To ensure they remained competitive during the COVID-19 pandemic, the leadership team of Ryan's manufacturing organization decided to fast track their digital transformation. As the CIO, that meant that it was up to Ryan to solve many of the challenges that this exercise brought up. Overall, Ryan is happy with the progress his organization has made and feels confident in his team's ability to strive for the desired results.
Explore the solutions that made Ryan's success possible, and follow along to learn how he stays up to date on his organization's digital transformation.
Much of the work that a CIO does hinges on the ability to see the bigger picture and achieve the results that their organization is looking for. Ad hoc and reactive actions (such as purchasing technology only after a problem has been identified) are a detriment to an organization. Start with an IT Roadmap and create a framework for digital transformation.
Technology Roadmap
Price: $7,500+
Having an IT Roadmap as the framework for your organization's digital transformation journey means bringing your business goals and objectives and your technology capabilities into alignment.
A clear picture of your organization's IT capabilities;
Ways to leverage your IT as a critical business advantage; and
Cost saving opportunities by removing inefficient or redundant technology.
The COVID-19 pandemic is the most recent example of organizations being forced to improvise and adapt to socioeconomic change. A significant number of organizations were caught unaware and had to scramble to provide a safe and secure way for their employees to stay connected while cities went on lockdown. With ongoing uncertainty and rapid changes, evaluating and adopting the necessary technology is critical to remaining competitive.
$15,000+ (various ECIF funding buckets available)
Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) is much more cost-efficient and scalable than other traditional VDI options that typically requires large, upfront CapEx. This modern, Cloud-based VDI uses existing Microsoft 365 licenses and a pay-per-use model - especially useful for organizations who'd like to have VDI available as an option at all times at a lower cost.
Test out the benefits of Windows Virtual Desktop in your organization with a WVD Proof of Concept (POC) for up to 25 of your users. A POC is a smart way to verify whether WVD is the best option for your organization, whether it is for a specific use case (i.e. to enable remote workers to access QuickBooks) or for a full-scale implementation. This POC also includes a 90-day trial to Nerdio's Manager for WVD to simplify on-going management of WVD.
Need a safe and secure way to bring your employees back to work on a staggered, as-needed approval basis?
Office Capacity Manager (OCM) - Automating Employees' Safe Return to the Office
$0.75/user/month - $1/user/month
The Office Capacity Manager Application (OCM) provides an automated way for employees to return to the office safely. A device-friendly application, the OCM provides employee number management and screening, while also allowing employees to reserve desk space to avoid overcrowding of office spaces.
$9,000+ based on the number of servers being assessed.
Organizations are looking for ways to reduce overhead and expenses, and reducing the physical footprint of the office is an option that appeals to many, especially now with a number of employees working remotely. One of the ways to reduce the footprint is replacing on-premise servers with a Cloud-based solution.
Many organizations start with an Azure Assessment and Roadmap to evaluate Azure, a Cloud-based infrastructure. This Assessment helps organizations uncover all dependencies within their current network, understand the cost of running Azure, and discover any potential security risks in their environment (such as Shadow IT).
It is in the CIO's best interest to have effective change management strategies to ensure the expected adoption rate and a maximum return on investment.
Modern Workplace Discovery & Assessment
$7,000
For those organizations who rapidly implemented Teams during the pandemic but are experiencing lower adoption than anticipated, a 3-day Modern Workplace Discovery & Assessment is the quickest way to help your people learn how to fully utilize Microsoft Teams so that they can increase their productivity and you can see the ROI you're looking for.
ROI for technology spend doesn't stop at end-user adoption; you want to make the most out of any investments. That's why it's important to think outside "the box" and look at how you can take your technology to the next level.
Enable Automation - Microsoft Teams Smart Packages
Reducing manual processes is a solid way for organizations to help their staff increase productivity and resource-efficiency. It is not surprising that organizations who enabled automation to reduce the number of manual processes have seen an increase in employee satisfaction. For any organizations using Microsoft Teams, workflow automation can be set up easily and cost-efficiently.
CIOs know that it's vitally important to consider the lifecycle of the hardware and infrastructure they implement. CIOs also know that burning in-house IT resource on taking care of product and infrastructure lifecycles is not the most efficient way. Outsourcing that responsibility to an experienced Managed Services (MS) provider increases the value per dollar spent.
In addition, a MS Provider helps CIOs increase their value per dollar spent by taking over many of the menial IT tasks, like password resets, troubleshooting faulty equipment, setting up new laptops, and answering end-user support questions and requests.
Outsourcing tasks to a MS Provider ensures that everyone in your organization - from end-user to CIO - is being efficient with their time and resources. Download this eBook and see how you can take advantage of Managed Services in your organization.
To hackers and threat actors, it's a numbers game - the more malicious emails they send out, the better the chances are that they'll get paid. Protecting an organization, therefore, starts with protecting employee inboxes - the entry point to your organization's IT environment.
Mailbox Guardian
$5,000+ (depending on your organization's Secure Score)
Designed for organizations who have a Microsoft 365 license and use Exchange Online, Mailbox Guardian scans your environment, then provides a Secure Score, a list of recommendations to follow, and implementation of IT security tools to protect your mailboxes going forward.
$750 (1.5-hour long session with pre and post workshop consulting)
As an Executive, your mailbox is even more of a target than others in your organization. An Executive Cybersecurity Workshop provides an overview of the top cybersecurity concerns for your organization, and the various risks that you, as an Executive, should be aware of. You'll also receive a list of ways to improve your security habits and behaviors, and a checklist you can follow to improve your personal security posture.