Basics

As a small business grows so do the demands on the hardware platform which drives its business applications.  The ability to share data as well as peripherals, such as printers and scanners, quickly and securely becomes an ever increasing requirement.  The growth of wireless networks and the popularity of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which facilitate access to a business network via the internet, have resulted in small businesses gaining the following benefits.

Benefits

Business communication can be enhanced by the deployment of a business network.  Employees can efficiently and securely share information such as common files, databases and business application software using a computer network giving the following advantages:

• Employees, clients and suppliers can share information concurrently.
• Networked access to common applications can avoid data repetition and save time.
• Reduce errors and improve consistency by sharing and saving data at a single source.
• Network security and administration can be managed centrally giving greater efficiency.
• Costs are reduced by the sharing of network utilities such as printers and scanners

Analysis

Prior to the deployment of a business network a small business should evaluate its business operations and analyse the following issues:

• Do your business processes depend on producing and accessing information – can you benefit from employees accessing centrally stored data via individual PC’s?
• Which specific tasks can be centralised.  eg. The creation of quotations from a customer database?
• How might a network need to expand in order to support the growth of your business?
• Is your current equipment satisfactory to work within a network environment?
• How many people will use the network – including employees, clients and suppliers?
• Consider a network map to evaluate optimum locations for the server and shared peripherals such as printers and scanners.
• What is your network budget?
• Evaluate costs including purchase, installation, support and training.
• Consider savings in time, replacing manual and paper-based processes, reducing hardware costs and sharing functions.
• Security.  Who will have data access and control?
• Back-up procedures.  What will be backed-up and when?
• Which products can facilitate an efficient network?

Solution

To facilitate the smooth transition from your existing working environment to a streamlined network solution careful consideration should be given to the aforementioned points.  If you require assistance in making the correct analysis of your requirements please contact Team TidalWave for a no obligation discussion.  We would welcome the opportunity to make your business efficiency our priority.

If you have any questions then please contact us and we will be more than happy to help!