We have a confession to make.
Even though CompuData is an IT services company, we must admit that, finding the right IT Management Company can be a daunting task – even under the best conditions.
Of course we can also shamelessly say that when you sign up with an experienced IT company like CompuData, it makes things a lot easier. The truth is however, no matter how experienced your IT company is, having the know-how when it comes to selecting the right IT service provider can go a long way to prevent IT headaches in the future. It’s all about finding the right fit.
A transition to Managed IT services is a powerful way for small and mid-sized enterprises to reap competitive advantages against entrenched rivals. Even with an in-house IT staff, most small to midsize businesses find themselves strapped for time or without the necessary resources needed to manage all aspects of IT maintenance, disaster recovery and business continuity. The decision to outsource in these situations, give businesses access to a dedicated team of IT specialists with versatile skill sets. Making the said business better equipped to handle the fast changing business landscape while leveling the playing field even with bigger competitors.
If a company is not used to outsourcing IT services, however, there can be a lot of confusion around managed IT services. Early on in the relationship, it’s important to establish strong communication and clear expectations. Companies stand to save millions by focusing on their strengths when IT issues are left in the hands of capable contractors.
Let’s look at the most important things to remember when you outsource IT:
1. Put Expectations in Writing
Before making any commitment to outsourced IT services, it’s important to have all your major performance expectations in writing. It is exceptionally easy to monitor, record and report network availability, speed and other factors impacting your performance, so there is no excuse for your partner not to do so. Set a high bar to help ensure your enterprise is nimble and able to respond to opportunities.
Executives who don’t specialize in technology might not know everything they wish to know about negotiating IT performance. In most cases, 99.999 percent network availability is the gold standard. In addition, there should be clear expectations for how long it will take to restore services in the event of a crisis and how much data, in terms of operational hours, may be lost. For instance with the CompuData backup and disaster recovery service we have a one hour RPO (Recovery Point Objective) which means we backup your data every hour and can recover it up to the last hourly backup. Additionally we also have a four-hour RTO (Recovery Time Objective), which also denotes that we should have your business up and running within four hours if your system goes down. Understanding these guarantees and terminologies around managed IT services can help you to fully understand what you are getting from your outsourced IT company.
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2. Ensure That Your IT Company Can Meet Future Needs
When looking to outsource Managed IT services for the first time, many executives focus on cloud implementation. Cloud networks can ensure team members have access to critical data from anywhere in the world. They can even help enterprises tap global labor markets. However, cloud services are not the end of IT outsourcing. A full IT service comprises backup, disaster recovery, monitoring, reporting and health checks to ensure that your systems are up-and-running 24/7.
Consider how your IT strategy will incorporate other factors, such as the growing demand for better security, before jumping in. Although an outsourcing vendor might specialize in one area, it must be able to offer you a broad portfolio of services if it is to keep up with your evolving needs. Don’t risk missing the forest for the trees!
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3. Align Enterprise to Take Advantage of Partnership
When you integrate an outsourced IT vendor into your practices, it’s important that team members understand the changes from day one. Technical and non-technical personnel need to know how to report issues, escalate them and get help. Ambiguity about how your teams should work with outsourcing vendors wastes time and money.
Most importantly, be sure your employees know they cannot abdicate responsibility for using IT assets correctly. Even with the best outsourced help, each stakeholder has a vital role to play in ensuring data security. Team members who abide by technology best practices avoid exposure to malware and common scams.
Launch Managed IT Services Effectively
Every good managed IT services partnership should begin with an onboarding period. Services and performance milestones should be agreed upon. Likewise, provisions to monitor and modify the outsourcing agreement should be spelled out. Implementation and integration of new IT tools should wait until all parties have a clear, convergent vision.
Before taking the plunge with a service level agreement, it’s a good idea to work with the third-party IT Company to assess and document your current technology structure. Not only does this help your partner deliver better performance; it gives you a blueprint in case you decide to move IT functions in-house or switch outsourcing partners.
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During the first weeks of IT outsourcing, it’s a good idea for front-line managers and directors to be alert to problems and have a process for documenting them. “Glitches” should be worked out of the system with the onboarding stage. Outsourcing partners should be expected to report on problems and progress by the end of that period.
IT outsourcing can dramatically reduce capital expenditures and improve security. Get your Managed IT services off to a strong start. That’s the key to quickly reaping benefits in a cost-effective way.