While you can allow your MSP to take care of all your IT needs, consider it a partnership to get the most out of the relationship.
Moving from an unpredictable and inefficient break-fix model to a more effective managed IT services model does not mean that you are giving up on your IT staff nor your responsibility to all things technological.
Your MSP should be able to handle email hosting, CRM applications, backup and recovery, network monitoring, and more, and so it might be tempting to turn your back at that point and move on. We advise you to work with your MSP, however, to achieve your full potential.
Here are things to consider when moving to a managed IT services model.
Don’t Focus Solely on Cost
With the idea of a partnership in mind, you will be less motivated by finding the cheapest MSP, and more motivated to find the service that is right for your business. The following tips in this post will help you decide which MSP is right for you.
If you decide to work with the cheapest MSP without considering its experience, expertise, or focus, you might find that is less reliable than a more robust, more expensive firm. Since IT is the backbone of most modern businesses, you can’t afford to take shortcuts here.
Also keep in mind that a pro-active MSP will save you money by preventing problems, whereas the break-fix model leaves you reacting to issues when it’s already too late.
Look for a Customized Solution
If you talk to an MSP that is very focused on the technology from the first moment, it sounds like it might be trying to sell you an off-the-shelf solution.
While these can have some benefits, they can have gaps, and they might not integrate with the way you do things. Most importantly, a cookie-cutter solution is not necessarily designed with your business’s needs in mind.
A good MSP will want to learn your firm’s objectives, understand its market, and observe how it does business. Any IT solutions should come from a business-first perspective.
Help Your MSP be a Business Partner
To serve your business better, your MSP will need a good understanding of how your business operates. Be prepared to consult with your MSP and be open about how things work.
If you and your staff can be completely open about your business practices and goals, an MSP can provide a custom solution that suits your team.
Our goal is not to supply off-the-shelf IT solutions, but to use IT to help you achieve your goals faster, more reliably, and more efficiently. You can count on Tor Technologies, because our success depends on your success.