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Welcome Aboard

I learned long ago that the experience I had on my first day of work at my very first job was fairly unique.

When I showed up to work at 7am my first day, I was given the obligatory office tour, handed my access badge, introduced to the key players on my team, shown the lunch room, and received a very warm welcome. 

 

Once it was time to get to work, I was shown where my desk was; on the desk was a branded tin box with a mouse keychain, flash drive, pen (all branded), a box of business cards with my name spelled correctly and a polo shirt in my size. I didn’t appreciate this at the time but I do now.‍

On my desk was a large envelope with the following inside:

 

  • My usernames and temporary passwords for all company technology
  • A welcome letter wishing me success within the organization
  • A contact list for all the departments and key players 
  • A laminated card with details on contacting the Service Desk

I read through all of the materials and I was off to the races within a few minutes. From that point forward I knew who to email for anything I needed, call for support, and where to send just about any kind of request. Asking for support within the organization was easy and there was never any doubt that what was needed would get handled and handled in a timely fashion. I didn’t think much about it at the time to be perfectly honest and being my first job, I subconsciously assumed this was just how employee orientation and onboardings were handled everywhere, but I could not have been more wrong! This was in 2006 and thinking back, is pretty impressive for the time.

Years later, I was flown into a new city for an interview and subsequently accepted an assignment with a new organization. The first impression was vastly different. My laptop hadn’t arrived, so I used my personal laptop for a week. I had no idea who to call to get logged in to company applications; it also turned out that the person who I was supposed to report to had been relocated to a different division — I had no boss?!  It took me at least a week to get access to all company applications, all my logins to various platforms, and finally a company laptop. A few weeks later my business cards arrived with my email address spelled incorrectly so those became scrap paper.

New user frustration

While I enjoyed my time and the challenge of that project, in hindsight, my “orientation” and onboarding experience was indicative of things to come and unfortunately it set the tone for the bulk of the subsequent work my team and I had. Sadly, the experience became a bit of an internally accepted joke.

Since then, my career has shifted more towards the service delivery aspect of the IT industry and luckily, I was able to retain both of those experiences and apply my experiences from both sides of the coin. I now know what is possible and learned valuable lessons from both experiences.

Overseeing ITSM practices for an MSP comes with a new set of challenges. We work with thousands of users from hundreds of different partner organizations spanning many different sectors. Each group maintains different leadership styles at each helm. 

I firmly believe that the relationship and confidence in our service all starts from an employee’s very first day and from the very first time an end user logs in to their company computer.

In my current role, I often ask myself questions such as:

 
  • What will their first experience with IT and their new employer be like?
  • Will they know how to get ahold of our service desk for support?
  • Will they know what software and systems we support?
  • Do we have processes in place to make the technology aspects of their job as seamless as possible?
  • How do we make sure they know we truly care and want to support their needs?

How do we do it today?

 

As part of continual service improvement, below are a few steps we have taken and questions our team must review on a regular basis to make sure we are creating the best possible first impression for our own new employees as well as those of our partner organizations.

  • Creating unique onboarding forms for each of our partner organizations
  • Each form generates a series of service tasks 
  • All get assigned directly to our onboarding team

When these forms are submitted, do we know the who, what, where and when of everything pertaining to that new user from an IT standpoint?

  • Communicating realistic expectations to our partners 
  • Clearly addressing needs and timelines

How much time is needed to procure devices? How much notice do we need from the submitter?

  • Knowing and understanding our inventory
  • Understanding the capabilities of our suppliers
  • Being realistic with current supply chains issues 

What do we have in stock today? What does the current supply-chain look like? How fast can we get equipment to a remote location?

Are we delivering new credentials in a secure way? Is 2FA a part of our on-boarding checklist? (Passwords on a sticky note just don’t fly with our team.)

 

Does a staff accountant need a different computer than a graphic designer? Does a graphic designer need QuickBooks? The word standard means repeatable and repeatable always equates to a better user experience and is almost certainly more efficient.

 

How long does each onboard take? How many are we doing? How many tickets do new users open after they start? Are there seasonal trends we can prepare for? What can we automate? 

  • Maintaining a living, breathing Service Catalog for all users that contains:
  • Instructions on how to get ahold of our service desk using their preferred channel (Portal, email, phone, etc)
  • Ticketing portal for guided support on common ticket types
  • Clear guidelines on what we support and what we don’t support
  • Clear explanations on how we provide support and what to expect
  • A flowchart of ticket handling practices we use to provide the best support possible
  • How to get emergency support after-hours
  • How to provide real-time feedback directly from a service ticket (positive or constructive)
Trust

Our process will likely never be perfect, nor will there ever be a one-size-fits-all manual for all businesses and users, but we can keep striving to get better on every interaction and create the best possible first impression for our partners’ users on their first day.

We believe this reflects just as much on the organization itself as it does on our services. It should not matter what title or position a new user holds — trust and confidence (or lack-thereof) is slow to be gained, quick to be lost and can be extremely contagious.

Leap to the Cloud

What will it take for your business to make the jump to the Cloud?

For this exceedingly traditional Los Angeles-based law firm it was a global pandemic and state lockdowns that almost brought the business to a stand-still.  

A  dynamic leader in the space, this entertainment law firm serves the hottest names in the music business and  reps hundreds of artists across all facets of their career. They provide a level of attention that allows their clients to navigate touring agreements and deals with major labels.

We’d been advising the partners on the risks associated with on-premise equipment and the benefits of Cloud technology. But, with no serious disruptions, their reluctance to embrace new technology meant they would continue to operate at a disadvantage.  

Take the leap to Next-Gen Cloud

Want to know how we did it? Complete the form below and download the business case.

Google Reviews

As a distinguished IT services firm, we pride ourselves on great tech support!

Have you ever submitted a help desk ticket only to never hear back, or hear back and not have a solution to your problem? 

A strong IT services desk increases productivity and sets up your business for success. 

Don’t take our word for it…check out what our partners have to say:

Zero-Trust-Cybersecurity

As the business community faces down cyber threats, one medical office is defending itself with a Zero Trust approach to cybersecurity

Physicians have always been at the front of the line when it came to technology integration. Among the first to realize the benefits wearing a pager, having a cell phone, using a tablet, and essentially digitizing their business, doctors and researchers are typical early adopters of mobile, Cloud and IOT systems. 

As attacks on the healthcare industry make weekly news, personal information (PII) floods the black market, and steep fines take their toll,doctors and practice administrators wonder what they can do differently. 

A holistic strategy, a Zero Trust approach to cybersecurity means that you:

     1) Verify Explicitly
     2) Use Least Privilege
     3) Assume Breach

Want to learn more? Complete the form and download the business case.

Zero Trust
HIPAA seal of compliance

OWG completes HIPAA compliance process.

Montville, NJ; March 29, 2022 – OWG is pleased to announce that we have taken all necessary steps to prove our good faith effort to achieve compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Through the use of Compliancy Group’s proprietary HIPAA solution, The Guard™, OWG can track our compliance program and have earned their Seal of Compliance™. The Seal of Compliance is issued to organizations that have implemented an effective HIPAA compliance program through the use of The Guard.

HIPAA is made up of a set of regulatory standards governing the security, privacy, and integrity of sensitive healthcare data called protected health information (PHI). PHI is any individually identifiable healthcare-related information. If vendors who service healthcare clients come into contact with PHI in any way, those vendors must be HIPAA compliant.

OWG has completed Compliancy Group’s Implementation Program, adhering to the necessary regulatory standards outlined in the HIPAA Privacy Rule, Security Rule, Breach Notification Rule, Omnibus Rule, and HITECH.  Compliancy Group has verified OWG’s good faith effort to achieve HIPAA compliance through The Guard. 

“I am so proud of our team and our continued efforts to distinguish ourselves as a best-in-class, technology consulting practice”, explains Nick Rigali, Operating Partner at OWG.” As a firm, we’ve always been dedicated to protecting sensitive data and the personal information of our partners (clients) and our partner’s clients. This certification solidifies those responsibilities and allows us to publicly demonstrate our commitment to security.” 

Clients and patients are becoming more aware of HIPAA compliance requirements and how the regulation protects their personal information. Forward-thinking providers like OWG choose the Seal of Compliance to differentiate their services.

 

About Compliancy Group:

HIPAA should be simple. That’s why Compliancy Group is the only HIPAA software with expert Compliance Coaches™ holding your hand to simplify compliance. Built by auditors, Compliancy Group gives you confidence in your compliance plan to reduce risk, increase patient loyalty, and profitability of your organization. Visit https://www.compliancy-group.com or call 855.854.4722 to learn how simple compliance can be.

MS Golden

Joining the top one percent of Microsoft partners worldwide, we’re proud to announce we are now a Microsoft’s Gold Partner level.

 

 

An accolade that acknowledges our deep Cloud expertise and service delivery skillset, a Gold designation is a benefit to us and our partner clients as it certifies we’re providing the most technically proficient services, support and consultative information available.

 
Here at OWG, a the new status validates our strong work ethic and expertise level, and it expands the benefits we can provide clients, such as direct access to Microsoft support and latest technologies, which are piloted with top partners first.

 

According to Microsoft, Gold Partners represent the highest standards of Microsoft’s partnership program, and organizations with this competency are recognized for their commitment to solidifying customer relationships by offering innovative and effective business solutions. By demonstrating a proven expertise in delivering quality solutions, Microsoft acknowledges OWG as a leader among certified solution providers.

 

 

OWG Golden Owl

Drop your name and email to learn more, or tag my calendar to setup a conversation.

As organizations across the country begin to adopt the Zero Trust approach, federal agencies will do the same.

As part of a new cybersecurity strategy released Wednesday, the administration outlines its vision for moving government agencies towards a “zero trust” architecture — a cybersecurity model where users and devices are only given permissions to access network resources necessary for the task at hand and are authenticated on a case-by-case basis.

 

 

The key document was published as a memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the administration’s policy arm, and addressed to the heads of all executive departments and agencies.
According to the memorandum, shifting towards a zero trust architecture will require the implementation of stronger enterprise identity and access controls, including more widespread use of multi-factor authentication — specifically hardware-based authentication tokens like access cards, rather than push notifications or SMS. Agencies were also instructed to aim for a complete inventory of every device authorized and operated for official business, to be monitored according to specifications set by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
 
“In the face of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, the Administration is taking decisive action to bolster the Federal Government’s cyber defenses,” said acting OMB director Shalanda Young in a statement. “This zero trust strategy is about ensuring the Federal Government leads by example, and it marks another key milestone in our efforts to repel attacks from those who would do the United States harm.”
The White House’s announcement cited the Log4j security vulnerability as “the latest evidence that adversaries will continue to find new opportunities to get their foot in the door.” The vulnerability, one of the most serious and widespread cybersecurity threats for years, first began to be exploited in December 2021. At the time, government agencies were instructed by CISA to immediately patch vulnerable assets or take other mitigation measures. The FTC also subsequently warned companies in the private sector to remediate the vulnerability to avoid potential legal action for putting consumers at risk.
“As our adversaries continue to pursue innovative ways to breach our infrastructure, we must continue to fundamentally transform our approach to federal cybersecurity,” said CISA director Jen Easterly. “Zero trust is a key element of this effort to modernize and strengthen our defenses. CISA will continue to provide technical support and operational expertise to agencies as we strive to achieve a shared baseline of maturity.”
An initial draft of the strategy was released in September 2021 for public comment and since then has been shaped by input from the cybersecurity industry as well as other fields of the public and private sector.
With the final strategy now released, government agencies have been issued 30 days to designate a strategy implementation lead within their organization and 60 days to submit an implementation plan to the OMB.
 

Drop your name and email to learn more, or tag my calendar to setup a conversation.

 

 

Portions of this article were originally published by The Verge and is available at https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/26/22902630/white-house-instructs-agencies-cybersecurity-strategy-memo-cisa