Security Admin vs. Network Admin – Is a fox in your henhouse?
The Network Administrator’s Dilemma: Balancing Performance and Security
In today’s digital landscape, network administrators face an increasingly complex challenge: maintaining smooth operations while ensuring robust security. It’s a balancing act that becomes more demanding with each passing day.
The Daily Juggling Act
Picture this: You’re a network administrator trying to keep your digital ecosystem running smoothly. Your to-do list includes:
- Deploying critical security patches
- Managing firewall configurations
- Provisioning new servers
- Maintaining antivirus protection
- Handling user access and permissions
- Responding to urgent support tickets
- Setting up new employee accounts
And just when you think you’ve got it all under control, an account lockout or security alert demands your immediate attention. Meanwhile, threat actors are constantly probing your defenses with increasingly sophisticated attacks – from ransomware to social engineering schemes.
The Reality of Modern Network Management
For many organizations, especially small and medium-sized businesses, the challenge isn’t just technical – it’s about resources and time management. When faced with choosing between keeping systems running smoothly and implementing comprehensive security measures, immediate operational needs often take precedence.
Consider these common business technology scenarios:
- Postponing server patches to avoid user disruption
- Rushing through security audits to handle urgent tickets
- Delaying documentation updates in favor of immediate fixes
- Pushing back firewall reviews to handle day-to-day operations
The truth? In most companies, network administration inevitably trumps security administration. Why? Because users (and management) notice when systems don’t work, but security breaches aren’t apparent until it’s too late.
The Fundamental Conflict
Here’s the core issue: Network administration and security administration are inherently different disciplines with competing priorities:
- Network Admins focus on accessibility, performance, and user satisfaction
- Security Admins prioritize protection, compliance, and risk management
While larger enterprises can afford dedicated Chief Security Officers (CSOs) and specialized teams, smaller organizations often struggle to maintain this crucial separation of duties.
Take the Next Step
Ready to transform your IT operations and ensure both network performance and security receive the attention they deserve? EstesGroup can help you develop a comprehensive approach to network and security management:
- Responsibilities: Distinct teams handle network operations and security administration
- Coverage: Both aspects receive the attention they deserve
- Standards: Regular audits, documentation, and compliance checks
- Support: Round-the-clock monitoring and response
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The 10 Principles of ERP Selection Success & How to Apply Them: Don’t be Afraid to Innovate and Change!
The 10 Principles of ERP Selection Success
Focus Your Time and Money During ERP Selection
When it comes to selecting the right ERP system, there’s one principle we see overlooked more often than any other: focus. ERP selection isn’t a back-burner project. It’s a strategic initiative that will shape the future of your business. Whether you’re upgrading from legacy systems or implementing ERP for the first time, how you manage your selection process will determine how well your new system supports growth, efficiency, and innovation.
Focus your time.
Focus your money.
And most importantly—focus your attention on what really matters.
Why ERP Selection Deserves Your Full Focus
There’s an old saying in business: you can’t manage what you don’t measure. And you can’t measure what you haven’t prioritized.
ERP software touches every part of your organization—from sales and purchasing to shop floor operations and financial reporting. That’s why you need to treat ERP selection with the same level of discipline and investment you’d give to a new production line or major facility upgrade.
Yet too many teams try to fit ERP evaluation between daily tasks, letting months slip by with little traction. That delay doesn’t just cost time—it costs momentum, clarity, and confidence.
Build a Realistic Timeline
Most successful ERP selection projects take 3 to 6 months from kickoff to final decision. Stretching beyond that increases the risk of project fatigue, shifting priorities, and stakeholder disengagement.
Set clear milestones. Appoint a project owner. Treat ERP selection like the business-critical initiative it is—not a side task.
Form the Right ERP Review Team
ERP software doesn’t live in a silo—and your selection process shouldn’t either. Build a cross-functional team that brings voices from every part of the organization:
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Sales and Marketing
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Operations and Manufacturing
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Finance and Accounting
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Purchasing and Supply Chain
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Human Resources
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Executive Leadership
Each team member should expect to dedicate 4–6 hours per week, while your internal project lead should plan on 12–15 hours to manage progress, coordinate with vendors, and ensure alignment.
These aren’t optional meetings—they’re critical investments. The people who use your system every day should help choose it.
Budget for the Real Costs
ERP selection isn’t just a software expense—it’s a time and labor investment. Here’s a quick breakdown of what that might look like:
Internal Time Commitment
Let’s say you have 6 team members plus a project lead, each contributing 6 hours/week over 20 weeks. That’s over 800 hours of combined effort. Multiply that by the hourly cost of your leadership team, and you’ll start to see the real investment—before you even write a check to a software vendor.
External Consulting Support
Hiring an independent ERP advisor (like EstesGroup) can add structure, insight, and vendor neutrality to your process. A typical engagement might run 15 hours/week at $175/hour over 20 weeks—an investment of around $50,000–$60,000. But don’t make the mistake of thinking this replaces internal participation. The consultant brings clarity—the team brings context.
Travel & Workshops
Don’t forget discovery sessions, site visits, vendor demos, and potential travel costs. A good discovery meeting today can save hundreds of hours post-implementation.
The Cost of Distraction
We’ve seen companies spend over a year “researching” ERP systems without making a decision. By the time they’re ready, leadership has changed, priorities have shifted, and employees are disengaged. The result? Restart. Reset. Rework. With a slow-burn approach to ERP selection, success can feel impossible. Given all of the variables in ERP selection, success is often a fast play and a long play, full of risk and fury and, eventually, celebration.
That’s why we tell clients: Set the time. Commit the resources. Make the decision.
ERP is not a someday project—it’s your now strategy for operational excellence and future-proofing your business.
Let EstesGroup Help You Focus
At EstesGroup, we’ve spent more than 20 years helping companies like yours navigate ERP selection. We don’t just manage software—we guide business transformation. Our team brings deep experience in manufacturing and distribution, along with a proven ERP selection methodology that ensures time and money are spent wisely.
Let’s build a process that fits your goals, your people, and your future.
Let’s Get to Work
Need help budgeting for ERP selection success? Want to know what good looks like? Reach out—we’re here to help you simplify technology, improve operations, and gain efficiencies.