If you could choose between spending $300 today to upgrade the brakes in your car, or $3,000 next week to repair the damage caused by a serious crash, what would you choose? Seems like a simple choice doesn't it? The fact is, most people get stuck with a $3,000 bill because they react to problems, instead of anticipating them. I often hear people ask, "How was I supposed to know?" My response is, "How wouldn't you know?" Car brakes wear out, computers malfunction, software requires updates, and systems need to be managed.

Just like the automobile industry, I've found that most businesses are very reactive when it comes to Information Technology. Instead of being proactive with monitored systems and an established process, businesses often react after an incident which is sometimes too late and always very costly. Just a few weeks ago, a business contacted me because their server was running slowly. It turned out that their most critical server was not properly managed with less than 5% storage space available and multiple viruses. With this limitation and the need to react to keep the business operational, there was no time to plan or work this into the budget. Unfortunately, this reactionary mentality and lack of management cost the business more than money - it resulted in lost business, lost productivity and lost opportunity. Their servers, email, data, client orders and primary means of doing business were unavailable for nearly three days. They were unable to communicate with their clients or sell their product. It hurt them dearly.

With the ZingTech Model, we proactively manage in the headlights instead of reacting to problems in the tail lights. Our process of system checks and balances is designed to keep systems running at optimum levels while constantly monitoring our clients' IT environments to ensure their businesses remains operational. Our Managed Services allow us to receive multiple system alerts per day to notify us of virus detections, problem with email, shortage of storage space or if someone is trying to hack our client's server. When there is something critical we notify our clients and proactively manage and plan on how to circumvent the issue before it becomes a problem. The ZingTech process allows our clients to keep their total cost of ownership lower by being proactive while detecting problems before they affect the business.

If your IT environment and servers are not being monitored, it's time to re-evaluate your IT process before it's too late. It's an IT company's responsibility to ensure that your systems are running at optimum levels and your responsibility to ensure you have a qualified IT firm dedicated to proactively manage in the headlights instead of reacting in the tail lights.

Ever wonder why a cheeseburger in Florida tastes the same as a cheeseburger in California? You can thank Ray Kroc, the man who perfected the process of creating McDonald's famous burger. Kroc implemented Henry Ford's assembly line principles in every McDonald's, so a cheeseburger looks, smells, and tastes the same each and every time. This is the same philosophy ZingTech applies when it comes to creating a technology process for clients.

Think about how many employees you have. Does each employee follow the same protocol when a call comes in? How about when a client has an inquiry? What if your computers go down? Many times, a company realizes too late that they don't have a process for these situations. One employee hand writes a note that gets lost in the shuffle. Another sends an email to the wrong recipient. The computers go down because your company hired a vendor instead of a technology consultant, and the vendor didn't have a clear vision for your company's needs, or a strong process. In today's high tech world, businesses don't just run; they run on technology. Doesn't it make sense to use technology to establish your business process and make your business more efficient and profitable?

Use technology to help automate your process and simplify day to day operations. You will spend less time fixing problems and more time growing your business. When a call comes in, have an online form ready and automatically delivered to the appropriate person. Do research and find an IT Consulting Firm you trust and respect. Document step by step what should happen for every situation, and NEVER move on to step two if step one isn't completed.

At Zing Technologies, we utilize a very proven process, each and every time, so at the end of the day our clients end up with a very proven result - our version of the cheeseburger. ZingTech is passionate about using technology to help clients find their processes. We remove the guesswork and the "shotgun" approach and replace it with proven business solutions. If you need help implementing your technology process, I would love to hear from you.

Kroc knew what his customers wanted: reliability. Essentially, a cheeseburger that tastes just as good as the last one. I recommend you perfect your process and offer your clients a great tasting product each and every time, and they will keep coming back for more.

Here is a scenario I see all the time, which I hope you have never experienced: a client invests time, energy, and most importantly money, into a technology firm looking for guidance and support, only to find there is none. Instead, they find they have paid for installation of a product which they know nothing about.

A professional information technology consulting organization provides more than installation but rather provides strategic IT infrastructure suited specifically for the client's environment. Here are four important questions to ask yourself when deciding whether to hire a consultant or a vendor.

What do they sell?
A consultant sells advice, strategies, and "proven" business solutions, a vendor simply sells a product or service.

Where is their loyalty?
A consultant's loyalty is with his/her client, and the client's objective; a vendor's is to his/her company and products.

What motivates them?
Consultants are motivated by their client's success. A vendor is more concerned with bottom-line profit.

What makes them successful?

Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic between a consultant and a vendor is a consultant relies on his/her skills and expertise to build lasting business relationships, while a vendor is primarily concerned with sales volume.

If you know exactly what your company needs and feel comfortable hiring someone to install it, great! You want a vendor. But if you want someone to look at the bigger picture, to capture your interest, to gain your trust and respect, and actually diagnose your problem, you want a consultant.

A vendor is only going to do surface level work; a consultant is going to dig deep, advise and implement long term business strategies, not just a one time solution. When you boil it down, a vendor is paid to install, whereas a consultant is paid to think. Where do you want to invest your money?

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