IT Support vs IT Projects, What’s the Difference!?

I am often asked by clients what the difference is between general IT Support and IT Projects. As such, I decided to write a short blog post to explain the difference! IT Support refers to the services provided by IT professionals to help end-users resolve technical issues or problems with their computer systems, software, or hardware. IT Support involves responding to user requests for assistance, troubleshooting technical problems, and providing solutions to ensure the smooth running of technology systems. This includes tasks such as setting up new hardware or software, providing maintenance and support for existing systems, and resolving issues related to connectivity, security, and software functionality.

EXAMPLE: Let’s say an employee at a company is having trouble printing a document from their computer. They contact the IT support team for assistance.

The IT support professional would start by diagnosing the issue, asking the employee questions about what they were trying to print, and what error messages or symptoms they were experiencing.

Based on the information gathered, the IT support professional might then perform some basic troubleshooting steps, such as checking the printer connection, ensuring the printer driver is installed and up-to-date, and checking the printer queue to make sure the document isn’t stuck in the queue.

If these steps don’t resolve the issue, the IT support professional might escalate the issue to a more experienced technician or contact the printer vendor for further assistance.

Throughout the process, the IT support professional would communicate with the employee to keep them informed of the progress, provide guidance on any necessary steps or procedures, and ultimately resolve the issue.

Overall, this is an example of general IT support

On the other hand, IT Projects involve the planning, implementation, and management of new technology solutions or upgrades to existing systems. IT Projects aim to improve or enhance technology systems by introducing new hardware or software, upgrading infrastructure, or implementing new processes and workflows. IT Projects are often larger-scale and more complex than IT Support tasks, involving a team of IT professionals who work together to design, implement, and manage the project from start to finish. IT Projects often require careful planning, project management, and communication to ensure that the project is completed on time, within budget, and meets the needs of the organization.

EXAMPLE: Let’s say a company wants to migrate its email and collaboration systems to a cloud-based platform like Microsoft Office 365. This would involve a significant IT project that would require planning, coordination, and execution to ensure a successful migration.

The project team would need to first assess the current email and collaboration systems to determine which data needs to be migrated, which users need access to which systems, and what training or communication needs to be provided to ensure a smooth transition.

Once the project plan is developed, the team would need to implement the migration, which could involve configuring the cloud-based platform, migrating data and user accounts, testing the new systems, and providing training and support to users.

Throughout the project, the team would need to monitor progress, identify and address any issues or risks, and communicate updates to stakeholders.

Once the migration is complete, the team would need to ensure that the new systems are functioning correctly and provide ongoing support and maintenance to ensure the smooth operation of the email and collaboration systems.

This is an example of a complex IT project that requires a team of IT professionals to manage the process from start to finish.

In summary, IT Support focuses on providing immediate technical assistance and maintenance to end-users, while IT Projects involve the planning and implementation of new technology solutions or upgrades to existing systems. Have a new IT Support or Project request? Give us a call, we’re here to help!