Companies of all sizes understand the need to stay with the technology curve. Continuous technology innovation is something that can only be beneficial to the organisation, regardless of the company's size or sector. However, while most businesses are quite prepared to be innovative, their implementations often fail because the correct systems and procedures are not adhered to.
"There is a definite chasm between the idea of innovation and an implementation that actually meets the business requirements,” says Greg Wilson, CEO of Reflex Solutions.
“Basically, there are two main reasons why companies fall into this gap. The first is that when implementing new technologies, they lack the technical skills to get it right. Secondly, there is quite often a disconnect between the IT requirements and the actual business requirements.”
Reflex Solutions is a full service IT provider, offering everything from network infrastructure and data centres to voice and data connectivity and a variety of client support services.
“Obviously, when a company decides to implement new and innovative technologies, it is vital to understand how this fits with specific business processes, otherwise you are wasting your time. This is where Reflex can help.”
Wilson points out that the key to matching the technology to the business requirements is to begin with a business audit. He says Reflex recognises the need to firstly understand the requirements from the business side, before one even begins worrying about the technology.
"Our approach is based on the fact that as an organisation, we are a solutions provider, rather than a box dropper. Therefore, once we properly understand the business requirements, we can customise an IT solution to meet the client's exact needs.
“As part of the service, we are able to offer customers the benefits of our years of industry experience to enable them to put the correct processes in place. After all, the key to getting the best from your technology solution is to have the correct standards and best practices in place, in order to make full use of it.
"Reflex will therefore help our customers to meet industry best practices. We are able to implement standards right down to the most granular level. For example, what a user is allowed to browse and at what times of day; whether they are allowed to use memory sticks on work PCs; and who in the company is allowed to install their own software."
Wilson says this is particularly pertinent for the smaller organisations, which may not have any systems or procedures in place. The goal, he says, is to ensure that the company's IT operates at its most efficient. Reflex can draw from many years of experience across a variety of industries to ensure that best practices are adhered to.
“Developing standards tends to be time consuming and expensive, particularly for smaller organisations. Understanding this, we have developed - from our own enormous intellectual property - a list of standard business processes and procedures that they can adopt,” says Wilson.
He states that it is usually the simplest IT problems that cause the most downtime. Therefore, whatever size the organisation, it should consider using an expert to manage its IT. After all, he points out that a company should be focused on its core business, without having to worry about problems like power, cooling or disc space.
“Reflex can monitor all the minor and major issues that can impact a business. We are also able to deliver a full service solution that covers all aspects of a company's ICT requirements. Instead of worrying about technology, our customers are able to focus on what they do best, while leaving all their technology requirements in our capable hands.”
Wilson says that looking ahead, the growing popularity of social media as a business tool is only further muddying the waters around correct Internet usage policies for business.
“Ultimately, it is our job is to listen to the client and implement the policy that will suit them best. Some industries may find social media platforms useful, while others may consider them to be anathema. Either way, we have vast experience to draw from, so we are able to give customers plenty of advice on which they can then base their final decision. And of course once they have decided what they want, they are able to leave both the implementation and the best practices up to us, because that is what we do best,” he concludes.
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