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A Success StoryRegular readers know that I don't usually talk about successes. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that they're so hard to find. Today I found one. I visited an organization that has a model to be extremely proud of. Unfortunately, they're not a client, and, quite frankly, probably won't need us. I thought it would be helpful to share a few thoughts about their operation. But don't go overboard and try to implement these changes. Otherwise, you won't need consultants like us, massive support contracts, and a big staff for your help desk. This just goes to show how altruistic I am, sharing this information with you. Here is the most important fact of all. They manage over 300 workstations and five network servers with one IT manager (who isn't able to spend a lot of time on support issues) and one technician. That is pretty amazing. In fact, it's darned close to incredible. You're probably wondering how they do it. But first, close your mouth...your jaw dropped. First of all, they use Symantec's Norton Ghost for all of their PC's. This product allows them to create a standard configuration and disk image for every machine. If the user has a problem with the PC, whether it crashes, catches a virus, hangs or has some other problem, the IT department doesn't try to fix it, they just quickly rebuild the machine by copying a new image of the disk drive to the machine. It's fast and simple. The users aren't supposed to install any unauthorized software on their computers, or store any of their data on their local drives. Therefore, there is no problem with simply wiping the workstation's disk clean and starting over. Symantec's Ghost software makes this an easy process. One gotcha, which you've already noticed, is that it may be tough for many organizations, including yours, to get users to go along with losing control over their machines. They WANT to install their own software from home. They WANT to install the latest screen-saver. And they just have to have that cool download recommended by PC Magazine. Of course, you also know that giving users these capabilities causes most of the problems you have. For a moment, think about saving all that money by having only ONE technician supporting 300 machines. Just ruminate on that for a moment. Now, who cares about what the users want? Is it really worth it? You can save a pile of dough by allowing them to use their computers for the BUSINESS purposes that you intended. Is this such a bad thing? Stop and think about this for a moment. Think about all the money you'll save. Pretty neat, huh? This company has also standardized on one desktop and server hardware platform. The vendor they use has a very powerful sales model. They only sell to companies that will buy over 100 PC's, and the company must have their own level one support staff (that one guy I've just talked about). And the vendor has a limited range of models, which are a little more expensive than your typical Compaq/HP/Dell/Gateway machines. But once you've bought, they'll support you intensely. The company's IT manager said that they recently had a server crash, and the vendor's tech support rep answered their call in under two minutes and spent almost three hours on the phone with them - continuously! This is not a very frequent occurrence at most vendors. But when you make a smart investment, and build a tight partnership with the right vendor, great things can happen. Installing new machines is a breeze as well. Since the vendor has the disk images of the standard machines, they are able to build a new system and fully configure it before it leaves their assembly center. So when it arrives at the client, all their tech has to do is unbox it, plug everything in, and turn it on. No software to install, and nothing to configure. He's done. Upgrades are also easy. Since every PC came from the same vendor, they maintain a database of every workstation and server the company has. If they want to upgrade memory on a machine, all they have to do is call with the machine number, and they can easily and quickly determine the exact hardware they'll need and what they're going to have to pay for it. No more riffling through vendor catalogs and Web sites trying to figure out if this memory will work or if this hard drive matches the controller card. No more having to return half of your upgrade orders because, no matter how hard you tried, you still ordered the wrong stuff. One of the things that small organizations lose sight of when they buy new systems is the cost of ongoing management. They focus on how cheap the hardware and software is, and how easy it is to install. But they don't give much attention to the ongoing costs of managing that new system. This company has reduced their management costs about as far as they can by simply buying a slightly more expensive box, building a tight relationship with an excellent and supportive vendor, and by maintaining tight, if politically incorrect, control over the workstations. Sure, there are some up-front costs and headaches. But they've saved the continuous, year-after-year cost of a couple of expensive technicians in a tight labor market. So your choices are: be sloppy about your purchases, and don't effectively manage your systems; or buy wisely, manage your network with an iron fist, and save bucket-loads* of money. Which do you prefer? As I said before, your users may not like having their PC's wiped and re-imaged. It'll take some time to change your company culture to enforce a more structured approach to your PC's. But if you want to dramatically reduce your management costs, this is something you should be seriously considering. * "bucket-load" is a technical term meaning "lots."
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