Getting an airplane ready for takeoff is similar to keeping a business running, believe it or not.
Airlines are heavily reliant on airplane mechanics to ensure that all of the parts of the airplane are well-oiled and ready for a smooth – and even bumpy – ride. The pilot may be in command of the flight, but it’s the airplane mechanic who is accountable for ensuring that every passenger and crew member makes it to his or her destination safely.
Like an airline, your business is heavily reliant on technicians to ensure all parts of the workplace are fully operational. This person is accountable for keeping day-to-day operations up and running, clients happy, and employees productive. Much like a pilot, your CEO is in command. However, it’s your IT support and validation that ensures the business flies every day.
Ready for Takeoff: IT Support and Validation
Getting an airplane prepared for takeoff and landing is a big responsibility. There are hundreds of parts that need to be checked to ensure that the machine – whether it’s an airplane or business-critical system – are well-maintained and ready for flight.
The mechanic needs to have the right technical expertise to know when something is not right, and how to fix it. This technical position holds a high degree of accountability. Failure in any one of the hundreds of parts of the corporate or aviation machine means there’s no takeoff, customer needs aren’t being met, and employees aren’t able to perform their jobs. If one part is out of line, operations stop, and your business isn’t working. In both industries, technicians are crucial in ensuring systems are ready, and operations are running smoothly.
Buckle up for Turbulence
We’ve all experienced a bumpy ride every now and then. This is when the airplane mechanic gets put to the true test.
Behind every sleek machine is a trusted technical expert. You trust your IT guy. He shows up to work on time and communicates effectively to you to show he’s accountable and reliable. But, how do you know that the job is getting done? Are you certain back-ups are working, the hardware is healthy, security patches are applied, and system diagnostics are checked? Does your IT support have any validation for his or her work?
If the answer is no to any of these questions, your business may be in trouble. If you don’t know, it’s time to check under the hood before it’s too late.
Proper IT support and validation and service level agreements confirm your IT service provider or employee is in fact getting the job done, and properly, too. Agreements and verification leave little to no room for error or uncertainty and make sure all systems are ready to go, no matter what kind of turbulence you’ve hit.
Crash & Burn: When Systems Aren’t Maintained
If business-critical systems aren’t maintained and there’s no business continuity or a backup plan in place, the chances (and costs) of a catastrophe are high.
As scary as it sounds, organizational downtime isn’t always due to disaster. Human error is the cause for 45% of system outages while natural disasters such as fires, floods, and tornadoes account for just under 10% of downtime.
What’s worse is the impact on businesses. The typical mid-sized company has an average of 16-20 lost hours of operation per year due to unplanned network, system, or application downtime. Downtime doesn’t just mean your business isn’t working, it also means incurring hefty fees associated with IT service and IT support. Across all businesses, a failed business continuity plan means $163,674 per hour. Small companies lose $8,581 per hour, medium companies $215,638 per hour, and large enterprises $686,250 for every hour of downtime.
If the threat of a non-operational business and costs of downtime isn’t enough, 70% of companies that experience a major data loss are out of business in one year. Despite all of the scary facts, the majority of organizations aren’t keeping systems well-maintained and possess no backup or business continuity plan.
Up, Up & Away: What it Takes to Fly
A safe flight and strong business are all about ensuring business-critical systems are prepared for virus outbreaks, the hardware is healthy, security patches are applied, and backups and business continuity plans are effective. Ask yourself: is our IT environment well-positioned for the future, are our fail-over plans ready to go, is our IT service provider or IT professional accountable?
Making sure you’re ready for takeoff means you need proper IT support and validation – you never know what kind of ride you’re in for. IT support and validation are the key to keeping operations running smoothly and businesses going strong – even if things get a little bumpy.
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