source: freedigitalphotos.net
For us Nerds, the reasons for a Needs Assessment seem almost self evident: the client is not entirely happy with their technology situation and is seeking guidance.
I have a client who is contemplating merging part of their infrastructure with one or two other organizations. This client sees the value in doing a Needs Assessment prior to making any major decisions on the merger. The other organizations seem to be happy with the way they are running now. My task is to persuade them all of the value in a Needs Assessment so they can decide if the status quo is more desirable than making a change.
I have run into this before where people told me they were happy with dial-up Internet. Just about every one of those clients now is on some form of high speed, and would not go back, for obvious reasons. They didn’t know what they were missing until they sampled the alternative.
In short – they didn’t know what they didn’t know.
Which brings me back to the question: Why a Needs Assessment?
You may think you are happy now, but unless someone examines your situation and possible alternatives you won’t know if you could be even happier (“happy” being a one of the synonyms for our three P’s philosophy – Productivity, Profitability, Pleasure.
What’s Included in a Needs Assessment?
- Evaluate the status of your current systems – A Workstation and Server Review (permissions, shared folders, hard drive space, memory, security)
- Pin point areas of inefficiency
- A Network Security Reality Check
- Checking your internet connection for stability, consistency, and reliability, including upload/download speeds
- Reviewing Disaster Readiness
- Data Backup and Verification
- Staff Technology Satisfaction Interviews (pain points, frustration, daily headaches, etc.)
- Make cost saving recommendations
This process is followed by a Normalization (implement changes and plan changes), and monthly NerdCare (regular maintenance, scheduled work, updates, predictable IT budget).
Sound like something your company or organization would be interested in? Give us a call at 877-696-3737 or visit www.nerdsonsite.com!
[Jim Humphrey, a Nerd in London, Ontario, Canada, contributed to this post.]
