My name is Tony Retz.  I was born in Michigan, but have spent the majority of my life in Indiana.  I went to Purdue University at Kokomo for my Associate's Degree in Computer Technology.  I went to IUPUI to get my Bachelor's Degree in Computer Information Technology.  Currently, I live in Kokomo, Indiana with my wife Cara and our two children, Ian and Erich.  People think I'm crazy for commuting 60 miles each way to work in Indianapolis.

Before joining Port-to-Port Consulting as a Network Technician, I worked for Delphi, Hewlett-Packard, the Department of Defense in various Engineering and Information Technology positions.

Providing computer support services to small businesses in the Indianpolis area has been an great experience for me.  Being exposed to so many different operating environments has allowed me to learn a lot about the Information Technology world.  In writing this blog, I hope to provide you with some of the knowledge and insights that I have found useful.

As someone who works in computer consulting, it is part of my responsibility to look to the future for my Indianapolis small business computer outsourcing customers. 2010 is going to be a year full of major change for most people. Microsoft is all but forcing adoption of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. Both of these are vastly different from their predecessors (excluding Vista, which no one used anyway). Google has released phones to compete with the iPhone, Microsoft is releasing a new Windows Mobile OS, and then there’s the iPad, which at least one person in your office wants. Add to that new versions of end-user software like Office 2010 and you’ve got the recipe for a lot of headaches.

So, what can we do as a network consultant to ease the pain? For one, we can access most of the software in beta format and use it for a few months before it's officially released. But, here’s the trick…we need to actually USE the software. I understand installing it on a secondary computer, but your IT consultant needs to use it regularly to be able to really recommend changing (or not changing for that matter). This isn’t practical for all applications, but for things like Office, Browsers, and Operating Systems, it’s essential.

In our Indianapolis-based small business computer consulting company, we try to get at least two people using new software as early as possible. We had 3 people using the release candidate for Windows 7, and all their raving got the rest of us amped up to do the switch as well. We currently have 2 people (including me) using Office 2010, which is in beta release. It’s got some cool features as well, but hasn’t generated near the buzz that Windows 7 did.

So, let’s be proactive instead of reactive and get ourselves ready for our clients’ benefit.

Ok, so in my last post, I brought up the question of why is it so hard to maintain an accurate IT inventory in the outsourced world.  This time, I'll try to provide some information on ways to at least get close, while exploring some of the problems that still remain.

As I've worked in the world of Indianapolis small business computer support, I've learned that simply relying on a physical inventory is not good enough, but it is a place to start, and a necessary evil.  The problems arise from forgetful (or lazy) technicians doing the inventory.  Often times, it's just not as important as another task on their schedule.  Another issue is that some companies purchase computers without your prior-knowledge and then ask you to get it setup immediately.  Often times this means setting the computer up remotely which hinders your ability to do a full inventory of the computer (make, model, serial numbers, etc).

Ok, so if you can't really rely on a physical inventory, then that means we need a software inventory right?  Yes, and no.  There are several types of inventory software that each behave in a different manor.  No matter the type, the general benefit is that once you have a client installed on each computer, it is contantly talking back to a server.  This means your database at least has an accurate machine count.  Issues still arise from having to install a client on each computer, and this doesn't necessarily provide you with make, model, and serial numbers.  These types of software are generally better for getting an accurate count on the number of computers, not necessarily a full inventory.

So, what's the best solution?  I haven't had the pleasure of trying everything that's out there, but, in my experience as an in small business computer support, I believe it to be a combination of software and physical inventory.  You need to do the physical inventory to get serial numbers and such as well as taking the opportunity to install your inventory software client.  As a part of this, I would also recommend looking into preventing computers you haven't accounted for from logging on to your network.  This prevents the user from purchasing a computer and not telling you until something breaks.

I hope this helps get you pointed in the right direction in your own IT support services.  I have intentionally not included a list of recommended softwares as I haven't had a chance to test them all.  However, if you are looking to use a free solution, I have tested (and liked) Spiceworks.  I even got good support from their forums.

As a network technician, part of my (ever-growing) task-list is to help maintain accurate inventories of software and hardware.  This is nothing new, and the concept certainly isn't any different than any other inventory process.  So why is it so difficult to maintain an inventory in the IT world...particularly if you are outsourced?

Since I work for a network consulting company, this is of particular interest to me and my co-workers.  In an effort to try and figure out how to do this successfully, I've been kicking the inventory process around in my head.  I've worked in a retail envrionment, a manufacturing environment, and now in IT.  In each of those environments, maintaining an accurate inventory was crucial. 

In retail, you need to know what products you have on hand, what you need more of (and when to order), and for that matter, what isn't selling.  Typically there is a database that is tied into some scanners and possibly the registers.  This works great for managing everything except for theft (so, you still need a physical touch of the items).

Manufacturing is pretty similar to retail, except you are dealing with internal departments instead of external customers.  Each part needs inventoried so we know what we have (and if we can fill our orders).  Again, theft is the main reason the inventory process can fail in this environment (excluding laziness).

So why is it so different in the IT world?  If you are an internal network admin of a single-site company, it's not so bad.  Generally you know where all the computers are, people will come to you to move them if need be.  If they go out and buy a laptop over the weekend (thank you management staff), they'll come to you for help configuring it.  However, when you are in a consulting position, or managing several sites, you are often excluded from these kinds of events.  People grab a spare machine when their's isn't running as fast as it should.  People get fired or quit and you don't find out until 3 weeks later.  It gets to the point that it feels like the only time the inventory is right is the day that you actually go onsite and touch every computer.

So how do we make make the inventory process work in the IT world?  Well, if we think about what makes the other environments more successful, it's control.  In retail, the cashiers and anti-theft devices provide the control.  An event happens as items change hands from store to customer.  In Manufacturing, it's the same thing (at least where I worked).  At each station, you inventory the parts (from the warehouse to assembly, from assembly to QC, from QC to shipping).  They all have control over their assets.  When you are an outsourced IT company, you don't necessarily have that same luxury.

So how do we gain control in the Outsourced IT world?  Tune in next time as I explore possible ways to get and maintain and accurate inventory.

Thanks for the info, but why take three steps when it only took one before (“I miss my shortcuts!”)?

Thankfully, Microsoft gave us the “Quick Access Toolbar” for this very reason.  Unless it has already been moved, it is located at the top of your screen, next to the Office Button and above the Ribbon.
 

This is where we can add the shortcuts like “Save” or “Print” so they are just a click away.  But they only give us space for 5-6 shortcuts, which probably isn’t nearly enough space.  To remedy this, let’s move the “Quick Access Toolbar” to beneath the Ribbon.

Right-click in the space next to the “View” tab in the Ribbon.
 

In the pop-up menu, choose the option to “Show Quick Access Toolbar Below the Ribbon”.
 

And now we now have much more room to add our shortcuts too.
 

Ok, so how do I add those shortcuts I miss so much?  Well, you Right-click on the “Quick Access Toolbar” and choose “Customize Quick Access Toolbar”
 

You will get a screen that looks similar to the following one:
 

From here, you can choose from a variety of commands that you might want to use.  To get the full list, select “All Commands” from the “Choose commands from:” drop-down.
 

Now, let’s add a command, scroll down the list to whatever you’d like to add, in this case, I’ll do “Print”.  Click the add button to place it in your “Quick Access Toolbar”.  Once you are done adding all of the commands of your liking, click OK.  Your “Quick Access Toolbar” will now be updated with all of the commands you choose to add. 
 

And here is our updated toolbar:
 

Hey, that Ribbon thing is pretty cool, but the tabs don’t seem to have everything I need.
To get the complete pop-up for each option in the Ribbon, Microsoft has provided us with “Dialog Box Launcher” buttons (sounds impressive, doesn’t it?).  These are the little buttons in each section of the Ribbon.  One is pictured below (in the red circle).
 

Click the “Dialog Box Launcher” button, and you will get a screen similar to the one below (in this case, I’ve clicked the one for Font).  This is where we find the rest of our options.


So there you go, these are some of the basics to get you started with Office 2007.

Providing computer support to small businesses over the last 2 years has shown me that Microsoft did not do a good job of providing useful information to the end users.  Sure, there is a comprehensive help system that provides all the information you need, but it's buried under a bunch of stuff you probably don't need.  And, in all honesty, the help menu isn't all that easy to find either.  So, unless you are a glutton for punishment, you probably hated Office 2007 when you first started using it (I know I did).

Where’d everything go? Microsoft went from the standard “Menu Bar” that we had all grown accustomed to, and decided to implement the “Ribbon”.


While this is sure to cause you some headaches to start, once you get the hang of it, you’ll probably grow to like it.  In the following sections, I’m going to try and break down how some of the more common tasks are now accessed.

Did Microsoft Go Green…I Can’t Find the Print Button?
In place of the traditional “File” menu from previous versions of Office, we now have the “Office Button” (located in the upper left corner of your office application)


Click on the “Office Button” and you will get the following screen.

As you can see, this is where many of our favorite options have gone. From here we can save, print, and open as well as a few other things.

Simply knowing that this button exists will probably ease most of your troubles.


That's all for this time.  Tune in next time to find out how to get your favorite shortcuts back at your fingertips.