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Imagine this scenario; you run an automobile factory where vehicles are assembled, tested, and ultimately shipped to dealerships for purchasing by consumers. You can imagine how tricky managing such a factory might have been in the past, with countless parts being used for assembly, inventory tracking practices for keeping tabs on all of it, and shipping information for all of the finished products. Nowadays, with the Internet of Things, all of this could be made much more simple. Take, for example, inventory management. When items are pulled from the inventory, they could be scanned automatically through the use of connected sensors, removing them from the inventory when they are used for assembly. Doing so removes the burden of painstakingly tracking each individual piece one-by-one, and it frees up time and resources for other tasks or responsibilities. The Internet of Things can also be used for diagnostic purposes. With connected devices and sensors, important benchmarks on new products can be monitored for quality control and assurance. Connected devices in this sense can also be used to determine potential pitfalls and shortcomings in the production process, preventing issues from developing further down the line. Finally, Internet of Things devices can be used to track the shipping of products to their eventual destinations. Imagine that each of these devices passes through various checkpoints that automatically add or deduct them from the inventory management system, which is updated in real time. The IoT is perfect for making these kinds of changes to operations. Truth be told, the Internet of Things can be a bit dangerous and concerning, but it does offer some great opportunities for your business to step up its operations. Just like manufacturers and corporations use smart devices to keep track of inventory in their factories and warehouses, you too can use these same devices to keep tabs on your own inventory and practices. With the appropriate technology solutions in place, you can monitor various parts of your organization?s operations. Of course, the extent to which this is true depends on which industry your business falls into. To find out how your company can utilize the Internet of Things to its advantage, we recommend a comprehensive network audit performed by White Mountain IT Services. With our help, you can identify opportunities for improvement within your organization, including inventory management, supply chain management, and so on. To learn more about what we can do for your business, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

What is Quality Control Automation? As the name suggests, quality control automation is technology that uses AI, machine learning, or some other predefined specification to help a business weed out substandard products from their production line before they have a chance to get to customers. The obvious reason for this technology strategy is to curtail costs of quality assurance while also maintaining a positive organizational reputation from vendors and customers. Let?s take at how automated tools can help the quality of your business? products and services in three different parts of your business. Sales Getting your business to the place where you can return solid sales leads, put together customized sales pitches fast, and close down more sales is the goal for every business. With automated tools, your sales team can be in a better position to see better-quality prospects, and therefore, close more sales opportunities. The number one benefit of automating anything is that you save time (and ultimately money). Your employees can focus on revenue-generating jobs rather than the redundant (albeit important) tasks that impede most employees’ work experiences.  Sales automation can improve the efficiency and performance of a sales team, provide data consistency, allow for fewer costs by saving a bunch of time, and overall make the sales process better. Salesmen that are able to sell products and services better are typically happier salespeople. Sales is a difficult job, but if you have the technology in place that can support your sales team, you will get more out of their efforts and build better revenue streams.  Production For quality assurance, human checks and balances are essential, but today, you can do a lot with automation. First of all, it not only allows you to set standards of criteria for every aspect of your business? offering, it also allows you to track the progress of your production in real time. So while most people would consider automation on the production side of your business to boost production, it?s just as valuable for the data capture. In fact, automated systems can produce and report up to an average of 10 times the amount that a human workforce can in an office setting; think about how that translates into manufacturing.  Automation is traditionally considered as a cost-cutting strategy?and of course it does?but in quality control, it is as important to detect production errors as it is to boost overall production. Customers expect quality and if your business is producing a lot of goods and a large portion of them don?t meet specifications until after they are produced, they are no good. With information system automation, you will get that information early and often, ensuring that the products your business produces meet spec and therefore are viable for the market.  Support No matter how smart your business is, you are going to have products and services that cause customers to need support. The problems with support teams are that they cost a lot of money and there is very little they can do to generate more revenue. This puts pressure on the sales and production sides of the business. Today, technology exists that allows businesses to give their customers the comprehensive support they demand at a fraction of the cost using artificial intelligence-run support programs.  Chatbots and other interfaces have been […]

COVID-19 Supply Chains The COVID pandemic has impacted everyone, but it has also influenced businesses. Since it is a worldwide problem, the supply chain is naturally affected in a profound way. The computing chip industry, with a value of over $500 billion per year, has seen an increase in pricing as chip manufacturers have failed to keep up with demand. As a result of prices increasing and a slower manufacturing process, new technology is harder to obtain and often delayed when shipping. The irony of the situation is not lost on us, though; with COVID increasing the number of remote workers, PC sales jumped by around 11 percent, a number which flies in the face of the steadily decreasing sales previously seen. Remote workers need new PCs, smartphones, and Internet of Things devices to keep themselves connected to the workplace, all of which are impacted by the chip shortage. The Chip Shortage Explained Semiconductors are one of the most important components in computing, and the increase in demand for computer chips has created a major shortage in semiconductors. This has impacted global supply chains and, as a result, has created a considerable problem for those looking to purchase new computers, monitors, peripherals, or other computing platforms. This also means that we are experiencing longer waits for any new computing investments or procurements, and we acknowledge that this puts a strain on your company and our own. Hopefully, if the trends are to be believed, this slowing shouldn?t last too far into 2022. What You Can Do The first step toward doing anything about this issue is becoming aware of it. We recommend that any company hoping to refresh their computing infrastructure this year plan things out as far ahead as possible, taking all variables into account?including the current shortages. If you can plan purchases well in advance, you can ensure that your computing needs are addressed as quickly as possible with minimal acquisition challenges. These issues with the supply chain won?t persist forever, and eventually things will return to normal?whatever that looks like?so rest assured that your computing problems will eventually stabilize. However, in the meantime, know that our team of IT professionals is hard at work determining the best options for your computing acquisitions so that you can continue to push your business forward. If you have any concerns about potential delays or questions for us, we would be happy to answer them. To get in touch with us, call us at (603) 889-0800.

Managed IT is Budget-Friendly It is often expensive to replace technology, especially when it is a complex component like a workstation or a server unit. These types of unexpected investments can break a budget if you?re not careful. Thankfully, managed IT gives your business an out by providing services based on a service level agreement. In other words, you get services rendered?technology maintenance included?in exchange for a smaller, more manageable monthly payment that doesn?t destroy your budget. Managed IT is Operations-Friendly One of the biggest benefits of managed IT is that it changes the way your organization approaches its technology operations. The traditional break-fix model of IT involves addressing technology issues when they have already impacted operations rather than preventing them in the first place, meaning that the issues wind up costing you money in the short and long term. On the other hand, managed IT allows you to proactively address small issues and keep them from becoming larger problems, meaning that your operations are not disrupted. This also allows your company to focus on what matters most: what you do for your clients. White Mountain IT Services can help your organization revamp its approach to technology and remove it as a significant stressor on your budget and everyday operations. To learn more about our managed IT services, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

What Changes When People Work Remotely? One big change your employees might not grasp is that working remotely effectively distributes your entire operational infrastructure across many different networks, most of which your organization has no control over. This means that employees have to do a lot of legwork to keep your business secure, too. When more devices are added to the network, more opportunities arise for hackers to make their way to your infrastructure. When onboarding new employees, be sure to include the expected protocols for working remotely. This includes who supplies the devices, where important data is hosted, how employees are accessing said data (including devices/networks), whether or not a VPN is involved, etc. All of it must be included, and if you don?t keep your employees apprised of the expectations?especially new ones?they will not comply. The Threat of Personal Devices Many employers might find themselves gawking at the concept of purchasing new endpoints for each remote employee. While one might argue that, from a security standpoint, it is an effective use of funds, it isn?t the most functional. Personal devices might save you money, but they are not going to be as secure, as you have no control over their operating systems, installed software, password practices, and so on. Data breaches happen even to secured systems, so imagine the pain of dodging these bullets with even more open vulnerabilities. To this end, be sure that all company-owned data is saved to company-controlled infrastructures, like an on-site server or cloud platform. If you can limit the amount of company data on employee devices, you can better secure it. Collaboration Challenges Employees now depend on collaboration apps to get projects done and to keep communication lines open, but these tools are not necessarily designed to prioritize security. One way you can ensure that security is not put at risk is by isolating conversations to specific users or groups. This will keep you from overexposing certain data to unsecured parties. This can happen fairly easily, especially for larger or medium-sized organizations. The need to train your employees cannot be overstated. You must invest resources into ensuring that your employees are receiving the training needed to prioritize security. While they don?t need to become security experts, even the basics can be enough to improve cybersecurity standards for your organization. Consider teaching them how to identify spam attacks, how to create complex passwords, etc. If you need some help with preparing your business for remote communications that prioritize security, White Mountain IT Services can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.