The Complete Secrets To Outsourcing Your IT Services To Run Smoothly Hereafter

Overview

In this article, I share my observations from working as a Managed IT Services business owner who works with a variety of companies in the US.

In my business development and implementation role, I get to deal with clients from diverse industries.

I attend to a lot of issues that companies have with respect to choosing a service provider and handling IT Audits.

The answers to these issues come from my experience of over 20 years in IT, around the world and in the USA, specifically.

Table of Content

• Overview
• Managed It Services: The In-House Vs Outsource Dilemma For Business Owners
  • A Managed IT Team Can Help In All These Situations Considering a switch to an MSP, from in-house models?
• When to change your MSP?
  • Your current MSP is unresponsive
  • Your MSP hasn’t kept pace with technology
  • Your MSP charges too much
• What To Do Before You Switch
  • Experience Their Support
  • Assess Their Experience
  • Determine Their Cost
  • Check Their References
  • Pilot The Service
• Conclusion

Managed IT Services: The In-House Vs Outsource Dilemma For Business Owners

One of the questions that SMB owners and IT managers always ask me is:

Why outsource when we have an in-house IT team?

And here is my answer to that.

Running a medium sized business today requires a solid IT infrastructure. Managing this infrastructure might be difficult without a professional IT team at hand.

The reason for this is that both Tech and Issue complexity increases with time. Newer tech breeds newer problems.

Think of it. In the early days of the internet, we had two devices – the desktop and the laptop to contend with. Today, we have multiple OS devices via mobiles [Android and iOS], tablets, desktops, notebooks, iOT, etc.

As devices multiply, the problems compound. The expertise necessary to tackle such difficulties, then splinters into bits that require specialization.

Your internal IT may not be ready for this rapid growth in Tech.

In large companies, the problems remain the the same. Just that specialized experts are constantly accessible to fix these problems given larger IT team strengths.

In smaller firms, the IT Team may be skilled in a few areas, but not all that’s needed today for effective management of IT.

For example, your IT team may be experts at networking, server management, or security. But they may require assistance with newer tech areas such as Cloud Infrastructure and Cybersecurity.

In yet other firms, what I have seen is that the IT Team is always extinguishing fires and have little time for complex issues that plague the infrastructure, network management, cloud services and cybersecurity.

This leaves firms exposed to attacks since the IT Team is focused elsewhere and have little time for strategic tasks.

This in turn, puts a lot of companies at risk. I have dealt with the cost of these risks in another article on Cybersecurity.

A Managed IT Team Can Help In All These Situations Considering a switch to an MSP, from in-house models?

Short in IT in-house IT expertise, or simply overwhelmed with IT firefighting?

Don’t stress. I’ve created a 3500-word post on what to anticipate, what to look for, how to assess, and more that will help you: The Complete Guide To Managed IT Services.

When to change your MSP?

If your present MSP is failing you, or falling short on its promises, or simply cannot deliver what you want, I’d like to provide some advice on finding a new one who can help.

It’s no secret that not all Managed IT Service companies are made equal.

You may have a hard time finding a supplier that is a suitable fit for your company because of the wide variety of options available.

But what if you’re already in a tough relationship with your current provider?

There might be various explanations for the challenges that confront you. Here are 3 issues that I encounter with clients, regularly.

a. Your current MSP is unresponsive

This is always an issue when you want things done yesterday and your business is affected negatively by the IT problems.

Your MSP is slow to respond. This means that you have agitated customers and perhaps even staff to deal with till things get back to normal.

b. Your MSP hasn’t kept pace with technology

With IT developing so rapidly, your IT demands have developed to a level where you find your MSP lacking for meeting your evolving needs.

In view of the heightened risks today, you need to shift to someone who has a better handle on your problems.

c. Your MSP charges too much

You need to examine the cost of the service with its advantages.

You must also weigh costs against the competition from time to time.

This is vital for your company’s survival. Efficiency cannot be the main incentive to continue with an MSP. Cost is critical.

Your challenge now is how to prevent jumping from the frying pan into the fire when you change your MSP service?

What To Do Before You Switch

Here are five guidelines from my experience that will stand you in good stead when you decide on an MSP change.

a. Experience Their Support

One of the most crucial things to look for in a new Managed IT services company is support.

After all, you’re likely to need help at some point and you want to be sure that your provider is always there for you.

b. Assess Their Experience

Your new Managed IT services provider should have extensive expertise in the field. This boosts your confidence in the MSPs abilities.

c. Determine Their Cost

Of course, you also want to be sure that you’re receiving a decent price on your new Managed IT services provider.

Be careful to evaluate costs vs services and deliverables before making a final selection.

d. Check Their References

Finally, make sure to ask for recommendations from your new Managed IT services company.

This way, you ensure that they’re respectable and that they’re a suitable fit for your firm.

e. Pilot Their Service

It’s always a big decision when you’re choosing an MSP (Managed Service Provider) for your business.

You want to make sure you’re getting the best possible service for your money, and that’s why it’s important to take your time and pilot the service before you dive in headlong.

4 Compelling Reasons To Partner With An MSP

I’m going to focus on four fast advantages of working with an MSP to handle your IT.

In fact, there are seven reasons explained in this in-depth piece.

a. Save money

If you don’t require full-time IT help, you may save money by using managed IT services rather than building your own IT department in-house.

You just pay for the services you need, as and when you need them, when you use an MSP.

Plus, you’d be surprised how it costs less than in-house IT in many cases.

b. Make the most of your time

With the aid of an MSP, your IT infrastructure can be maximised, and you may obtain guidance on how to enhance efficiency and productivity.

New technologies and systems may also be implemented by them.

c. Boost safety measures

It is possible for an MSP to offer complete security solutions, including data backup and recovery, to help safeguard your organisation from data loss or theft.

They may also assist you in putting in place security measures.

d. Put your mind at ease

An MSP can handle all of your IT needs so that you can concentrate on operating your business.

The technical aspects are taken care of for you by an MSP, so you don’t have to.

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Conclusion

In this post, I have explained the need for a Managed Services Partner, when to change an MSP and how to evaluate MSPs.

I’m sure that you’ll have a lot of questions on this. I am happy to answer it. Write to me and I shall respond for sure.

And if you want to learn more about Managed IT Services, here is a great guide that I have written a while back.