IT administrators are often long-serving employees who have spent years maintaining security and expanding internal IT networks. It is obvious that, in addition to general expertise, a large amount of individual experience has also been built up around the company’s specific IT assets.
Specialists with specific experience of the company’s IT structure are of course an important part of any company. And any boss can consider himself lucky if he can rely on such a person. But what happens when this person is suddenly no longer available?
For example, a vacation may still be plannable, but no one can rule out a longer absence due to illness, even nowadays. Let’s not even start with worse scenarios that result in a longer or permanent absence.
However, not only unforeseeable misfortunes have to occur. It can also happen that a long-time IT employee leaves the company at his or her own request. Here, too, it hits the employer particularly hard, as he usually hardly has enough time to find an adequate replacement. Especially when this is accompanied by an enormous outflow of knowledge.
No IT documentation available?
Of course, experience and familiarity with the company cannot simply be transferred to other or new employees. Nor is it a walk in the park for the replacement or successor when it comes to technical realities. This is because every network has its own history and is always individually tailored to the company.
If there is a lack of professional IT documentation here, the new IT administrator inevitably embarks on an adventurous journey through the internal IT network. By default, many questions inevitably arise here:
- Which devices are in use?
- What is the current security situation in the IT network?
- Were there any important projects in progress?
- Who has the access data and passwords for the individual systems and components?
- Is there a network plan?
- What about the current licensing?
- What do we do in the event of an IT failure?
- What dependencies exist between the individual systems and devices?
This list can be extended indefinitely, because depending on the extent of the handover by the predecessor, the successor’s smooth initial phase will stand or fall.
Incomplete handover and the consequences
As mentioned earlier, the time phase of the handover from the previous IT manager or IT administrator to the successor is usually relatively short. The consequence of this is an incomplete transfer of knowledge regarding the internal IT landscape, the IT security concept and, above all, IT emergency management. Not only is there a lot of work waiting here for the new IT manager, but there are literally many dangers lurking for the entire company.
In the event of a failure of IT components, major financial damage can occur under certain circumstances if this is not remedied in the shortest possible time. Even with, often in short intervals, important security updates of internal systems, as for example Microsoft Exchange has already proven several times, unforeseen security problems can occur. Especially if systems are affected that the new employee is not even aware of.
With luck, the handover went well and sufficiently professionally. And the entire company is even luckier if nothing happens during the period in which the new IT administrator is familiarizing himself with the systems and the IT network.
Rely on luck or take a professional approach right away?
Sure, there are ventures that rely on luck. Casinos and state lotteries, for example. But of course that only applies to their business model. Because in these and also in most other companies, you will hardly want to rely on luck and probabilities when it comes to your own IT. Unfortunately, it often looks the same in practice.
In the IT sector, changes to equipment, structures and the software used are the order of the day. These changes should not simply be carried out, but should in any case be included in good and professional IT documentation.
It is important that the IT documentation not only contains a description of the changes, but also provides a complete overview of all devices in the network and the software used. The lists provided by IT documentation and, hopefully, customizable reports usually help with this.
If additional features are then included, such as comprehensive license management, individual information input for individual components, output of network and emergency plans and, above all, automatic and regular updating of these, then professional IT documentation is already in use.
Docusnap as an IT documentation solution
Docusnap has automated mechanisms that independently inventory all hardware and software in your IT network at individually definable intervals and store them in a central database. This is the only way to display documents that are important for internal purposes, such as an emergency manual or a network plan, with data that is always up-to-date, and to output them in the desired manner.
As a further and important feature, Docusnap can access a user management. This allows different users to access the reports intended for them. For example, the security officer can obtain information for his area without involving the IT department. He can still be confident that he is accessing up-to-date data from a reliable source.
In any case, the necessary knowledge about the structure and set-up of the IT network, the components used, the existing software and also about the administration of the passwords of the server systems is made available to the responsible persons here in a simple but secure manner. This makes it possible for a new IT administrator or for an external IT service provider to take over IT responsibility.
Conclusion
Many of the processes that are available in professional documentation software are the basis for reliably passing on important information from one’s own IT network. To ensure that all persons authorized to receive information receive both up-to-date information and information intended only for them, while keeping personnel and time requirements to a minimum, a professional solution such as Docusnap is a good choice.
If you would like to test Docusnap yourself, we offer you the software solution at www.docusnap.com for 30 days free of charge. This gives you enough time to convince yourself of the benefits. You still have questions? That’s no problem either! Our professional support team will provide you with full assistance even during the free phase.
In addition, if you have any questions about the purchase, our friendly sales team will be happy to help you.
