Running a successful company can quickly take a turn for the worse without the right measures in place to maintain efficiency. This is especially true regarding the way you handle your company’s IT obligations. Issues like these are why approximately 20% of small businesses fail within a year.
Outsourcing to a fully managed IT services provider can streamline this obligation, but not everyone understands how to find the best choice for their needs. We’ve written a brief guide that has the key information you should keep in mind when searching for fully managed IT services. Let’s explore what you need to know.
Skill and Experience
Without the right level of experience, the company you hire might not be able to meet your needs. There’s also a chance they won’t understand the nuances of your projects.
Inexperienced firms don’t have the tools or resources to overcome the obstacles they face. It’s best to find a company that’s been around for at least a decade. This establishes the best chance of things going your way.
Proactive Approach
The best way for fully managed IT services to solve problems is by being proactive. One of the most prominent methods they use is actively monitoring for security concerns. This allows them to identify problems and eliminate them before they evolve.
In many cases, they’ll recognize and resolve the threat without you being aware an issue existed. This productivity should apply to every avenue of their service.
Scalability
As your company grows, its need for resources will increase exponentially. Fully managed IT services should be highly scalable and have no issue accommodating increased demand. Without this attribute, you risk dealing with a handful of consequences.
One of the most notable is increased downtime, which can lead to dissatisfied customers. The last thing you want is to damage your company’s reputation, as this can be difficult to recover from in most circumstances.
Visibility and Accessibility
Being left in the dark can be frustrating. You can avoid major problems by choosing a firm that emphasizes transparency. They shouldn’t have an issue providing a look at how their operations work.
The company must also offer access to key data upon request. Not only does this give you a better idea of what they can do for your company, it helps you justify the cost.
For example, let’s assume that the firm you hire advertises they can provide the results you need. However, they don’t divulge any information about how to do so.
There’s a chance they could use underhanded tactics, outsource their work, etc. This can provide a different experience than the one you anticipated.
Alignment with Your Business Model
Find a service provider who specializes in working with companies like you. These businesses are likely to align with your business model.
For example, imagine your company emphasizes quality over everything else. You’re willing to take a hit on your productivity if it means providing better quality. Now, consider what it would be like hiring a firm that emphasizes speed over quality.
This disparity would make it impractical to work with this company. The good news is it’s easy to weed out unsuitable options. Businesses proudly advertise their business model, allowing you to quickly see if they’re the right fit.
Cloud Services
Having access to cloud services makes working with a fully managed IT services provider more convenient. It’s also great for handling your company’s remote team.
You’ll need to find somebody with strong technical knowledge of this functionality to get the most out of cloud services. The company should help you integrate and leverage cloud services without issue. You can gauge how well they can do so by asking questions about getting started.
If they don’t have a comprehensive plan in place, this is a red flag you can’t ignore. The last thing you want is to spend money on a firm that can’t help you use the technology it provides.
Cybersecurity Protection
This attribute is nonnegotiable, as hackers are always looking for new ways to compromise company data. Even a single data breach could be impossible to recover from. The average data breach costs businesses approximately $4.4 million.
This doesn’t include the damage that could occur to your company’s reputation. Working with a fully managed IT services provider who doesn’t have the right security measures in place will do more harm than good. They should also have a plan to handle developing threats.
The cybercrime industry is estimated to cost the world approximately $10 trillion by the end of 2025. Much of this value will come from the information hackers steal from businesses.
Team Size
Does the fully managed IT services provider have a large enough team to handle your needs? Regardless of your company’s size, you could have IT obligations that eclipse what your provider can handle. A common scenario is when a fully managed IT service provider doesn’t have enough trained professionals to accommodate your project.
Situations like these are imperative to avoid, as they can detract from your efficiency. Find a company with a team that’s easy to communicate with and has the resources required for your project.
Compliance and Regulation
Under no circumstances should you hire a firm that doesn’t emphasize compliance. Compliance problems could quickly cause issues for your business, such as expensive fines and fees.
They could also make your audience less likely to trust your brand. Working with the right company will help ensure you adhere to the proper standards.
The regulations you adhere to will depend on your industry. For instance, businesses in the healthcare space must follow the terms set by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Commitment to Innovation
As time passes, the tools and techniques managed service providers use will continue to develop. Innovations like these allow them to offer higher-quality service and more efficient results. If the company you work with doesn’t prioritize learning these, they could fall short of your goals.
You should also consider that your competitors might choose a fully managed IT services provider who takes advantage of growing developments. Within months, you could find yourself at a disadvantage in the market.
Ask them how they plan to leverage industry innovations. They should have a strategy for learning new information and integrating it into their practices. If the answer is ambiguous or they deflect the question, look for other options.
Financial Stability
Financially stable companies will be inconsistent in terms of performance. This can be highly frustrating and affect many nuances of your business. For instance, imagine hiring a firm that has trouble staying afloat financially.
One month, they can’t provide the level of service you need. You can’t accommodate your customers’ needs, causing them to become dissatisfied.
They then choose a competitor who can. Look for firms that have shown consistent growth over the past couple of years.
They should also have contingency plans in place to accommodate unexpected situations. The more “put together” the fully managed IT services provider is, the more likely its finances are well-regulated.
References and Testimonials
Some customers make the mistake of overlooking references and testimonials from the fully managed IT services provider. These can offer valuable insight into what you can expect.
Reputable fully managed IT services providers should have no shortage of clients ready to vouch for them. They’ll also showcase this information on their website. If you choose to contact the client reference, keep the conversation brief and explain why you’re calling at the beginning.
Speaking to references and reviewing testimonials is more informative than reading reviews, but reviews can still be useful. Ensure that you keep an eye out for fake reviews during your search, though.
These are often posted in batches and contain similar keywords. Fake reviews can be positive or negative, and you should disregard them when making your decision.
If the company doesn’t have references or testimonials, avoid working with them. This doesn’t guarantee that you get poor results, but they’ll be less likely to meet your needs. With enough due diligence, you’ll find the best choice for your situation.
Service-Level Agreements (SLA)
A service-level agreement guarantees the service they provide will research thresholds. A common clause in an SLA is having a certain amount of uptime.
If the fully managed IT services provider falls short of this obligation, certain terms come into effect. Clients might be able to get out of their contract early, or they can receive a discount on future services.
Regardless of what the terms are, ensure they’re in your favor before signing anything. It’s often worth hiring a lawyer for an hour or two to review everything for you. This could potentially save you a large amount of money.
Choose Fully Managed IT Services Carefully
The fully managed IT services you choose play a large role in how well you accommodate your IT needs. The tips in this guide will allow you to make the best choice for your organization. From here, you’ll have no trouble reaching your goals with your fully managed IT services provider.
Vertical IT Solutions is fully devoted to providing outstanding fully managed IT services and support through our privately owned cloud infrastructure. We provide customized plans and 24/7 service to ensure you’re never left in the dark when problems arise. You can learn more about how we can help you grow your company when you book a consultation today.