What to Expect
Clear expectations before the work begins.
When you work with Evans Technology Solutions, the goal is to make the work understandable before it begins, keep the scope appropriate to the business, and leave the technology in a better and more manageable position when the work is complete.
What happens in the first conversation
The first conversation is about understanding the situation. You can expect questions about the business, the problem you are experiencing, the technology involved, and what you are trying to accomplish. You do not need to prepare a technical specification or know exactly which products should be used.
Useful information can include:
- What is not working or what prompted you to reach out
- How the problem affects the business
- What technology or systems are currently involved
- What has already been tried
- What you would like to improve
- Important deadlines or timing requirements
- Existing equipment or software that needs to remain in place
- Budget or other practical constraints
- Security, reliability, or compliance concerns
- Whether the need is a one-time project or something that may require ongoing support
The more ETS understands about the business and environment, the better the scope and recommendations can be.
What affects the investment?
ETS does not believe technology work should be priced simply by making every customer fit into the same package. The appropriate investment depends on the actual scope of the work.
Factors can include:
- Complexity
- Number of systems involved
- Existing infrastructure
- Condition of the current environment
- Required equipment or software
- Amount of discovery required
- Implementation effort
- Business disruption or scheduling requirements
- Security requirements
- Documentation requirements
- Migration or integration requirements
- Urgency
- Ongoing management requirements
A small, clearly defined problem should not automatically become a large project.
Likewise, a complex infrastructure or technology project should not be forced into an artificially small scope simply to reach a particular price.
Before work begins
Before implementation begins, ETS should be able to clearly explain:
- What problem is being addressed
- What work is included
- What work is not included
- What the expected outcome is
- What the business needs to provide
- What equipment or software may be required
- What timing or scheduling considerations exist
- What the expected investment is
- What happens if the scope changes
If something changes during the work, the change should be understood before additional work is performed whenever reasonably possible. This helps prevent surprises and keeps the engagement aligned with the original business objective.
Documentation and handoff
Depending on the engagement, documentation may include:
- Network information
- Infrastructure information
- System configurations
- Important credentials or access-management procedures
- Deployment details
- Operational procedures
- Backup information
- Security-related configuration
- Architecture or topology information
- Decisions made during implementation
- Future recommendations
The level of documentation should be appropriate to the work. The objective is to leave useful information behind so the environment remains understandable and maintainable.
After the work
A completed project should leave the business in a better position than where it started.
That may mean:
- A problem has been resolved
- A system is more reliable
- Technology is easier to manage
- Security has been improved
- A migration has been completed
- A process has been automated
- Documentation now exists where it was missing
- The business has a clearer understanding of its technology environment
- A practical path for future improvements has been established
Depending on the engagement, ETS may complete the handoff and step away, continue supporting the environment, or work with the business on the next priority. There is no requirement that every project become an ongoing service relationship.
What happens next?
The process starts with a conversation.
You can bring a problem, a project you are considering, an environment that has become difficult to manage, or simply a question about whether something can be done differently.
ETS can help determine what the problem actually is, what options make sense, what the work may involve, and what the next practical step should be.
Clear expectations
Are you ready to start the process?
Bring the problem, the concern, or the project you are considering. ETS can help determine the scope, explain the options, and identify a practical path forward.
