporating several meetings along the way allows the Nexus IT Consultants team to carefully track the progress and effectivity of our Onboarding, it gives us the opportunity to really get to know your business, and ensures there are no gaps in the process.

The bottom line is that you don’t want to rush this process, or you may end up with the same issues that led you to seek alternative services in the first place. Nexus IT Consultants take pride in our work from the very beginning, ensuring an Onboarding process that you can believe in.

Like this article? Check out Can Your Salt Lake IT Services Company Guarantee Your Complete Satisfaction? 10 Reasons Why You Should Use A Local Salt Lake City IT Service Company, or Does Your Salt Lake Area IT Company Offer A Robust Support Process? to learn more.