Technology is evolving at a rapid rate, becoming an essential and critical part of almost every modern business.
Traditionally, companies relied on their internal IT team to ensure their digital infrastructure was running smoothly. As technology advances and increases in complexity, this has become more of a challenge, regardless of whether your company has just started or is well established, how you manage your IT environment can define the success of your business.
Retaining the number of IT professionals with the experience and capacity to maintain the type of technology and security needed has become a challenge. Many organisations are now outsourcing their IT needs to a managed services provider (MSP) to maintain business performance and efficiency.
The reasons for choosing a MSP to partner with are varied but might include:
- Staying focused on your core business instead of being distracted by technology issues, emerging technology trends, cybersecurity concerns, and so on.
- Reducing overall costs of IT support and infrastructure.
- Proactive support ensures your business is prepared for growth.
- Minimising downtime and security risks.
- Wanting to get the best value out of your IT investments.
Choosing the right managed service provider will help increase your organisation’s capacity, security, opportunities for growth, and competitive edge. However, it’s important to be careful about choosing a MSP to be your technology partner, as not all will provide the best service for your business.
When it comes to deciding who you should hire, there are a few things you should consider.
Does the potential MSP have a good understanding of your business model and industry, and want to continue doing so? They should be able to identify the needs of your company in your industry, and have experience in providing a strategy, technology service, and infrastructure management for that specific niche. Every company is different, and the information technology setup must suit your needs, so it’s essential the MSP can find the best possible solutions, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Seek references from other clients of potential MSPs to get a sense of how experienced they are, the way they handle emergencies, their communication skills, etc. In addition, the MSP should be able to provide testimonials and/or references to get a sense of their work quality. If you're thinking about going with a certain provider, look for someone who has been around for some time and has an established reputation. You'll then know their network will be well maintained and that they care about preserving their good name, as their success depends on the success of their clients.
Seek an MSP who offers a proactive approach. They should go beyond just providing break fix services, and have the capability for remote monitoring and management, improvements, disaster backup and recovery, cloud services, and so on? You want your MSP to be able to think ahead to spot and prevent problems before they become big time headaches that can knock your business offline for hours at a time.
Find out how a MSP handles digital transformation and can help to improve the technology you have and scale up when your business grows, while improving efficiency and productivity.
Be certain to read over the terms and conditions of any service level agreement and ensure accountability has been included. You should also ask if they will be held accountable if they don't meet the level of network performance promised.
Does the MSP have experience managing remote, work from home, and hybrid work environments? Given the recent COVID-19 pandemic, it's critical to be supported by managed service companies with an in-depth understanding of the risks involved with remote work, as well as a history of providing satisfactory remote work arrangements
One of the biggest benefits of partnering with an MSP is that you have a predictable IT expenditure. Does the MSP charge a flat fee or hourly rate for their service offerings? Find out what plans are available so you’re only paying for what you need.
Ask any MSP you're considering if they outsource to other companies and under what circumstances. It’s important to know who you will be dealing with on a day-to-day basis and in an emergency, and if there is more than one person or team looking after your IT environment. Remote monitoring and servicing can be great for some problems, but not others. If you need support on-site for a fix or audit, make sure it's something they can offer.
With a trusted managed service provider keeping your technology operating smoothly and seamlessly behind the scenes, your organisation can continue to thrive and succeed. Contact Steadfast Solutions managed services today to find out how we can deliver peace of mind for your business.
