Computer lifecycle management is important for small businesses to operate efficiently and securely. Most small businesses do not have the resources to keep a professional IT staff on payroll. That is why it is important to consider the advantages of contracting with an IT professional to assist you with the development and implementation of a computer lifecycle management plan for your business.

What is a computer lifecycle management plan?A computer lifecycle management plan takes into consideration the optimal replacement schedule for your business computer hardware and software to avoid hardware failures, create energy savings, and enhance computer and employee performance.

A good lifecycle management plan includes an always current inventory of existing computers, their technical specs and the software installed on each computer as well as each computer’s warranties and maintenance agreements. A comprehensive plan also includes a training plan to ensure employees are comfortable using their computers and software and are aware of important security protocols.
Every computer needs regular software updates and patches. You also need to understand your computer warranties or maintenance agreements espe. At some point, you will have to determine when it makes sense to purchase new computers or upgrade existing computers adding new memory or hard drive space and new software to handle new application requirements or create enhanced productivity.

An independent IT professional can assist in the efficient management of computers and software to reduce employee downtime due to help-desk calls, cut costs, and meet security and compliance requirements to help ensure you get the most out of your IT investment.What can an independent IT professional do for your small business computer life cycle management?

A good IT professional will ensure you get the most out of your existing technology and new acquisitions without spending more than you need to.

An IT professional can analyze your business needs and your existing computers and software applications looking for opportunities to standardize hardware and software which can reduce help desk support required, increase productivity and cut costs. They can also determine which software applications you are using to determine if there are cost savings available by reducing the number of software licenses you are paying for and if there are opportunities for your business to purchase lower end computers for some applications rather than the more expensive high-performance computers when it comes time to replace existing units. The IT professional can help the small business owner determine if a lease or purchase of new computers is a better option for their small business.

They can assist in the determination if the risk associated with not obtaining extended warranties and maintenance agreements outweighs the cost of the extended agreements. They can also help determine what types of agreements best meet your small business needs – is next day service required or will a less expensive mail-in repair suffice.

As part of the computer replacement process, IT professionals will assist with ensuring the old hard drives are wiped clean of sensitive data before they are recycled, donated to a school or not for profit or sold. Sometimes the safest option is to actually destroy those hard drives entirely.

Contracting with a local IT professional is a smart business decision. Often the IT professional will save you unnecessary costs and headaches far in excess of the cost of the professionals services.

This article was written and published on behalf of DT Advanced Inc. DT Advanced is a Denver IT Consulting firm that helps businesses with computer lifecycle management.