Are you an IT Professional in need of some quick tips and tricks to help make your life easier? Here are a few tricks that can help make your life easier and your work more efficient. Making tasks more efficient and straightforward is important when you’re in IT, because you have to manage so many different things.
Save Yourself Time and Additional Steps
How many times do you asked to help a coworker do a simple task? Of course, a lot of us need the exercise, but when it's interrupting our work at our own desk, it would be nice if we could just do the work for them and move on. That's where remote desktop software comes in. If you're using Windows, this could be done using Remote Desktop. If you're on a Mac, perhaps you'll want to try the built-in Screen Sharing. But many people prefer using TightVNC to install a remote VNC server with a password. Next time a co-worker needs you, just hop on their computer with a VNC client (Screens VNC is great) and do the work for them, all without having to leave your desk.
Of course, if you work remotely or on a different network, then you might want to try commercial software that allows you to do the same, just be sure it's properly secured from outside access with strong passwords. Google Chrome also has a free extension (Google Remote Desktop) that can allow remote access to a computer.
If you do this, remember that with great power comes great responsibility. Your co-workers don't won't to feel spied on, and neither does your boss. Let them know every time you're monitoring their computer prior to taking over.
Set Software to Auto Update
This should be obvious in the modern era that we're living in - an out-of-date machine is a vulnerable machine. Unless you're talking about a server running propriety (and poor) programs, then keep everything updated for everyone, at all times. Software patches, like those from LANDESK, help evaluate, test, and apply patches across the entire enterprise. These sort of programs help keep your network from being saturated. Google Chrome will do this by default, so use it. Configure Windows Updates to install automatically. Set Mac OS machines to enable all users to install updates. If you must have software like Java, or Adobe Flash, enable their auto-update in their preferences. The same process applies to the use of Adobe Reader.
Setup a Support Ticket System
Setup a support ticket system like ZenDesk (it's very affordable) and ditch emails for requests. Create tickets for phone calls. This will help you prioritize and also track your biggest problems, which should become FAQ topics. Prioritizing tasks makes thing so much easier for IT professionals. They can easily get bogged down with so many tech tasks, that they aren’t able to perform at their highest capacities. Streamlining these kind of things makes the workplace more productive and copasetic.
Rachelle
