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The first step in any project by Beland Internet Technology Services is to plan out the project with you, the client, and reach an understanding of what you would like to achieve for your business. The best way to do this is to spend time discussing not only what computers and services you have or would like to have, but also what sort of business you run, how you like to interact with your customers, things that you like or would like to change... careful consideration of these factors can make the difference between a successful computing infrastructure for your business and an unsatisfactory infrastructure that doesn't meet your needs.
In the Planning section, we'll illustrate how a typical project proceeds. We hope that in addition to giving you an idea of how we do business and what we can do for your company, we'll also give you some ideas of things that would be useful for you in your business.
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As mentioned above, the first step in any project is to examine your business, current operational needs, and existing computing infrastructure. This sets the scope of the project and gives us a clear picture of where you are and where you want to be. If our project plan is a map for your business, this step is where we find the "You Are Here" icon. This is also the time for discussion of the goals of your project; what you would like to have when we wrap up the project. Not so much the specific details, but general goals and objectives. The idea isn't to decide on which path to take, but rather to decide where you want to end up.
Some of the things we examine during this phase of the project include:
 Your current computer infrastructure
How many computers do you have in your business? Who uses them? What functions do they serve? What kind of computers are they?
- Computer infrastructure needs
Where can your infrastructure best be improved? What computing needs are not being met? Is the current supplier meeting your needs?
- Your current Internet presence
Do you have an Internet connection? Email? Web site? How are each of these currently provided?
- Your future Internet presence
What would you like to be doing with your company online? How can you best maximize your return from your online presence?
- How do you use the Internet today?
Sales? Marketing? Purchasing and shipping? Banking? Customer communications?
- Who do you communicate with regularly for your business?
Suppliers? Customers? Partners? Shareholders? Where would better, faster communications enhance your business?
Remember, the purpose here is not to set precise goals, so it's OK if you're not sure what you want or if you want to speculate about all sorts of possibilities. At this stage, we're not looking at price or perfection; we're discussing things that you might like so that we can get the best possible ideas as starting points. It's your job to dream about the things you might like for your business; it's our job to turn those dreams into practical possibilities.
So, with that in mind, let's discuss the next step: Infrastructure Design.
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