Most (if not all) companies make use of IT services on a daily basis. Whether you're using computers for administration, sending email, browsing the internet or accounting, it's important to ensure you have policies in place, so that your employees have a cohesive understanding of what is required and expected of them when using their employer's technology.
Your company needs to protect itself by having policies related to security, personal internet use and messaging, software, hardware inventories and data retention. It's also a good idea for employers to be aware of the potential loss of productivity due to personal internet use.
Let's take a look at just three scenarios which could potentially cause problems in the workplace:
In a fast-moving world, it's often the case that even businesses who have an IT policy in place find that many of the guidelines are out of date or not relevant to current trends (for example, no policy which addresses the increasing use of mobile technology in the workplace or the growing number of us who are working from home).
If your resources are already pushed to the hilt, it can make sense to outsource your IT services, particularly if you're unsure about what your IT policy should involve.
Your company needs to protect itself by having policies related to security, personal internet use and messaging, software, hardware inventories and data retention. It's also a good idea for employers to be aware of the potential loss of productivity due to personal internet use.
Let's take a look at just three scenarios which could potentially cause problems in the workplace:
- Jennifer sells home-made handicrafts and sends out an email to all colleagues telling them about the products with an attached list of prices. Is this an acceptable use of company time and data?
- A small company selling catering equipment has decided to employ a graphic designer to start producing a quarterly offers brochure. In order to produce this brochure, the employee will need a MacBook Pro running Adobe Creative Suite - nobody in the office is aware of whose responsibility it is to provide computer support, to acquire the machine and ensure the software is up and running
- A colleague in the accounts department of a supermarket is waiting for his accounting software package to update. It is a rather large update and while waiting for the download to complete he decides to browse the internet for celebrity gossip. He inadvertently ends up viewing a pornographic video - what are the potential ramifications for the company if a co-worker makes an official complaint about their colleague's behaviour?
1. Security
Your business should have guidelines in place to ensure safe network access, confidentiality and virus protection.2. Acceptable use
Guidelines should be in place to ensure computers, telephones, the web, email and voicemail are correctly used, and the consequences that apply as a result of misuse.3. Standards in technology
It's important to determine what type of systems (both hardware and software) will be put to use within the company so as to ensure integration and synchronicity across the entire business. It's also essential to identify types of software and hardware which are prohibited (illegal torrent download clients or non-PAT tested hardware, for example).4. Disaster recovery
Your company or IT services provider should have a plan in place for data recovery in the event of a major issue or disaster.5. Network support and administration
It's important to have guidelines related to how the network is configured along with procedures to add new employees to the company network, adjusting employee permission levels and activating software licences.6. IT services
An in-depth analysis should be undertaken to identify how problems will be addressed, who is responsible for tech support and general IT maintenance, installation and upgrades.Practical conception and implementation of IT policies
While most business owners recognise the need to have IT policies in place, it can often prove difficult finding the time to draw up a plan of action (particularly in SMEs where staff are already busy with other tasks).In a fast-moving world, it's often the case that even businesses who have an IT policy in place find that many of the guidelines are out of date or not relevant to current trends (for example, no policy which addresses the increasing use of mobile technology in the workplace or the growing number of us who are working from home).
If your resources are already pushed to the hilt, it can make sense to outsource your IT services, particularly if you're unsure about what your IT policy should involve.
