What Are You Doing Right Now
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@Dashrender said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@scottalanmiller said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/1996170-pay-to-get-an-msp-estimate
I'm wondering if the OP in that thread only wanted time and parts costs - ITSP stuff, not MSP stuff. i.e. it's broke, please come out and bill me hourly until it's fixed.
Of course he muddied the waters by saying he got quotes from other places that say they charge X per machine per month for support.
Yeah, I think he's learning, though. Figuring out that he's had a VAR taking advantage of him is a big learning piece.
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@scottalanmiller said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@Dashrender said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@scottalanmiller said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/1996170-pay-to-get-an-msp-estimate
I'm wondering if the OP in that thread only wanted time and parts costs - ITSP stuff, not MSP stuff. i.e. it's broke, please come out and bill me hourly until it's fixed.
Of course he muddied the waters by saying he got quotes from other places that say they charge X per machine per month for support.
Yeah, I think he's learning, though. Figuring out that he's had a VAR taking advantage of him is a big learning piece.
He still has to get management over that hump.
I liked his comment about the three different companies and being out $1500. Of course that's the wrong way to look at it - because hopefully you didn't go into it trying to find the cheapest, but instead hiring different companies to see different proposed solutions to the problem. And since they are doing IT work, you need to pay them.
I've heard before about companies wanting a building built will hire multiple architect firms to all make plans. I have to assume they paid them all some amount to do that work?
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@Dashrender said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@scottalanmiller said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@Dashrender said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@scottalanmiller said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/1996170-pay-to-get-an-msp-estimate
I'm wondering if the OP in that thread only wanted time and parts costs - ITSP stuff, not MSP stuff. i.e. it's broke, please come out and bill me hourly until it's fixed.
Of course he muddied the waters by saying he got quotes from other places that say they charge X per machine per month for support.
Yeah, I think he's learning, though. Figuring out that he's had a VAR taking advantage of him is a big learning piece.
He still has to get management over that hump.
I liked his comment about the three different companies and being out $1500. Of course that's the wrong way to look at it - because hopefully you didn't go into it trying to find the cheapest, but instead hiring different companies to see different proposed solutions to the problem. And since they are doing IT work, you need to pay them.
I've heard before about companies wanting a building built will hire multiple architect firms to all make plans. I have to assume they paid them all some amount to do that work?
Yes, buying three building designs you pay for that. Then pay a lot more to the "winner." Often the firms doing the designs are not the ones doing the final building, either.
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@Dashrender said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
because hopefully you didn't go into it trying to find the cheapest, but instead hiring different companies to see different proposed solutions to the problem.
This is always the challenge. For me, the directive is often hidden in the form of "I want you to find the best for the cheapest," which usually means "find the cheapest, and if it sort of fits our needs and is 'significantly' cheaper than the best, then do it"
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@EddieJennings said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@Dashrender said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
because hopefully you didn't go into it trying to find the cheapest, but instead hiring different companies to see different proposed solutions to the problem.
This is always the challenge. For me, the directive is often hidden in the form of "I want you to find the best for the cheapest," which usually means "find the cheapest, and if it sort of fits our needs and is 'significantly' cheaper than the best, then do it"
Our job is to keep those other options away from their eyes. Sadly, so so many things in the SMB space that's rather difficult. In SMB we're mostly looking at PCs and firewalls and Wireless APs, etc. They can see the prices down at Best Buy all day long - so they thing their business stuff should cost the pennies that crap does.
Now luckily with Ubiquiti, we now have networking gear that is in line price wise with that, but I get the "Why can't we just use $300 PC from Best Buy" all the time. It's normally followed by, I've been using a Best Buy computer at home for the past 5 years, there's nothing wrong with it..
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@EddieJennings said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@Dashrender said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
because hopefully you didn't go into it trying to find the cheapest, but instead hiring different companies to see different proposed solutions to the problem.
This is always the challenge. For me, the directive is often hidden in the form of "I want you to find the best for the cheapest," which usually means "find the cheapest, and if it sort of fits our needs and is 'significantly' cheaper than the best, then do it"
You can distill this to "don't invest in the business, overall profits are not a goal."
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@Dashrender said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@EddieJennings said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@Dashrender said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
because hopefully you didn't go into it trying to find the cheapest, but instead hiring different companies to see different proposed solutions to the problem.
This is always the challenge. For me, the directive is often hidden in the form of "I want you to find the best for the cheapest," which usually means "find the cheapest, and if it sort of fits our needs and is 'significantly' cheaper than the best, then do it"
Our job is to keep those other options away from their eyes. Sadly, so so many things in the SMB space that's rather difficult. In SMB we're mostly looking at PCs and firewalls and Wireless APs, etc. They can see the prices down at Best Buy all day long - so they thing their business stuff should cost the pennies that crap does.
Now luckily with Ubiquiti, we now have networking gear that is in line price wise with that, but I get the "Why can't we just use $300 PC from Best Buy" all the time. It's normally followed by, I've been using a Best Buy computer at home for the past 5 years, there's nothing wrong with it..
Dash is correct. At some point we stop presenting unacceptable options. There are better or worse options, based on business profitability, but there are unacceptable options. Like "find me the cheapest RAID that protects us." You don't give RAID 0 or RAID 5 even as options. Give RAID 6 and 10 as options.
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@Dashrender said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
Our job is to keep those other options away from their eyes.
I agree. Some of the issue stems from within the department. However, as I've alluded in other posts, the mindset and culture is incrementally improving :).
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Heading to the data center to collect a now decomissioned Synology 1215.
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We have about 3 inches of snow right now. The local university has closed due to tree falling hazards.
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@Kelly said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
We have about 3 inches of snow right now. The local university has closed due to tree falling hazards.
Wanna trade? 90F here right now, won't be any cooler until November at best.
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@RojoLoco said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@Kelly said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
We have about 3 inches of snow right now. The local university has closed due to tree falling hazards.
Wanna trade? 90F here right now, won't be any cooler until November at best.
Nope, the snow will be gone by midday tomorrow and it will be in the 70s by the weekend. CO has crazy weather, but it can be amazing.
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@RojoLoco said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@Kelly said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
We have about 3 inches of snow right now. The local university has closed due to tree falling hazards.
Wanna trade? 90F here right now, won't be any cooler until November at best.
88F here.
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@scottalanmiller said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@RojoLoco said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@Kelly said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
We have about 3 inches of snow right now. The local university has closed due to tree falling hazards.
Wanna trade? 90F here right now, won't be any cooler until November at best.
88F here.
Mid 70's here, mid 80's as far as I can see. Cooler nights. Looks good!
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I hate making errors. Brought our website down for 4 minutes due to a misidentified power cable. >( -
@EddieJennings That's a small whoops.
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@EddieJennings said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
I hate making errors. Brought our website down for 4 minutes due to a misidentified power cable. >(Ooops.
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@DustinB3403 It is in the scheme of things. I just hate making dumb mistakes like that. However, on a positive note. When I return tomorrow to swap our backup drives, I'll have my label maker with me, so this error shouldn't happen again.
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@EddieJennings said in What Are You Doing Right Now:
@DustinB3403 It is in the scheme of things. I just hate making dumb mistakes like that. However, on a positive note. When I return tomorrow to swap our backup drives, I'll have my label maker with me, so this error shouldn't happen again.
Good stuff.
I'll be working on cleaning up my server room and cable tying things neatly away in a few days.
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Still syncing archives offsite while planning phone system upgrades, and checking email.
I've got 3 systems around me right now, a MacBook Air, a Windows 10 desktop, and a Korora Live USB running on a Carbon X1.
I feel kind of spoiled at the moment
