Environmental Site Assessment Services

Phase I of environmental assessments

Phase I SEA is an investigation that aims to uncover any negative environmental impacts before a real estate transaction occurs. A Phase I SEA is based on examination of the archives of federal, state and local governments and organizations, historical archives, site survey and stakeholder interviews, etc. This process is conducted in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E 1527 - Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments.

A phase 

· Establishes recognized adverse environmental conditions in relation to dangerous substances and petroleum products.

Defends innocent homeowners and under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)

Provides an indication of existing or past emissions or the physical threat of a release of any hazardous substance or petroleum product to structures, soil, groundwater, or surface water at a site.

Phase II environmental assessments of the site

A phase II SEA is an additional investigation into the negative impacts detected during a phase I ESI investigation. It establishes the extent of any contamination or unfavorable condition based on in-depth investigation and makes recommendations on the restoration material. The process is carried out in accordance with ASTM E 1903, Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments.

A Phase II SEA may include, but is not limited to, the following:

Soil Sampling

Disposal Services

Groundwater Sampling

Asbestos Surveying

Underground Storage Tank testing and removal support

Microbial Evaluation

Waste Characterization

Lead Based Paint Investigations

Environmental transaction screens

An environmental transaction screen (ETS) is an economical alternative to initially carry out a phase I SEA when certain criteria are met. This selection process is used, unlike a phase I SEA, when information suggests that few adverse environmental conditions will be identified. The transaction filtering process is carried out before the acquisition of the property, in accordance with standard ASTM ASTM E 1528 practice for environmental site assessments.

For the transaction screen:

Establishes Environmental Due Diligence And Innocent Defense Of Landowners Under CERCLA

Requires a site visit

Requires examination of government documents and historical sources

Use a questionnaire to get information about the owner and / or operator of the property.

At the end of any environmental assessment service, the client receives a complete technical report with photographic documentation, site-specific maps, conclusions and recommendations.

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Outsourced Helpdesk – Pros and Cons

Outsourcing IT services and technical support to an external IT provider is one of the most common forms of outsourcing, with outsourced technical support being the most common. Any company that wishes to outsource its help desk or IT support must understand the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing.

Owners need to consider how outsourcing can work operationally and also how responsive the service provider is to their business needs. In many cases, outsourcing services or customer service can improve customer responsiveness, satisfaction and retention. Organizations can develop a real presence 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing 24 hour support and service for employees and customers.

An increasing number of SMEs and SME organizations will choose to fully outsource IT support services; however, an increasing number are using managed service providers to complement their existing internal IT teams. This can augment existing resources with additional technical expertise or provide after-hours coverage.

Here are some pros and cons of outsourcing technical assistance:

Pros

• Flexible capacity The volume of IT technical support and customer services may have peaks and troughs or seasonal differences. Outsourcing this functionality to a supplier allows it to increase and decrease demand, while you pay a fixed monthly fee.
• Cover 24x7x365. Outsourcing your IT and support needs to third parties means your business and customers can access technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Generally, you need 5 or 6 people to operate 24 hours a day, this requirement disappears.
• Focus on basic business skills. The external assistance service allows you and your team to focus on your main commercial and technical activities.
• Finance and opex. Outsourcing generally offers an opex model with predictable and fixed costs.
• Experience. Third-party IT vendors have a group of highly qualified engineers who provide a full set of skills for their business. This can include computer engineers, security consultants, software developers, and network engineers, all under contract.
• Resources In addition to technical support, the company can proactively manage, monitor and support your IT.

Cons

• Culture Your team may need to adapt to using an external provider. However, if managed correctly, the transition should be seamless.
• Quality. Many people may be concerned about quality or whether the supplier is not professional enough.
• Security. Cybersecurity and privacy are key issues; You must ensure that your provider is reliable and takes security seriously.
• Cost Companies tend to favor a predictable cost model. Therefore, companies need to understand the elements of fixed costs and whether there is a cost per call involved.
• Visibility Will you have visibility of activity and service reports?
• Relationships The use of third parties may be an anonymous matter. You need to make sure your provider is a partner, with real touch points and a caring account manager who understands your business.

Summary

The potential benefits of external technical support are obvious, however, companies must ensure that they are using a trusted supplier that truly serves as an extension of their current role, rather than offering a fundamental change that can affect quality or customer experience. . customer. There are many other non-technical factors to consider, such as culture, mentioned in this Forbes article.

It should also be clear from the start of your expectations; Will IT support calls answer? First line? Second line? Supplier and customer calls? Call volumes? How do you identify the caller?

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What Is Help Desk Software

Customer and user satisfaction is essential to the idea of ​​success for most organizations. You can manage technical support for a product your company sells, or you can be a computer scientist who operates technical support for a large internal user base. The situation is usually the same (users of a service that sometimes has problems) as the objectives (to solve problems quickly and make people happy). With these support platforms, your IT department can better manage user issues and reduce the time between complaint and resolution.

Technical support software is at the heart of a well-run help center and is a vital consideration for business owners. In fact, it is one of the main priorities of a company, be it a small or medium company (SME) or a large organization. Fortunately, there is no shortage of options to choose from, as there is a wide variety of auxiliary software. Some solutions are more suitable for SMEs, while others are more suitable for large organizations; Still others are better suited to internal IT operations than organizations that handle customer requests. Also, not all technical support software is created the same way.

For example, technical support software such as Cayzu, Freshdesk, HappyFox, Vivantio Pro and Zendesk Support include social links that allow you to get tickets on social networking sites like Twitter. This could be an important resource for a business dealing with a large customer base, but it is not as important (or even relevant) for someone who uses the system simply as an internal platform for IT services. .

Other technical support software, such as Jira Service Desk, provides additional security measures and identity management features (mainly Single Sign-On or SSO), which can be the main differentiators of some companies. SSO provides users with the ability to define a set of login credentials for various applications. Be aware of these types of security features.

In this summary, we tested the top 10 support software offerings, including Agiloft Service Desk, Cayzu, Freshdesk, Freshservice, HappyFox, Jira Service Desk, ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus 9.3, Vivantio Pro, Zendesk Support and Zoho Desk. All of these technical support solutions are available as software as a service (SaaS) solutions. This means that you do not need to install technical support software on a local machine. Like SaaS solutions, all proven technical support software can run on other people's servers, which can attract many small and medium business owners.

ITIL membership

During testing, we discovered that some assistance programs stood out from others in one important way: participation in the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). ITIL is an established service structure used primarily by IT management companies. It is a set of best practices that includes various checklists, procedures, processes, and tasks. Having ITIL effectively govern the way your business does things can be costly and beneficial, depending on your industry. ITIL should be followed as much as possible, even if it seems a bit arrogant for small businesses.

Proven technical support software is divided into one of two fields: those that follow ITIL guidelines and those that do not. The most advanced services tested follow ITIL, including Freshservice, Jira Service Desk, and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus 9.3. They would make more sense to large companies working in the service management industry, perhaps overseeing data centers or large companies where service level agreements (SLAs) and penalties are more than buzzwords. If your company follows ITIL, you should opt for a support software offering that respects the ITIL structure.

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What is Multi-server and multi-site deployments

The PaperCut NG / MF solution was designed with distribution in mind. The solution is built using a service-oriented architecture, which allows its components to be installed on different machines with different operating systems. This allows PaperCut NG / MF to be installed in a variety of configurations, adapting to your network design, since no two sites are the same.

The simplest and most common installation is to install PaperCut NG / MF on a website's print server (where the website only has one). For a small school or organization, the implementation need not be more complex than that. It is a single application server, a single print server and suitable for most deployments.

A few more complex implementation examples exist below, to show what is possible. You can extend or merge some of these concepts to suit your network and create the ideal PaperCut NG / MF implementation.

PaperCut NG / MF operates on a layer above your network's print services. For this reason, first design your solution to provide your printing services, then integrate the PaperCut NG / MF application into your network. that is, if you want a site-specific print server to stop large jobs running on network links, do so. You can also use the cluster to provide a long timeout for print services.

PaperCut site server

The PaperCut website server can complete all solution projects in the next section.

The PaperCut website server offers customers the risk of losing peace of mind that access to print resources is not interrupted by unexpected network interruptions. The PaperCut website server implementation ensures that essential PaperCut core server services are supported locally in the event of a disaster. Site servers are easy to install and hide the complexity of database replication from administrators.

Although it was originally designed for use in multi-site solutions, it is not the only use of the site's server. Think of the site server as an application server proxy that can also perform a set of application server tasks with the last known data set during an outage.

Examples of implementation

Scenario A: single site, multiple print servers

It is quite common for websites to have multiple print servers, even if they are clients in one physical location.

IOS printing: implement multimedia printing from iOS devices using a Mac server to complement a Windows print server.

Administrator / Curriculum: Several schools separate the printing in the School Administration section from the general printing of the staff / student.

Pooling - Each node of a pooled resource is installed as a print server.

Each of the print servers in this scenario must be installed and configured to communicate with the application server. For more information, see Configuring secondary print servers and locally connected printers.

PaperCut Site Server could add benefits to this deployment scenario if the application server is deployed in the private cloud. The site server would provide a local level of redundancy in the event of a connection failure to cloud resources. One of the print servers could play this role, in addition to hosting the print provider PaperCut.

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How Outsourced Help Desk Services can Support your Business

Outsourcing can solve many business problems. In addition to reducing costs, it also offers a quick way to manage mobility.

IT outsourcing is a great category and technical support is only a minor but essential part.

Technical support is usually one of the first services that companies outsource.

Outsourcing helpdesk frees up time for your IT staff, allowing them to focus on strategic operations and revenue-generating ideas, rather than fighting support fires.

This allows experts to solve customer problems using the latest technology to provide support solutions more effectively.

Most IT managers dream of outsourcing their internal call center to others, while others fear it is the worst that could happen.

The idea of ​​transferring a significant portion of IT operations to third party affiliates fantasizes huge cost savings that will generate results.

Other senior IT executives have a more troubling view of disappointing services, angry end users and computer riots, as well as intangible costs that undermine the supposed efficiencies that outsourcing technical support could bring.

Outsourced Helpdesk Benefits

Support increments available

Most companies follow a traditional nine to five work routine. However, many of these companies need to work outside of normal business hours.

Sometimes customers who shop online need immediate assistance.

Therefore, not having technical support outside normal business hours can lead to dissatisfied customers, complaints, and other headaches.

Therefore, outsourcing to qualified companies during off-peak hours provides 24-hour support per real person, not an automated response.

Best response time

Technical support usually includes remote access. This means taking control of a computer or an account without being physically there to solve the problem.

This allows a faster response time to diagnose and correct problems, saving labor, transportation and materials.

When help can be sent immediately, the overall response time is improved. Employees are not productive when they cannot work, and businesses are losing money with each passing minute.

This problem is avoided with external technical support from technical support.

Industry experts

Outsourcing technical support from external suppliers will help you solve your customers' problems as they hire a team of world class experts with the skills to succeed in a customer service environment.

It is always useful to look for a specialized technical assistance company serving your sector. Therefore, it guarantees that outsourcing is done to the best team of specialists possible.

Reduced costs

The internal operations of the support office require higher costs and maintenance, since all telephone systems and IT support equipment must be purchased, repaired and maintained by its team of experts.

In addition, its human resources department is now responsible for activities such as recruiting, hiring, training, and monitoring the performance of all people.

By removing these constraints from your human and IT resources, you are free to perform the most important services and save money.

Selecting the right outsourced technical support team

To know if you have selected the right equipment for your organization, here are some important factors to consider.

Passion to help people.

The team you select must work with satisfaction to serve its customers and their needs. They must keep in mind the best interests of their customers and will never hurt them.

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Should You Outsource Your Help Desk

 

Many IT managers dream of entrusting their in-house helpdesk to an outsourcing provider. Others fear that it is the worst that can happen. In the new era, bring your device (BYOD), it's a more significant decision.

In the boardroom and on the board, the notion of offloading a significant portion of IT operations to third parties creates fantasies of huge savings that will drive results. Many CIOs imagine that outsourcing technical support will allow them to redirect their IT teams and resources to higher-level tasks, more focused on necessary business skills. They even think about providing routine projects, like desktop updates, to the tech support provider, freeing up even more resources.

Other senior IT executives have a more troubling view of disappointing service, dissatisfied end users, IT disruption, and intangible costs that undermine the supposed efficiencies that help with office outsourcing can bring. Deeper into the IT organization, outsourcing technical support is often seen as a nightmare. The biggest fear is that senior management will start mass layoffs to get savings immediately, while minor concerns include the need to clean up the work of others.

Each of these dreams is grounded in reality. Since an organization decides to use third-party technical support and searches for one, then creates and maintains the relationship, everyone determines what type of dream comes true.

Evolution of help desk outsourcing

IT outsourcing is a huge category, and technical support is only a small but essential part. Other forms of IT outsourcing may include transferring entire data centers to third parties or perhaps limited to third parties that may cover corporate networks and applications. Technical support is often one of the first service companies to outsource and sometimes acts as a pilot for outsourced tracking services. It is also important to note the often blurred difference between outsourcing, which simply means that third parties provide a service and outsourcing, which says explicitly that the service is provided by a company abroad, presumably with significantly higher labor costs .

At the same time, the cloud is interfering with traditional definitions of outsourcing. Desktop as a service (DaaS) and other types of cloud-based virtual desktops represent new ways for non-traditional players to offer services that overlap with traditional technical support. Gartner Inc. recognized this in its latest Magic Quadrant report on the subject. Gartner's influential Magic Quadrants position providers along the x and y axes to show the strength and relative breadth of multiplayer.

In its 2013 report, Gartner consolidated the Magic Desk and Help Desk quadrants to reflect changes in support services. In the text of the quadrant report that Gartner now calls the "Magic Quadrant for End-User Outsourcing Services, North America," Gartner analyst David Ackerman and two colleagues highlighted the primary sources of development for the category.

"An evolving workforce model, more mobile and more virtual than ever will continue to challenge traditional work models and IT service delivery approaches," said Ackerman and co-authors William Maurer. And Bryan. Britz. “The net impact will be increased demand for call center features and continued growth in support for mobile devices. These factors will also drive the growth of cloud printing and storage services. We see that BYOD is accelerating. .. quickly in North America over the next three years. "

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HIGHLY SKILLED IT HELP DESK PROBLEM SOLVERS

Technical support HelpDesk Services and outsourced technical support teams are the human faces behind the scenes of your company's support system. CGS specialized support agents have advanced degrees and certifications. They receive extensive training to deal with technical problems and resolve problems quickly. They are professional, competent, and efficient. Our IT support agents solve the issues, not the script readers. Our agents have the perfect combination of technical and interpersonal skills.

We prepare our team to face the rapid evolution of technologies and business needs. We do this so that your employees receive consistent, reliable, personalized, and enjoyable technical support. We always strive to go beyond KPIs, such as response speed and first call resolution. We don't just solve problems quickly; we guarantee the quality reputation of your company.

Profile of CGS specialists:

Speak the languages ​​of more than 2.25 billion people.

Entrepreneurial culture

70% have a university degree or advanced certificate in the support area

Mix of technical and service skills.

SUPPORT OPTIONS FOR THE FLEXIBLE CALL CENTER

CGS understands that a solution does not work for everyone. We adapt our solutions to meet the basic needs of each business. We cover you on land or abroad, multilingual support services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a week, or after the overflow. We support employees anywhere, on any device. We can provide recommendations for ticketing tools, use our proprietary system, or work with your internal network.

We are investing in automation and artificial intelligence technologies to help our agents. This allows them to perform tasks faster and with greater precision. The AI ​​technology we use reduces repetitive tasks and automates routine employee queries. By improving productivity, CGS allows support representatives to spend more time on more complex tasks, those who require empathy and problem-solving.

Our technical support solutions include:

Remote control socket (RTO)

POS support

Hardware troubleshooting

Software support

Operational and logistical support

Mobile and BYOD support

Assistance in the field

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