Home office IT systems | Home Office Base

When setting up your home office, you will undeniably need different kinds of IT equipment. Of course, what you will need can vary greatly depending on your personal and business needs.

And much like the IT equipment, you will also need to establish specific IT systems. These, too, will vary according to your specific circumstances.

What are the IT systems needed for your Home Office? The IT system is anything that is used to create, gather, store, deliver, or transfer information and data. A home office needs these IT systems as they are vital in optimizing the work process and achieving the goals of your home office business.

The IT systems are vital to any small or large business. Having a good idea of the IT systems you may potentially need to have is a thing that can help you start off on the right foot. Below I will go into greater detail as to what are the different IT systems and everything you need to know about them.

What Is Considered an IT System?

To find out what IT systems you may need, let us first start with defining what an IT system actually is.

And let’s be honest, stumbling upon the term IT system for the first time may be very confusing.

An IT system (or Information Technology System) is the information and communication systems you will be using in your home office, business, and more. This includes the computer systems and all the software and hardware and peripheral equipment you will need while working.

And if we dig a little deeper into the IT aspect, we will find out that the classical definition of information technology (IT) consists of three main things:

Information processing techniques;
The use of statistical and mathematical methods in decision making; and
Simulation of advanced thinking using computer software.

So, not only your computer will be considered an IT system.

Arguably everything that is going to add or is necessary for the carrying out of your daily work activities in your home office can be considered an IT system.

In other words, an IT system can be considered anything that is used for storing, transferring, moving, collecting, manipulating, and analyzing data and information.

The Elements of a Home Office IT System

Hardware

No matter what you do, the hardware is probably going to be the biggest and most important part of your home office. Not probably. But a certain fact. And hardware is going to be responsible for the computer system. Hardware is the physical parts of the computer equipment. This includes a large list of different things like:

The monitor;
The computer itself – Or the case and all the different parts of a computer like the CPU, GPU, hard drives, power unit, motherboard and more;
Speakers and microphone;
Keyboard and mouse;
Printers;
Scanners and scanning devices;
Magnet readers;
Card readers;

Of course, this can also be a laptop which can incorporate multiple hardware parts into one neat package

Software, Services, and Tools

What good is having a high-end computer or hardware in place if you don’t have the necessary software and tools that will help you actually use it? You cannot make do with just one or the other. You need both hardware and software, which are specifically designed to meet your needs. The software and tools will be responsible for implementing the different managerial and operating systems. Below I list the most commonly used systems that you may need in your home office.

Operating Systems

In order to begin, we need an operating system (OS). This is considered the most basic and low-level software and programs that are necessary for your computer to run and work. There are three main operating systems that people generally use today.

MS Windows;
iOS or macOS; and
Linux.

Windows is the most widely used OS in the world, only surpassed by Android, which is the OS on most mobile devices. There is a great and very heated, I want to say, debate between which one is better Windows or iOS. Each operating system has its distinct advantages and disadvantages, and which one will be best for you is hard to say without proper inspection and assessment of your specific needs. But with its great number of users, Windows is usually going to be the better and safer choice. It has more versatility and ease of use, and if you ever happen to have a problem, the chances are you are almost sure to find a solution online.

Content Creating Systems

This will be very specific to your occupation and type of work you are performing from your home office.

Arguably, even without any context, it may be justified to venture and say that the chances are you will be involved in some kind of content creation. This includes anything like:

Audio and video editing, rendering, and recording;
Copywriting, researching, ghostwriting;
Coding;
Website creation;
Data analyzing and data capturing;
Image and photo editing and creation. And so much more.

And you will need specific content creation systems and software.

What will work best for you will be highly individual and specific to your personal needs and type of work.

This is one of the most vital parts of your workflow. So make sure to do in-depth research into what works best and what are the most widely used tools in your particular niche.

I cannot stress this enough, but going with the wrong tool or software may not just severely handicap your work but reduce both the quantity and quality of your work.

Management Information Systems

The purpose of the management information system (MIS) business-wise is to help in several different categories like:

Decision making;
Planning;
Control;
Analysis;
Coordination; and
Visualization.

There are different types of MIS, and one of the essential steps in setting up your home office is to decide the right technical implementation of the system you will need.

MIS can include but are not limited to: cloud computing, client and server-based networks, and more. But MIS is not just hardware and software.MIS includes a lot more. It includes not just the technology used, but also the people and the business processes used to store and record the data, which then can be used to develop and grow the business.

Managerial and Planning Systems

One of the things that many may overlook when working from their home office is setting up a proper managerial and planning system.

This can be done with different kinds of services and software, which can help you better focus and direct your actions toward achieving your goals.

Marketing and Social Media Management Systems

If you are running any kind of business or freelance service from home, you may end up needing a way to promote yourself on social media or somewhere else.

There are a lot of tools, both premium and free, that may be able to help you in doing so, or ultimately, you can end up hiring a person to do that for you.

Work Logger and Timekeeping Systems

Another aspect that may be overlooked is keeping track of your work time.

I have been working from my home office for quite some time now, and I can say that something as small as this can prove to be super helpful.

You can use different methods, like keeping a notepad where you write and note everything down or use third-party software.

This will allow you to get a better feel for how productive you are and how much time you are spending working, and how much is your time worth.

Financial Management Systems

One of the first things you learn in Finance class is that if you want to run a business, you need to have a proper way of keeping track of the costs and profits.

But, to do that, you need proper processes and systems set in place.

We have things a lot easier today. Back in the old days, accountants had to calculate everything manually. But today, luckily for us, we have the advantage of the technology behind our backs. Today you can check your production costs, profit margins, trends, and so much more just with a simple click of a mouse.

A good financial management system is going to help your business grow. And even if you are a freelancer, it can still provide you with numerous benefits.

Auditing Systems

There can be different auditing systems implemented that can improve the effectiveness and performance of other systems and processes.

The purpose of audits is to inspect, assess, and confirm that the different elements of a system are suitable and going to support your objectives and goals appropriately. In other words, auditing software can give you the necessary feedback, which will allow you to make the needed changes in the workflow of the different processes.

Network Architecture and Servers

The extent of the network architecture you will need will depend on how heavy your business relies on the internet.

Depending on your field of work, you can do fine with just basic Wi-Fi internet access.

Others may need specific data servers or disk farms. If you are using multiple computers, you may need to establish both local and internet connection across the computers.

Regardless, when we are talking about the internet, we need to understand that this is the most vulnerable part of our IT equipment. Computers can get infected with viruses, malware, spyware, and so much more nowadays.

Establishing a proper protection and security system goes hand in hand with the network system.

Communication and Customer Service Systems

Email System

More and more people and businesses turn away from the old and regular phone support and start using email and chats to communicate with their customers and departments.

An email system consists of all the email accounts and email providers you will be using.

Choosing the right email system can add a lot of breathing room in a sense. It can make communication a lot easier. One of the best advantages is that every email and all the communication between the respective parties are going to be kept in the history, it will be easier to track, and it will be time-stamped.

Some advanced features allow for sending one email to multiple people with or without them being able to see the rest of the people in the group.

Some email providers allow you to add sophisticated filters, which will enable you to organize your emails a lot easier. It can even save you a lot of valuable time.

Even experts like Tim Ferris in the “The 4-Hour Workweek” talks about how useful to your home business an adequately set up email system can be.

Phone System

A phone system is exactly what it sounds like. It is a system or a network of multiple telephones which are interconnected with each other.

This gives the possibility for things like conference calling, call transferring, call handling, private or shared voice message boxes, and so much more.

All of these, deepening on your activity and individual needs may or may not be necessary.

A properly set and working phone system is important because it can ultimately save you on time and filter the inbound inquiries. And we all know that time is the most precious commodity. A lot of experts in the field talk about how a small touch or changes to your working processes can really improve your time-management and financial returns.

A phone system doesn’t need to be a real physical smartphone. Nowadays, we can use different software, programs, and apps to call people without having access to a phone.

Chat System

Another way to establish a better organization between you and the different departments or customers is by having a chat system in place. This can be handled by third-party software. This is a great and quick way to improve your business organization and performance. However, chats can be time-consuming, so care is advised.

Smart Home and Security Systems

Of course, we are talking about building a home office. It goes without saying that you may need some kind of smart home systems and solutions.

The good thing about these is that there is a huge variety, and these smart home devices are very versatile.

A smart home system can aid you in many different ways; setting up alarms, reminders, and meetings, finding important information online, managing security, calculating and analyzing data, and so much more.

Setting up a security system is also vital.

And I am not talking just about computer viruses and such. I am referring to cameras, motion sensors, and more. Frequently the smart home systems and the security systems can be tight together.

A home security system usually includes:

Security cameras;
Audible alarm;
Motion sensors;
Window and door sensors;

Frequently a home security system is controlled and operated by a control panel, or it can be operated remotely.

Backup Systems

Last but not least in our list are the backup systems. This can include a lot of things like:

Power supply backup systems;
Data backup systems;
Cloud storage;
Website backups (if you have a website). And more.

Having a proper backup system in place can be a life savior. Hard disk failures are known to happen, and a simple thing like this can wipe out all your clients’ data, which can frequently add up to hundreds if not thousands of dollars lost.

Usually, website backups and other backup services are a paid service. But I really cannot place a price on having the peace of mind in knowing all your information is secure.

What Are the IT Systems Needed for Your Home Office?