ICT services
What is ICT?
The quick answer to this question is "Information and communication technology" but that tells you nothing! It really refers to all things computerised including phone systems. R A Clement Associates' ICT team look after all our computerised systems, including the telephones. Of course they also use computers on a daily basis and regularly update our software and hardware. All this means that they have lots of useful experience from which you too can benefit if you become one of our ICT clients.
Why Choose R A Clement's ICT Team?
We know all the problems associated with operating on the West Coast. We know which hardware and software works best in "remote locations" with intermittent electricity supply problems and delivery times for spares twice as long as normal. We do not sell hardware so we have no axe to grind, but we do know which brands work best up here.
....... One last point, you can use our ICT services even if you are not a client of our accounting services. We already have clients for whom we only do ICT, rather than accounts and taxation.
Andy Newiss is the partner with overall responsibility for ICT here at R A Clement Associates and the team is lead by ICT manager, Dr Jonathan Anglesea.
The team has a vast knowledge of ICT gained over many years - Jonathan alone has over 34 years experience in both software and hardware. For further details of the ICT technical staff and their qualifications see Meet the ICT Team
What Can We Do For You?
Some of our services are listed below, but if you want anything that isn't listed, contact us anyway!
(All the items in this list are anchor links to the items further down the page)
Comprehensive ICT Systems Audit
Help With Selecting a New Phone System
Technical Review of Proposed New Systems
Comprehensive ICT Systems Audit
It is useful to know what technology you have and where exactly it is in your office or organisation. We come to your site and list all your hardware and software, including models, versions, firmware revisions and any other parameters you would need in order to replace that item in the event of failure. For example, router configurations would be recorded so that, if one failed in service, a replacement could be installed and programmed to get it up and running as quickly as possible.
We present you with a report listing all the items, including their physical locations, make & models, serial numbers, revision numbers etc.
This report can then be used for insurance and disaster recovery purposes, or just simply to remind you what ICT equipment you have and where it is.
To arrange a visit please call Andy Newiss on 01631 562 643 or email Andy.
Similar to the systems audit above but with a clear "recommended action list" so that you can easily see what you have and what changes might be useful. Sometimes a small change can improve work-flow and benefit your business and at other times radical changes may be necessary.
To arrange a review of your hardware and software please call Andy Newiss on 01631 562 643 or email Andy.
If you think that your system could be giving you more than it does, we can visit your site and discuss what you really need from your system. We then provide you with a report detailing the most cost effective ways to upgrade or expand your ICT system to achieve your goals. (Any questions we ask you will be in English not in "computer-speak".)
To arrange a visit please call Andy Newiss on 01631 562 643 or email Andy.
We can review your system and procedures to make sure that they are all safe and secure. The review will include assessing your protection against viruses and malicious attack. ICT disasters do not have to be as a result of a malicious attack. An employee could simply delete the wrong folder and you could find your systems inaccessible.
There are also Data Protection implications if you do not adequately secure your data. You are expected to show due diligence when storing personal data and there are punitive penalties for those who do not follow these regulations.
If you wish to discuss security please phone our Oban office on 01631 562 643 and talk to Andy Newiss or Jonathan Anglesea.
Prevention is often overlooked until it becomes "disaster recovery" (see next item).
We can advise you on what systems to put in place to best secure your data and hardware from the consequences of fire, flood, viruses, loss of service or malicious interference with your PCs or network.
Disaster can simply result from human error. A member of your staff could accidentally delete a vital folder on your network bringing the entire system to a halt. You would then need a way to roll back from this situation and a method of ensuring this cannot happen again. Call our ICT manager, Jonathan Anglesea to discuss your options on 01631 562 643.
Disaster prevention is a lot more cost-effective than disaster recovery! Call Andy Newiss on 01631 562 643 or email Andy. to prevent disaster.
This is to be avoided if at all possible, but you know that already. Disaster recovery procedures should be written in advance of the need for disaster recovery! Yes, that sounds like common sense, but finding the time to devise and implement such a procedure is tricky because there are so many more immediate issues for to deal with. We have lots of experience in this area and can study your systems and write the procedure for you. If required, we can then explain it to your staff and tell each member of staff what to do, when to do it and how frequently they should do it. If a member of staff in on holiday someone else will need to be told to do it because Murphy's Law states that this is the time when something will go wrong.
NOTE: After that it is up to you to make sure that appropriate member of staff remembers to carry out that task on a regular basis or disaster may still befall you! Oh, and another very important point, if a member of staff is unable to say, change the tape that day because it has not popped out, he or she should know that the manager must be informed. If this point is included as part of a "ICT Backup Procedure" document which managers and staff have read then the system has more chance of working correctly. Remember, Murphy's Law dictates that the system will fail on the day after someone forgot to insert a backup tape the night before.
A good disaster recovery procedure can make the difference between your business continuing or experiencing severe difficulty after fire, flood, burglary or malicious attack. - Only 6% of companies who have had a major loss of their computerised records will survive, 43% never reopen and 51% close within 2 years (Cummings, Haag & McCubbrey 2005).
Call partner Andy Newiss on 01631 562 643 or email Andy. to discuss your options.
Staff training can be very cost effective. We know the Windows and Sage shortcuts and many other little wrinkles we can share with you if you opt for a training session or two.
We have experienced staff who can train you and your employees in how to use your systems to best advantage. An hours training for your staff on how to use the Windows operating system effectively can save a few minutes here and a few minutes there for each employee, every day. Multiply this up by the number of staff you have and you soon realise that 5 minutes training in how to use the search facility in Windows is a good idea.
In addition to general computer training, we provide Sage training which is tailored to you and your staff's requirements so that you only pay for training in the areas that you need.
Training in Cashflow Manager bookkeeping software is particularly cost effective because it is a small expense but returns big benefits when used correctly. We can show you the fastest way to enter your data, how to reconcile the bank and do your VAT returns. We can explain how to interpret the reports to help you manage your business.
To arrange training, or for further details, call ICT partner, Andy Newiss on 01631 562 643. Alternatively email Andy or email Jonathan, our ICT manager.
Help With Selecting a New Phone System
Trying to decide which phone system is best for your business can be a nightmare. How are you supposed to judge when you cannot follow the marketing blurb? Read on....
You need advice from somebody who is familiar with the various computerised telephone systems (and jargon) and this is where the R A Clement ICT team come in handy. We have already upgraded our own phone system and reviewed systems for clients too.
We can save you time by advising you what system would be the most appropriate for your size of business. You can waste thousands of pounds buying the wrong phone system so please call Andy Newiss or Jonathan Anglesea first on 01631 562 643. Alternatively email Jonathan or Andy.
Technical Review of Proposed New Systems
If you are considering upgrading or installing expensive, new technology, please call us first. We can go through your options with you prior to your committing to spend a lot of money. We do not sell hardware or non-accounting software, so we have no vested interest but we do know what kit is reliable and we can negotiate with suppliers on your behalf.
If you are considering the purchase of a new software package to improve your productivity please contact ICT partner, Andy Newiss or ICT manager, Jonathan Anglesea first on 01631 562 643.
Jonathan has reviewed many such proposals for clients in the past. E.g. A client wanted to computerise their sales and workshop management to streamline their operation. Two different types of retailing/ workshop packages were reviewed by Jonathan. He first ascertained how the client operated their existing systems (manually) and what functions and information they needed from the new system. He then assessed the firm supplying the package as well as the functions available in each package and made his recommendation. The result was a happy client who has now been running the software for over 20 years.
Of course for all this to happen, you need to contact us PRIOR to purchasing any new system. It is more difficult for us and more painful for you if you only contact us when it does not do what you want! Contact us before you make that purchase.
We can also review your existing systems and suggest improvements, enhancements or efficiency savings. Or we can just review one aspect of your IT system such as security, advising you on how to stop malicious intruders gaining access to your systems, etc.
A small investment here can mean a large improvement in the efficiency of your business. For example, setting up your broadband router correctly from the start means that unauthorised access and "denial of service" incidents will be prevented.
Our ICT staff can do it all, from taking the brand new equipment out of the boxes to installing and configuring it. Computers, printers, routers etc, we have done it all before and we can do it for you too. To discuss your technical issues call Jonathan Anglesea, our ICT manager on 01631 562 643.
Once a system is installed it will need setting up to suit your particular business. Our ICT manager, Jonathan has years of experience in this field so he understands that tailoring the system to suit your business is a vital part of the installation and not an optional extra.
Perhaps you just need to call us with a quick question when your new equipment arrives? We are happy to help, no matter how small or large your problem.
To discuss what we might do for you, and what it will cost, call our partner in charge of ICT, Andy Newiss on 01631 562 643 or email Andy.
We can visit your site or setup secure, dialup facilities so that we can look directly into any problems you have without leaving our seats. Once set up, this remote diagnosis of your system will save you time and money.
To give you an idea of what we do here are some examples of the ad hoc support we have performed:
- If your email suddenly stops working we can sort it out for you.
- If your backup stops working we find out why and suggest remedies.
- If your server stops working we can tell you why and arrange repairs.
We can also perform such tedious and often overlooked tasks as checking that your system backed up successfully overnight. If it failed to back up, we can email or phone you to let you know and sort it out for you.
To discuss your requirements, please call the partner with responsibility for ICT, Andy Newiss, in our Oban Office on 01631 562 643 or email Andy.
Securing your system includes preserving data confidentiality, making sure that the data is accurate and complete and ensuring that it is not available to unauthorised users. The "Office of the Information Commissioner" specifies what you need to do to comply with the data protection act and lists the penalties for not complying.
- Do you have a written policy on browsing the internet and have you distributed it to your staff?
- How do you make new staff aware of your ICT security (and other) policies?
- As removable devices get smaller and smaller, how do you prevent data theft?
- If you allow staff to take data away on a data stick, is it encrypted in case the device gets lost?
These are just a few of the security issues to look out for. To avoid security issues you will need to implement a variety of different techniques, procedures and technical solutions. There is no "one size fits all" answer so we tailor our advice depending on the type and size of your business. We have spent many hours improving security for our own business and for our ICT clients. Please call partner, Andy Newiss in our Oban office on 01631 562 643, to discuss you options or email Andy.
We can implement many forms of IT security such as firewalls, anti-spam and anti-virus software for you and your business. We can advise on different types of anti-malware and interpret the results for you. Call Jonathan Anglesea on 01631 562 643 if you have any security concerns.
We can offer our clients secure document exchange via the "Client Only" area of our website. Your data will be kept safe behind 3 different firewalls and if your office burns down, your data is still safe, although you may have other problems to deal with!
This is more important than you may have considered. If your computer or network is not available for use, all the time, then you are wasting staff time and your money!
A growing number of businesses are unable to function at all if their IT systems fail, for whatever reason. Ensuring that this down-time is kept to a minimum requires fail-safe systems. Our team can tell you how to minimise failures so that your users can work without interruption
Call our partner in charge of ICT, Andy Newiss or Jonathan Anglesea, our ICT manager on 01631 562 643 to arrange a time to discuss this. Alternatively email Andy or Jonathan with your details and they will contact you.
We can suggest what ICT policies might be required for your business and then write them for you. For example, you need to let your staff know your policy on emails. Do you allow personal emails to be sent during coffee breaks or not? Similarly, you should also define the firm's policy on social networking so that staff know what is and is not allowed.
Ideally you should have a protocol for all your office procedures. For example if you have a properly written protocol on how your business writes, sends and receives emails, staff will know how to proceed.
If you would like us to quote for either of these, please contact our partner for IT, Andy Newiss on 01631 562 643 or email Andy.
As e-commerce has evolved, R A Clement Associates has been actively engaged both as a user of e-commerce and as an advisor to many clients using the web for business. We have built up a considerable expertise in the use of on-line purchasing systems, web services and business portals.
We can provide advice on the various on-line payment systems which allow easy and low-cost transfer of funds. By using self-administered on-line funds transfer we have been able to make considerable savings when purchasing goods for ourselves and our clients.
If you are interested in e-commerce please contact our partner for IT, Andy Newiss on 01631 562 643 or email Andy. or Jonathan.
Useful ITC Links
Disaster Recovery- a salutary lesson
Business Gateway - Overview of IT & e-commerce
Information Commissioners Office
