Welcome to 2020!! This is the time of the year that many organizations re-evaluate their business partners. I’ve been in the IT industry for more than 25 years now. I have heard it all when it comes to the IT service companies that are both good and bad. Over time, some key indicators consistently reveal when it may be time to start looking at making a change. Every organization is different. We all have budget constraints, workflow or industry challenges that make the thought of going through a change daunting. However, things are not always as they seem. If you have the right IT partner, making a change can be exciting and very rewarding. Here are 6 key indicators that it may be time to start talking to other IT service providers.
- Lack of responsiveness- Probably the number one concern. Your daily business operations require employees to be able to work. If they can’t print a document or access a file or turn on a device due to issues that means you are losing money. Having to wait hours or even days for a service provider to address these issues is unacceptable.
- Limited solution choices- Ever heard this from someone: “Our IT Company just said we needed to buy this…” Sometimes there is only one way to address an issue. However, in this world today, there are usually several ways to address an IT issue. Recommendations from your IT provider should have multiple options all with Pros and Cons to each solution. Those solutions should be explained clearly in order for you to make an educated decision about which option is right for you to move forward with.
- Limited Managed Service Plans- MSPs should be completely comprehensive and customizable including break fix services, server and desktop protection, email. Data backup services, training and more. Compare what you have now to what others are offering and you may be surprised at what you are missing out on.
- Lack of End User Training- You invest good money in IT solutions for your business. They more your end users know about the technology they are using the more you increase your ROI from that investment. Look for IT partners that offer end user training solutions.
- Charging Minimums on Service Calls- If you are engaged in a Managed Service Plan with your current IT provider and they are charging you a minimum 30 min or one hour charge for each service call you should look around. Managed Service Plans have bundled services and tools that make servicing more cost effective for the provider and you should reap the benefit from that too.
- In-House Technology is lagging behind- while not many people want to be on the bleeding edge of new technology, staying current within reason keeps your organization operating smoothly. Software updates and equipment updates need to happen on a regular basis and your IT Partner should be keeping you in the loop. I am very surprised at some new clients we engage with have software and equipment that is more than 10 years old. That is 40 years old in IT years by the way! Support costs significantly increase starting in year three for PCs and year five for servers. This only benefits your IT service partner the longer you keep old hardware and software around.
The bottom line is this. If you are happy with who you have and feel as though you are getting good value, great! Stay and grow with your current provider. If you are not, it may be time to see what else is out there. www.s1sonline.com