Include IT When Scheduling Vendor Support or Making Infrastructure Changes

When scheduling vendor support for technology-related issues, whether it's a printer, white noise generator, conference room equipment, or vended software like Yardi, it's essential to consider whether local IT involvement might be needed. The same idea would apply for making changes to our infrastructure or technological setups and configurations.

It's nearly impossible to forecast all the different kinds of support we might need, so we encourage inclusive foresight. Without it, support can be delayed or inadvertently overlooked resulting in avoidable frustration.

Why This Matters:

Vendors and more involved tasks sometimes must rely on local IT for access, configuration, or troubleshooting (especially if software troubleshooting requires administrator elevation). If IT isn't looped in ahead of time, vendors may arrive only to discover they can't proceed without IT support. Perhaps a large change is needed in a conference room 30 minutes before the meeting begins, and IT has scheduled obligations and cannot reasonably meet this immediate demand.

This leads to delays, rescheduling, lost productivity, and the possibility of more charges if support are billed occurrences. All of which could have been avoided by using an inclusive approach.

Common Examples:

• A technician from PrinterCo arrives to fix a printer but needs network access and local IT is off-site, or perhaps on-site but working a time-sensitive task.
• A vendor installs a white noise generator but needs help integrating it with building systems.
• A software vendor needs admin rights or network access to troubleshoot Yardi, but IT wasn’t notified.
• Our team decides to convert a room from one kind of room to another kind of room.
• A printer needs to be moved to a spot and there's no network connectivity there yet.

What You Should Do:

If you're scheduling vendor support and there's even a slight chance IT might be needed:

• Open an IT ticket in advance.
• Include details about the vendor, the issue, and the scheduled time.
• Coordinate availability so IT can be present or prepared.
• This ensures smoother service, avoids wasted vendor visits, and keeps everyone aligned.

Need Help Deciding?

If you're unsure whether IT should be involved, err on the side of caution. Open a ticket or reach out. We’re happy to advise.