9/2/22
8 Pain Points an Experienced Managed IT Services Provider Will Solve
A successful managed IT services provider focuses on a goal of resolving technology problems and aiming at ZERO support tickets (meaning no issues for you or your team), as opposed to reactively fixing technology issues. Low levels of reactive tickets speak volumes to the fact that systems are properly maintained. Time is spent working instead of hours wasted on the frustrations of technology problems – your team members are up and running with working technology. Solving problems proactively achieves consistently working technology that results in fewer service tickets and provides best practices regarding cybersecurity risks.
1. Identify and assess complete technology environment
Know and understand your technology. A thorough investigation into all software and hardware will be compiled to identify the business IT environment. A reputable managed IT services provider will need to know everything about the current technology. It is additionally important to understand the purpose served, and the problems solved, with these technologies. Beyond this information gathering includes assessment, identification of what is working and what is not, and recognizing tools that do not integrate properly. A reliable managed IT services provider will provide a situational analysis, make recommendations moving forward and identify additional training, processes, hardware, or software that may offer better integration and functionality based on evolving industry best practices.
2. Solve technology problems at the root cause
A skilled managed IT services provider will resolve problems at the root of the issue. REBOOTING IS NOT THE ANSWER! If you can’t print, WHY can’t you print? A reboot might allow printing to happen immediately, however it doesn’t resolve the reason you can’t print, and it will most likely happen again and again (plus, it’s frustrating to have to restart all the time, in the middle of working, just so you can get through the day). A business that cannot print or get online has symptoms of greater problems that needs to be identified. A competent managed IT services provider, backed with years of experience, diverse skillsets, and a desire to permanently address issues, offers a wide range of industry knowledge (and a team of experts) to resolve any problem, while providing new and improved technologies along the way.
3. Keep team members focus on core competencies, not technology problems
When team members are involved in resolving IT issues, they are not getting their jobs done. Marketing is not creating ways to reach new potential clients, accounts payable is not printing checks, accounts receivables is not billing. They are dealing with technology issues and their work is not getting completed. Your team member can be technically savvy, but they are not trained in technology best practices (so “once it “works” it’s good enough” may not be the right solution to the problem), and the result can unknowingly cause additional problems leading to downtime and serious security risks. Working with a professional managed IT services provider will allow your team members to focus on core competencies, help mitigate risk, and increase productivity.
4. Safeguard data with stringent back up protocols
A dedicated managed IT services provider will ensure secure backups are occurring. Effective backups require a person physically paying attention, checking, and chasing down errors. When data must be recovered to keep your business running, the backup process can’t let you down. Data backups should happen in three locations, this is how a responsible managed IT services provider reassures clients that backup status is safe and secure. In addition, backups will be tested for recovery purposes.
5. Protect proprietary client information with best practices
Small businesses that deal with proprietary and sensitive client or protected data must safeguard it. In addition, the healthcare industry is required to be HIPAA compliant, a business that takes credit cards must be PCI compliant, and businesses operating in the Commonwealth of MA must comply with 201 CMR 17. This is the law. For the business community, those that do not conform could face debilitating downtime and expenses to clean it up (not to mention the potential for hefty fines and legal ramifications), hence why these protocols are so important to implement. An educated managed IT services provider will understand the laws and guidelines around sensitive information. They will define a process of data sharing that protects this information at all touches.
6. Train Team Members in best practices concerning cybersecurity issues
Cybersecurity risks are everywhere! There is risk in sending emails, downloading documents, clicking on links, visiting the wrong site and the list can go on and on. Reduce client cybersecurity risk by staying ahead of it with training. Both clients and their team members are trained in best practices to avoid issues. With education and awareness, risk is dramatically reduced, as many “easy” scams are detected by your team.
7. Support future business growth with technology
Business plans are part of technology conversations. How many team members will you add? Will a business require a new server to hold more information? Will you be adding another location? Will you add online sales to current retail? There are so many changes that occur as businesses grow. Strategic conversations identify where and how businesses anticipate growth. Technology drives business, theses strategic conversations align business growth with technology requirements, to ensures it is regulated and controlled. In addition, plan, anticipate, and most importantly, maintain accurate growth expenses.
8. Ensure technology is Safe, Reliable and Secure
There is RISK in not doing things the right way. Just because something works, does not always mean it is safe, reliable, or secure. For example: A well configured firewall will protect computers against spam email, malicious links, viruses, pop ups, worms and ultimately hackers. But if not configured correctly, your business may not receive any protection from a firewall. We see too many times that the blocks are not activated for ease of use, hence, there is no protection. Too many times businesses do not weigh these risks and find they created problems that are more costly than they ever needed to be. A knowledgeable managed IT services provider will continually ensure technology is safe, reliable, and secure.
An experienced managed IT services provider will identify and solve client pain points. They reduce technology stress, deliver PEACE OF MIND & BETTER RESULTS!
GET SOCIAL: 
Technology is an investment when it consistently operates and can be depended upon, because technology drives business. Your business is more productive and can be more profitable. When clients are new with us, they can’t comprehend technology consistently working. Our current clients will ONLY accept technology that is ALWAYS working. We love this change in perception of what is acceptable.
Agreements are month to month; RESULTS are why clients stay year after year.
Call us with questions, we are always available to talk about technology and give advice. 508.375.6444
4 Preventable actions to ensure technology is safe