To remain competitive, businesses rely on technology to operate efficiently. However, this increased reliance on IT structure should not necessarily result in an increase in the amount of IT staff; businesses can often do more with less. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) offer an affordable way for business to obtain advanced support and conserve their resources. Listed below are seven reasons why your business should consider using an MSP.
Stay Focused on Your Core Business
IT resources are scarce, and managers have limited resources, time, and attention. By outsourcing, managers can stay focused on their core mission and avoid distractions from complex IT decisions.
Reduce Risk
When your application, server or network goes down unexpectedly, your revenue and productivity can be drastically affected. Outsourcing minimises your risk because MSPs have industry-specific knowledge about security and compliance issues.
Increase Efficiency and Competitiveness
When organizations attempt to perform all IT Services in house, they typically incur increased research, development and implementation time. These all lead to increased costs, which are ultimately passed on to the consumer.
Expertise
Most small businesses can’t match the in-house support services large companies maintain. Outsourcing provides smaller companies with access to the similar technology and expertise that large companies enjoy. Leading MSPs use the best technologies and equipment available on the market. An MSP provides you with access to staff with advanced, technical skills. Training comes at a premium, so save the expense of training your staff for skills they will rarely use.
Reduce Labour Costs
Perhaps the most costly budget within your company is the IT Department. Hiring and training IT staff is expensive, and temporary employees don’t always meet your expectations. Outsourcing allows you to focus your human resources on where they are needed the most.
Control IT Costs
Outsourcing converts variable costs into fixed IT costs and allows you to budget effectively. Managers have complete authority on which services they’d like the MSP to handle. In other words, you only pay for what you use when you need it. If your business grows quickly, you can rapidly adjust your IT requirements but you will always be able to scale back if necessary.
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
What kind of services a company chooses to outsource depends on what kind of risks outsourcing poses on their company. It is important that a company understands their balance between their IT needs and cutting costs, and be certain that the benefits outweigh the risks. An IT Outsourcing firm needs to match your needs, understand your current technology and have the necessary technical certifications. Don’t make the mistake of working with companies that are too small or too new, it’s not always the cheapest solution.
So you have done the research, and you know that using managed IT services is the right decision for your organization. As you begin exploring different providers, how can you be sure you have chosen the best MSP?
Unlike other professional services industries (accounting, legal, financial advising) IT is a relatively young industry; it has been around for only about 30 years. There are no barriers to entry into IT, since the industry contains both those who are only qualified to answer questions about basic Microsoft software and those who have engineering and business degrees and can advise companies about achieving competitive business advantages through technology. The qualifications and levels of professionalism range widely and there are no benchmarks from which the outside population can make discriminating assessments. Talk to long-time clients of the organisation you are considering and take note of the leadership and technical teams’ credentials and qualifications.
Dial a Nerd offers IT Support for Businesses, homes and schools.
