Tip of the Week: Comparing the Pros and Cons of Desktops and Laptops
Should your next computer purchase be a desktop or a laptop? Letâs talk about the less obvious differences between the two so you can make the right decision when buying computers for your staff.
Is a Laptop or Desktop the Better Option?
As you might expect, this question more or less hinges on your particular need of mobility. If you find yourself conducting business in various places in (and perhaps occasionally out) of the office, the mobility of a laptop will likely serve you better than a desktop would. Conversely, if your work is more or less contained to the office, a desktop may be more appealing than a laptop. While other factors may also influence your choice, mobility should be one of your primary considerations.
Some other factors to keep in mind are the cost of upkeep of your systems, as well as its intended use. Desktops are often the more cost-effective option, and maintenance is quite often easier. Additionally, a computer capable of more resource-intensive projects–like video editing or CAD rendering, for instance–will cost more, but a laptop will see a faster price increase than a desktop will.
ROI
A desktop can sometimes provide a better return on investment, as they tend to upgrade easier than laptops. This can increase its useful lifetime, allowing your business to remain competitive longer. Another consideration would be reducing your carbon footprint, as you reduce the amount of material going to the landfill.
Checking the Specs
As we just touched on briefly, your intended use of the device should influence your decision considerably. Depending on what you need the computer to be capable of for your business purposes, you may have different requirements than someone else from your organization. For instance, if you primarily use your computer for communications and administrative management, you will not need the same capabilities as someone who regularly uses theirs for advanced, resource-intensive operations. Your role in your organization, as well as the industry you are a member of, will have an impact on this. After all, some industries rely on more data than others, and will therefore have more to manage.
If youâd like assistance in establishing what your particular computing needs are, and which device would serve you best, donât hesitate to reach out to Catalyst Technology Group for help.
Bargain Hunting
Again, depending on your industry, what qualifies as a good deal for you may be very different than what is considered a good deal for another company that serves a different audience and has different needs. On top of this, thereâs also the need to find a reliable vendor who can deliver the technology you need at a reasonable rate – a process that can take an exceptionally long time.
Working with Catalyst Technology Group can help make this process much quicker. You can leverage the relationships weâve developed with these vendors to get the best deal, while still focusing on your business and leaving negotiations to us.
To discuss your needs and how allowing Catalyst Technology Group to manage your vendors can help fill them, reach out to us at (317) 705-0333.
Project Management Tips From the Pros
If youâve ever managed a major IT project, youâre probably well acquainted with Murphyâs Law: âAnything that can go wrong, will go wrong.â Every project is going to have some rough patches. The key to overcoming these challenges lays not with the execution of the plan, but with the preparation. Here are four things to consider when youâre planning out your next long-term IT project.
Know Your Needs
Believe it or not, understanding exactly what your company needs from a project and translating that into a well-defined strategy with realistic goals may be the difference between a success and failure. First, itâs best to look at the big picture.
- What is the desired result?
- What does the project do for your business?
- How will the implementation of this project affect other departments?
- Will the project directly impact clients/prospects?
- Will there be any downtime?
- Does the team need to be educated about this project?
Budgeting for the Unknown
Prices go up. Projects get delayed. Accidents happen. More often than not, youâre going to run into an unplanned incident during the duration of your project. The best way to make sure that your budget doesnât come up short is by anticipating that there will be unforeseen expenses. Whenever possible, itâs preferred that you give yourself a bit of âwiggle roomâ within your budget. Of course, you canât predict the future – but you can look to previous projects for an idea of what sort of snafus you are likely to encounter. Giving yourself a bit of cushion when planning out your budget might end up saving you big time down the road. And if it turns out that you didnât need that extra money, then congratulations! Your project was completed under budget!
Determine Benchmarks and Measurements
Especially important during long term IT projects is figuring out ways to measure and gauge the projectâs progress. You will want to determine a plan for these measurements before you begin the project. This will help you maintain forward momentum, keep your budget in check and show areas that need improvements for the next time you have a similar project. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are ways to measure that success. Keeping track of the following metrics will help you get a grasp on the way your projectâs progress throughout the execution:
- Actual cost
- Cost Variance
- Earned Value
- Planned Value
- Return on Investment
Too often in a projectâs execution, only the project managers will know how the project is fairing. Everyone else is only privy to the sections of the project that apply directly to them. Project managers are there to drive the project – and part of that is communicating with resources – both inside and outside of the project. For example, if your project is going to require your network to be offline, giving advance warning to those who will impacted by this downtime is not only courteous, but keeps your project on track. There is nothing like having to delay your progress because there was an important meeting scheduled for the time you had planned on bringing the network offline.
There are many programs and applications available to those who are looking for ways to improve organization and communication throughout your project. Project management software gives PMs a unified solution where theyâre able to track inventory, budget, KPIs, resources and a whole host of parts of a project in motion.
As with most things in life, projects rarely go as planned. The only thing that a project management team can do is make an effort to plan ahead, anticipate needs, and be ready to face whatever challenges are thrown their way. Do you have an IT project in mind but are unsure of how to manage and execute it? Contact Catalyst Technology Group today at (317) 705-0333.