To make the most of your business technology, you’ll need to have a managed IT support program in place that keeps your computers, servers, and network up and running at all times. Establishing this program will save you time and money by preventing data loss, downtime, and other technical issues that can cost your business thousands of dollars each year.
Here are 10 ways to establish a managed IT support program for your business.
1) Understand your business’ data needs
Before you begin designing your managed services strategy, understand your business needs. To do so, you should gather data about how often and what type of service calls are made to your business.
You should also consider how long it takes your current IT support provider(s) to respond in an emergency and how quickly network downtime can negatively impact your operations.
This information will help you determine whether managed services are right for you and if they are, which type of service will work best.
2) Focus on User Experience
If you’re thinking about switching to an outsourced managed IT support company, it’s important to make sure that they provide a top-notch experience with every interaction.
Onboarding is especially important; how will your employees know that their calls are being handled professionally? If you choose an outsourced managed IT support provider, start by choosing one with clearly-defined processes and excellent customer service.
3) Choose an IT support provider with experience in your industry
If you’re looking for managed IT support, choose an organization that knows your industry and has experience in supporting similar companies.
An IT services provider who understands your company’s technology needs is better equipped to design systems that meet those needs—and be proactive about possible issues with existing systems.
You don’t want your sensitive business data flowing through someone else’s system without oversight.
4) Know your business’ Technology Stack
Before you can establish a managed IT support program, you need to know your business’ technology stack.
- Is it Microsoft-centric or Linux-centric?
- Are there some company applications that are vital and must never be down?
- Do all employees use mobile devices?
- What software licenses are in place?
All of these factors affect how—and what kind of—support your business will need.
5) Be proactive about security threats
Just as you keep your house or car in good working order, you also need to ensure that your company’s technology is functioning properly. Regularly updated antivirus software, firewalls and hardware-backed up by an online storage solution can help keep it protected from outside threats.
Regardless of whether you store personal data on your computers or mobile devices, be sure to protect them with antivirus software.
6) Select technology That Fits
What kind of business are you doing? A large one? Small one? Do you run your own data center or outsource your hosting needs to another company? When choosing managed IT support, make sure you select services that will fit into your existing infrastructure.
For example, it doesn’t make sense for a small business owner with a single website and email address on an outsourced server to hire employees who manage servers in-house.
7) Keep technology simple and convenient for employees
Many businesses are realizing that it’s too expensive and difficult to manage their own in-house IT department. You must provide health insurance to employees if your business has more than five employees.
This leaves you with three choices:
- Go without benefits
- Pay out of pocket for benefits or
- Hire an outside company (that won’t be covered by your health insurance plan) to administer those benefits.
The same is true for other administrative tasks like payroll, accounting and marketing. If you can afford it, outsourcing these services can save your business time and money. A managed IT support program will allow you to focus on what matters most – running your business!
8) Educate yourself on the latest trends in IT services
First things first—before you begin evaluating managed services providers (MSPs), make sure you’re fully up-to-date on emerging technologies, as well as industry trends and best practices.
Make it your goal to read at least one white paper, attend at least one webinar or seminar, and seek out at least one resource every month—this will keep you in line with current developments in your area of interest and help you spot new opportunities.
9) Don’t sacrifice quality for cost savings
If you manage an IT department, you’ve likely been asked to find ways to save money. In order to do so, it might be tempting to put less thought into outsourcing your information technology services. However, in order for your program to succeed, it is important that you don’t sacrifice quality in favour of saving money.
10) Leverage partnerships
It’s time to get your IT needs into reliable hands. Make sure local vendors who provide managed services and security can provide you with everything you need.
Compare notes with other small businesses in your industry or community that have implemented managed services.
Partnering with vendors could mean guaranteed services at a lower cost while opening up channels of communication so you can make sure that everyone has what they need when they need it.
