As I go and talk to different SMBs across the country about different technologies, I always get the same question: “What technology is currently available that a lot of SMB companies in industry ‘X’ are using to provide a better customer experience.” Everyone knows that this is a loaded question and there is no silver bullet when it comes to exceeding your customer’s expectations. I try and have SMBs look at it from the end customer’s point of view.

First, what is the experience like when customers first interact with your company? If the process to learn about your company's product or service takes longer than 60 seconds to describe on the phone, SMBs will go to another provider. So ask the question, is my organization’s employees equipped to explain our companies product/service value to a new customer within 60 seconds. From a technology point of view that involves having the appropriate systems in place to support any questions the new customer might ask (i.e. making sure all pertinent data can be accessed by your customer support team). In addition, you need to make sure that your systems are fast enough to access this data very quickly. I have talked with numerous SMBs that have a great product & services information databases established for their employees to access however, the employees don’t use the system because it takes tool long for their system to bring up the needed information.

Second, do your employees have the needed resources to follow up on new customer requests? These resources not only revolved around data associated to customer inquires/needs, it also involves the needed time for your company representatives to follow up with the new customers. I have talked to some customers and they say that for every hour their computer systems are not available, they are losing at least 3 new customer opportunities. As a result, there are more companies making scheduled maintenance updates to the employee’s systems in off-ours. One customer specifically, Midwest Eye Consultants, is implementing new technology that is saving them 10 to 12 worker-hours a month on system maintenance and those extra hours are now being used by company employees to recruit new customers. Click here to see more information about the technology Midwest Eye Consultants have implemented: http://msp.intel.com/midwest-eyes-case-study.pdf

Lastly, does your internal team have the resources available to support existing customers? Most of the time the resources that matter the most for existing customers relate to past product/services they have received from your company. If this information is not readily available when your team is servicing an existing customer, it can mean keeping or losing a loyal customer. In the health care field it is even more critical. Northwest Newborn specialist relies on customer/patient data being available at all times of the day. Carolyn Kraus from Northwest Newborn Specialist says: “Our physicians can be impatient, and with good reason. They’re on 24/7 in a high-stress job where downtime can have serious consequences, and much of their work is done through technology. When a PC goes down, they can’t access patient records, look at an x-ray over the network, or pass on their notes to the next physician on-call. In this field, it’s critical to keep their stress level low and their PCs up and running.” Click here to find out more information  about the new technology Northwest Newborn Specialist is using: http://msp.intel.com/NW%20Newborn%20Specialists_final_318134-001US.pdf

In closing, when you think about what technology you need to provide a better customer experience, think about what you have implemented in your environment today. Do you have quick and efficient systems set up that enable your team to deal with first time customers and all the questions they may have about your company’s products & services? In addition, do your teams have up to date systems available any time during the work day to deal with follow up activities related to new customers? Also, do you have the right system managed infrastructure in place so that your desktops and notebooks will be available to support all existing customer requests during all hours of the work day? The answers to these three basic questions provide the best direction for your company to explore in order to provide a better overall customer experience.

If there’s one constant in small and medium business, it is this: change. (SMB) Having to deal with the various pressures of a changing or growing business. From the cost of doing business (gas, electricity, etc…) to finding (and keeping) customers. All while trying to keep their technology infrastructure running efficiently and reliably.

I have the opportunity to talk to a lot of small businesses about technology, and two topics keep coming up: 1)How do I maintain the infrastructure I already have in place, while also staying current with any new tools for a my industry, and 2)How can my business make a difference when it comes to the ‘Green” movement? These are two key issues that do not have one correct answer.

The basics of technology for many small businesses is three things: capable PCs that will run your business apps without delay, the right software tools for your industry or job function, and a network to improve communications and share resources across the company.

While simple on the surface, just keeping all of these pieces up and running from a maintenance point of view can take more time than you expect. Because of this, are seeing more and more small businesses turning to their IT service providers to keep their technology infrastructure up and running, and by deploying PCs that are easier to manage remotely (example: PCs with Intel vPro technology). These hardware, software, and services resellers are know as ‘managed service providers’ or MSPs. There are many advantages for a SMB to use a managed service provider. First, MSPs have expertise in PCs management, networks administration, and software implementation - expertise often found only in businesses with established IT groups. Some businesses can’t afford to hire full time IT, or even if they do have an IT staff, they don’t want them spending their time on maintence – they want them building solutions the bring more capabilities to the business. You may want to talk with a local MSP in your area to see how they can help you. You can find a MSPs in your area by going to https://intelmsp.goirctools.com/IntelMSPLocator/Search.aspx

The other technology issue that small and medium businesses are trying to understand is how can they make a contribution to the ‘Green’ IT movement – especially when their plates are already full with day to day business. Most larger corporations are already introducing initiatives within their company: expanded recycling, increased telecommuting opportunites, and lower power consumption. When I talk with small businesses about what they are doing around “Green IT”, I hear over and over again is reducing power consumption, and for obvious reasons: it not only helps our environment, but it also lowers the cost of doing business.

You maybe wondering how do I reduce power consumption if my business is growing? . One approach that many businesses don’t consider is this: focus on what you can do during non-business hours (6pm to 6am). For example, if you have PCs (Desktops or Mobile) that are not turned off on Friday night and run the entire weekend - well, there are 2+ days of wasted power with no business benefit. If you look at a small business environment where there are more than several desktops, notebooks, and servers (which often consumer even more power), the energy saved by having all machines shut off for the weekend can make a real difference in energy costs.

How do you get started? I recommend you start by looking look at which PCs and servers are still on when you are leaving the office this Friday. This will give you a good idea of the initial impact your company could provide by reducing your power consumption. In addition, if you are already using a manage service provider (MSP) to manage your network, ask them if they have a power savings plan that you could implement.

So while there may not be one single answer to more effective technology management, or for making your business more green, there are a few relatively simple steps you can take today that won’t disrupt your business but that will allow you to spend more time doing what you should be doing, and doing it with less impact on your environment - not to mention bottom line.