Using IT - A Useful Guide
Information provided by Jessica Zeun, Director of JD Approach Ltd
Information (and Communication) Technology - ICT
Whether you are running a business, charitable organisation, women's group or other organisation, here are a few answers for SYWOL users to some of the more common queries about ICT often received by JD Approach.
What is ICT/IT?
Information (& Communication) Technology
Basically this refers to any system that makes use of technology to manage, manipulate and deliver information
Why do I need it?
IT can be used to make your life easier in lots of different ways by simplifying and increasing the efficiency of your business processes. In order to find the best areas to implement technology it is worthwhile getting a proper ICT review or at least thinking about where you could make improvements to your existing processes.
Here are just couple of ideas:
Use databases to capture and manage information about the business processes, products, customers, members, suppliers etc...
This improves the quality and timeliness of information and provides an enhanced view of overall performance.
Use templates for letters, spreadsheets, reports and presentations.
This can help to cut down on time, reduces the risk of omission of information and ensures standardisation of all your documentation.
IT can also help to reduce errors and overheads due to less duplication and manipulation of information
IT reduces the paper trail, minimises risk of human error, is quicker and frees up valuable staff resources
IT can also help to expand the boundary of your business marketplace via the Internet
Presents an opportunity to market the business and buy and sell worldwide.
Provides a way of remotely accessing company or group information from any where in the world.
What is a Domain Name?
A domain name is simply an address on the internet - e.g. www.yourcompanyname.com
This can be your website address and can also be used for your emails - e.g. yourname@yourcompanyname.com
How do I get a website?
You can create the site yourself, purchase a ready made product or commission a web designer to do it all for you. All the options vary in price and demand varying skill levels.
There are loads of products on the market providing different options for getting your site on line and also for updating it regularly once it is there. The best thing to do is to contact an IT consultant or advisor who can provide advice on the best option for you and suggest a reputable product or service provider to give you what you need.
What are Viruses and how do I avoid them?
A virus is malicious code written with the intention of causing damage to your computer, your information and your business.
You can protect yourself with anti-virus software. For home users there are some free products available, however the best protection (especially for businesses) can only be gained by subscribing to a reputable market leader such as Sophos, McAfee, Norton etc....
Often if you use your home or single small business computer to access an on-line banking facility your bank may offer free anti-virus software to help you protect yourself. If you only have one computer and use online banking it may be worth contacting your bank to find out what they can offer.
What is Spyware?
Spyware collects information from your computer and sends it to advertisers who in turn will fill your email inbox with spam messages. There are lots of products available to help protect you from spyware. For more information click here:
Should I backup my information and how do I do it?
Yes, imagine how difficult it would be to replace all of the information you have on your computer, especially if you are a small business or charitable organisation. Ask yourself how easily you could recover from losing all your contact information, financial information and knowledge documents?
Even simply taking a copy of your critical files on to a CD, USB flash drive or other removable media would ensure that you could replace your information in the event that your computer is stolen or damaged.
For more important systems and information you could either purchase a disk based solution which takes a copy overnight on to a disk you can remove every morning, or even subscribe to an online solution where your data is automatically copied to another location over the internet without you even needing to remember to take something off site.
For more information, hints and tips on Information Technology, why not subscribe to the free JD Approach monthly newsletter by visiting our website and completing the quick form on our main page: www.jdapproach.co.uk
Jessica Zeun, Director of JD Approach Ltd - Jessica@jdapproach.co.uk
