How to Make Remote Site Technology Management More Cost Effective

So, you have multiple locations all over the United States. Your team’s IT staff is 100% based at your corporate HQ. Consequently, you have very limited ability in the field to assist your remote sales and operations team at their locations unless you send one of your staff members on-site. This isn’t only expensive, but it’s disruptive to your team’s projects and ability to get things done in a timely manner. So, what’s the potential solution? Have you considered leveraging a partner who can solve your remote site needs? Someone who can handle emergency dispatches, after-hour dispatches, project dispatches, installation of networking equipment, DMARC extensions, electrical and workstation drops, etc., while project managing these installations with a simple hourly rate.

The problem with remote site dispatch

More often than not, it has been customary for our clients to send a company-provided IT staff member (typically a network engineer) to turn-up the site. After-all, they need to know what’s out there and it’s beneficial for IT to lay eyes on their remote team. What’s often the case is that there are a lot of potential issues that can arise that will cause this person to extend their stay from 1 day to several days. For example:

• What if they can’t get the circuit turned up?
• What if they don’t have the ability to extend the DMARC because they don’t have the right tools (a ladder, coax cable, Cat5 or Cat6 cable, fiber, etc.)?
• What if the site has delays getting equipment to the location?
• What if there are technical issues delaying the turn-up?

These are just a few of the many examples we’ve seen for why an install doesn’t happen according to plan. The next set of questions to consider when an IT employee needs to extend their stay to solve a remote issue is:

• What’s the personal impact to this individual who has to put their life on-hold to solve for whatever issue that’s required?
• What’s the impact to the company to have this individual in the field not able to do their typical daily work or project?
• Who pays for the room, airfare, the meal stipends and any other expenses while this person is travelling on company time?
• Is there a potential for loss of morale for this type of travel for these employees?

These are only questions your team can answer. If you don’t see an issue with any of the above questions, then perhaps a remote tech dispatch partner isn’t a practical or necessary solution for you, yet. However, if you’re still hanging with us after reading these concerns and find yourself nodding your head, then you are likely a great candidate for changing the way you address issues at your remote sites.

An example of remote site management done right

Here’s an example of what the remote site management process looks like when you partner with EnableIP: You have a technical need at one of your remote locations, so you send us a request to ask for assistance. You can fill out a form or we’ll call you directly to discuss exactly what’s being required and what the outcome needs to be. We will then send back to you a detailed document outlining the scope of the problem and solution, requiring your approval. This document will have a detailed pricing schedule that will be followed based on time and materials. Once approved the tech is scheduled. The tech will have a detailed list of what items they need to bring (work order), who they will be meeting at the site, and detailed instructions regarding what needs to be accomplished and how. Your IT team should only need to be involved roughly 2 out of 10 times to answer questions. Otherwise, the tech will work on any issues that arise on your team’s behalf.

All of this can and is accomplished for roughly ⅓ the cost of sending your own team member, and roughly 20% of the time. It hasn’t disrupted your IT team’s day whatsoever.

This scenario isn’t the exception — it’s the rule. We do this all the time. It’s not always pretty or smooth, but the job gets done and for far less money than sending your own staff.