Complete Guide to Computer Maintenance

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Does your company own computers and hardware?

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If this is the case, like the overwhelming majority of French companies, you need to ensure that your IT equipment remains in good working order and efficient, so that your teams can carry out their missions.

This is the task of computer maintenance, which is the subject of this article.

After a presentation of the concept and its stakes, you will see how important computer maintenance is for the performance of your professional activity.

Finally, we will address the central issue of choosing between outsourcing and insourcing maintenance, as well as the best practices to implement.

General presentation of computer maintenance

First of all, let's discover computer maintenance and its main issues.

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Definition of computer maintenance

In the context of an organization, IT maintenance refers to all preventive and corrective actions aimed at ensuring the proper functioning of computer systems, hardware and software, as well as their updating and security.

It is also responsible for optimizing the performance of your company's IT equipment, and therefore has a direct link with the productivity of your teams.

Finally, at a time when the ecological crisis is unfortunately in full swing, computer maintenance canextend the life of your equipment, which is fully in line with a Green IT approach.

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Key issues in IT maintenance

When approaching IT maintenance in a strategic way, the first decision to make is whether to delegate this mission or to carry it out internally. We will talk about this in a future section.

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The computer maintenance is also declined in two levels of interventions, which it is important to distinguish:

• Preventive maintenance : This strategy aims to prevent breakdowns and malfunctions of IT equipment by performing regular scheduled interventions, such as verifications, cleaning, software updates, replacement of worn parts, etc. The goal is to minimize service interruptions and extend the life of the equipment.

• Corrective maintenance: This type of maintenance consists of repairing computer equipment after a breakdown or malfunction has occurred. Its objective: to restore the normal operation of the systems and minimize the disruption to the company. These actions are generally not planned and are often carried out in emergency.

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The rzilient solution provides largely automated, preventive maintenance for your IT assets, avoiding stressful situations and business stoppages.

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The preventive computer maintenance is an integral part of the more global concept of preventive management, whose general objective is toanticipate in order to better manage your activity.

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Typical examples of computer maintenance interventions

We have defined the concept of IT maintenance, but what concrete actions are taken by this function?

The first example is the reset of machines. At Rzilient, this part of the maintenance can be carried out in person or remotely. This type of action is particularly important whenoffboarding employees.

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Other examples include:

• Operating system upgrad es;
• Repair of computer equipment (e.g. change of batteries or other components);
• Computer failure management;
• Repair and update of management software (cleaning, anti-virus, etc.).

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Discover all the richness of our outsourcing offer!

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IT maintenance: crucial for your employees and your performance

IT maintenance allows your teams to be more serene and efficient on a daily basis, and has a real impact on the financial performance of your company !

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For your employees

Computer maintenance is very useful to save time for your teams.

According to a recent British study, employees lose an average of 46 minutes per day, or 24 working days per year, due to slow computer performance and problems in the workplace.

The shocking figure! 28% of employees surveyed say they have to work overtime to make up for lost time due to IT.

This waste of time is problematic in itself, but it also causes unnecessary stress and, in the long run, can lead to the demotivation of your employees, if the IT problems are recurrent.

To conclude, the first good reason to give its rightful place to IT maintenance: the productivity and well-being of your employees at work.

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For the performance of your company

And pleasing your employees is generally positive for your company's performance.

To take an example, starting from the figure of 24 days of work lost per year, for a company with 70 employees, the financial loss is significant:

24 working days x 70 employees x 150 euros of remuneration (with employer's charges) per day = 252,000 euros lost per year!

Many entrepreneurs would be very happy to be able to add this amount to their company's bottom line at year-end 🙂

Computer maintenance provides other benefits for your business, including:

• Effective identification of materials to be renewed;
• Ensures the protection of your company's important data (customer project data, business information, personal data of your customers, etc.), thus strengthening your cyber security;
• Bringing new software useful for your employees.

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IT maintenance: internalize or delegate?

Is it better to do your IT maintenance in-house or to delegate this mission? That's the subject of this section!

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Advantages and disadvantages of the delegation of computer maintenance

Rzilient is a managed services platform, offering a complete set of predictive and proactive maintenance actions.

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Here are the key benefits of outsourcing your IT maintenance:

• Benefit from the more developed skills of a specialized service provider;
• Secure workstations (especially if your provider has a quality label, attesting to its professionalism and expertise)
• Achieve economies of scale and costs;
• Avoid having to recruit, train, pay and retain employees with the specialized IT skills needed for IT maintenance (which translates into significant savings in time and money);
• Focus on the core business of your company;
• Ensure reliability in the repair and maintenance of your computer equipment.

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Perhaps it is because we are convinced of the benefits of outsourcing, and in particular by using Rzilient, that we have had difficulty finding drawbacks to this choice. But there are some:

• Dependence on an external provider;
• High cost of some IT service providers (this is not the case with Rzilient, which offers a monthly subscription with unlimited support at a very affordable price).
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Advantages and disadvantages of in-house IT maintenance → Create

On the other hand, the internationalization of IT maintenance is also an option that many of you are considering or have even chosen. 

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So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of this organization? 

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Advantages :

• Benefit from customized IT management processes 
• Knowledge of the internal environment: applications, vulnerabilities, organizations, etc.

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Disadvantages :

• Human resources and training costs: Hiring and maintaining a specialized team is costly, including regular training to keep up to date in a constantly evolving field.
• Lack of flexibility and varied expertise: An in-house team may be less flexible in the face of emerging technologies. What's more, certain specific skills (advanced security, complex incident management) may be lacking, necessitating recourse to external service providers.
• Dependence on limited staff: The availability of in-house human resources sometimes limits responsiveness, particularly in the event of vacations or turnover, creating periods of vulnerability for the system.

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How do you set up an IT maintenance partnership?

Audit and needs analysis

The rzilient teams start each collaboration with a complete analysis of your needs, including an audit of your IT assets (tools, software, hardware). This initial assessment enables us to define a precise strategy tailored to the specific needs of each organization.

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Selecting the offer and signing the contract

Depending on the results of the audit, you choose from the available offers, with the option of adding specific options. The collaboration is formalized by the signing of a contract, including a clear commitment to the services offered.

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Onboarding on the rzilient platform

Once the contract has been signed, our dedicated team will integrate you into the rzilient platform. This onboarding includes connecting your current data (via HRIS, or importing your IT asset inventory), configuring accesses and familiarizing you with the management tools, so you can get to grips with the system quickly and easily.

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Definition of automation and safety rules

rzilient works with you to establish automated rules for managing access (onboarding and offboarding), and for creating and closing accounts. These automated processes guarantee the security and efficiency of day-to-day operations.

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Deploying MDM and security policies

If necessary, mobile device management (MDM) software is deployed, along with the security policies and automations defined earlier. These devices protect data and digital assets centrally.

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Personalized follow-up with an account manager

A dedicated account manager then supports you with regular monitoring of operations and performance. This personalized contact enables us to adjust our services as needs evolve, and ensures ongoing, responsive collaboration.

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Best practices in computer maintenance

You have chosen to outsource your computer maintenance?

If so, what are the key characteristics to look for in your outsourcing provider?

First of all, reactivity is essential to guarantee the serenity of your teams.

Flexibility and adaptability to your business context (e.g., the size of your company, your technological environment, as well as practicalities such as working hours) are also important considerations.

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Cybersecurity has become a key issue for all companies, so managing data security is also at the top of the list of criteria to consider.

Finally, to save time on a daily basis, choose if possible a computer maintenance offer that can be 100% carried out remotely, offering the automation of a maximum number of outsourcing tasks.

Computer maintenance, a performance lever for your company

Whether it's saving your staff time, keeping hardware and software in good working order, or avoiding the need to invest in specialized IT skills, IT maintenance simply makes your business more efficient.

This indirectly translates into a better capacity to invest in the development of your business : hiring, enriching your offer, doing R&D, launching marketing campaigns...

Frequently asked questions about IT maintenance

How much does it cost to outsource IT maintenance?

The cost depends on many factors: the size of your IT estate, the services included (preventive maintenance, security management, etc.), and the complexity of your systems. In general, outsourcing can reduce costs by avoiding the need for specific recruitment and benefiting from monthly rates. rzilient, for example, offers subscriptions adapted to all types of company, facilitating IT management without over-budgeting.

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How does IT maintenance contribute to data security?

IT maintenance ensures that software is up-to-date, anti-virus protection is in place, and data is backed up regularly, minimizing the risk of cyber-attacks. Uncorrected vulnerabilities are an entry point for hackers, and a well-maintained fleet offers a reinforced barrier of protection. At rzilient, we integrate these protocols into our maintenance offerings, promoting a secure working environment.

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Is it possible to carry out computer maintenance remotely?

Yes, and more and more service providers are opting for this solution for its responsiveness. Remote maintenance enables you to carry out updates, identify faults and resolve minor incidents without interrupting your teams. Thanks to an online platform, rzilient offers maintenance accessible 100% remotely, guaranteeing speed and efficiency.

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What are the risks of a lack of IT maintenance?

Without regular maintenance, the risk of breakdowns, data loss and security breaches increases, which can have a serious impact on productivity. By neglecting maintenance, repair costs and the risk of downtime multiply, jeopardizing the continuity of your business.

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