When scheduling IT maintenance work or IT system upgrades, one of the barriers many organisations face is choosing a time when the minimum amount of disruption will be caused to the running of essential services. One way to overcome this barrier is to use the summer break for planned IT maintenance. Many organisations experience a lull in work as customers make the most of the summer break and the schools break up.
Here are our ideas for how to make the most of the summer break for IT maintenance.
Schedule AV Installation:
The summer break is the perfect time for the installation of new AV equipment. Organisations, especially those in education, may find it difficult to find time to have interactive screens installed due to the disruption of noise and mess. By choosing the summer break for your installation, you can ensure that the disruption to your business is minimised. It also gives you plenty of time to test out and get to grips with your new AV equipment before the busy September period.
Upgrade and Maintain your Server:
Regular maintenance and IT server upgrades are essential aspects of ensuring the security of your server and that the data it holds is not comprised. However, many organisations struggle to schedule “downtime” without causing significant business disruption. Completing work over the summer can mean that fewer staff are trying to access key documents and you are able to plan the work to minimise inconvenience.
Purchase New Devices:
The summer break is also the perfect time to purchase new IT hardware equipment for your staff. By planning new purchases for when staff members are out of the office, it gives your IT support team the time to install, configure and move data across to a new device, thus maximising staff productivity when in the office.
Conduct an Audit of IT Equipment:
Chances are that you have already written your IT budget for the year, but did you have time to check the wear and tear of your IT equipment before doing so? Taking the time over the summer to check whether all equipment is working as it should, allows you to influence the IT budget for the following year and where possible avoid nasty surprises when equipment ceases to function.
Clean your Equipment:
All IT equipment can benefit from regular maintenance to ensure longevity. The summer break is the perfect time to instruct your IT support team to clean the fans on all the staff laptops, clean projector bulbs, and recalibrate your interactive screens.
Complete Upgrades:
Does everyone in your organisation install “Windows Updates” when prompted and restart their laptops regularly? Are you running the latest versions of all software? If not, you could be putting your organisation at risk of a security breach. Take advantage of the quiet time to engage with your support team, communicate with staff, and batten down the hatches by keeping your devices up-to-date.
Complete your IT Business Continuity Plan:
When the workload at your organisation is reduced, you could take advantage of the opportunity to focus and write your IT Business Continuity Plan. Our latest advice article focuses on what should be included in your IT Business Continuity Plan and outlines the considerations you need to make when writing your plan.
If you would like support completing any of the IT maintenance tasks we’ve suggested, please get in touch. Our friendly and knowledgeable team will be able to give advice and help you to organise your IT maintenance with minimal disruption to your organisation, but the maximum benefits to your IT strategy.