When it comes to running your business, your daily focus usually gets consumed by just that: running it! With countless moving parts and new fires to put out, it's easy to let certain aspects slip through the cracks. One crucial element that’s often overlooked is ensuring you have the right Managed Services Provider (MSP) in your corner.
When it comes to finding IT support services for your business, there’s no shortage of options, but choosing the right partner can be a game-changer. So buckle up, folks, because we're about to dive into seven vital factors to consider when choosing an MSP that’s right for your business. Your bottom line (and your sanity) will thank you.
1) Look for IT Managed Services Companies that will be PROACTIVE, not REACTIVE.
This is arguably the most important part of getting your support team right - you want a group of experts that do more than just swoop in to fix what’s broken. Yes, that’s the reason most businesses lean on their support teams in the first place, but if you’re running into the same issues over and over again, don’t you want your experts to figure out how to prevent them from happening again?
When you choose an MSP, remember: the right team can work with you to make informed decisions based on past events to prevent future issues—a solution that is more cost effective than working with a team that only specializes in unbreaking your system.
2) Ensure that your data and digital assets are secure—and only accessible to the right people.
Your data and digital assets are yours and yours alone – that’s why keeping them secure should be at the top of your priorities list when you choose an MSP. Protecting your business from data breaches is one of the core requirements an MSP must fulfill, especially when you’re making such a significant investment. Your chosen MSP will put the necessary measures in place to help keep out nefarious bad actors trying to get into your system.
External security isn’t where security measure end—internal security is just as important for your business to run as it should. You don’t want the rest of your organization to have access to restricted accounting files! The right provider will work with you and your team to keep your internal files as private as they need to be.
3) Optimize productivity by making your infrastructure as resilient as possible.
Your business requires a tough, dependable system that can withstand risks, both externally and internally. The right IT managed services provider understands that and will help you build up your infrastructure to be as resilient as you need. Determining your risk tolerance allows your MSP to assess where your business is right now and help ensure that your infrastructure is designed the right way, including plans to scale for future growth.
Having enough resiliency in your setup means that, when you run into service interruptions, your processes can continue despite the issue. Every business should have a plan for a point of failure. The right provider will give you the tools to continue working and know that your overall operation can keep moving forward.
4) Select an MSP that can help you strategize your IT to meet your larger business goals.
When you select the right IT Managed Services Partner, you can rely on them for more than just repair and recovery. Your provider should—and will—listen to your business goals and help you make the right investments to get there. When you collaborate with your MSP, you’ll have extra insight to help make your whole vision a reality with recommendations based on what you need.
Whether it’s assistance with implementing company-wide training or having a subject matter expert on call, being able to reach out to your support team for more than just emergency repairs is an invaluable tool to have in your pocket. Making good business decisions gets easier when you can consult with someone who knows your business objectives and systems the way you do—and those decisions start with choosing the right provider.
5) Keep you and your company users up-to-date with cybersecurity strategy training.
In today’s tech landscape, it’s more important than ever to educate your end users on cybersecurity threats. With human error cited as the leading cyber threat for most businesses, regular employee training can help prevent users from inviting a potential criminal in through a clicked link. Keeping your business safe from phishing and other online scams can be a full-time job—but that’s why choosing the right IT managed service provider is vital.
Cybersecurity training is a valuable service you should investigate when selecting your partner of choice. Training your staff to be not only conscious of, but actively prepared to shut down threats they may see in their inboxes is a worthy investment. Remember: the easiest way for people to get into your network is for end users to invite them in, and breaches can get mighty expensive. The right MSP can keep your end users educated, which will save you time, money, and most importantly, stress!
6) Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing you don’t have to be an IT subject matter expert.
Few industries move as quickly—and chaotically—as the tech industry. For Example, AI wasn’t even a blip on our collective radar a few years ago. Nowadays, it seems like just about every company uses AI for one process or another. When trends move this quickly, having the right MSP in your corner means you don’t have to know every change in real time.
Instead, you’ll have experts that can educate you and keep you informed based on your business needs, which allows you to avoid the headache that comes with the ever-changing tech news cycle. Your designated expert can also recommend tools or investments relevant to your needs instead of researching the trends in every headline.
7) Consolidate and customize your routine admin tasks with the right MSP partner.
Countless companies in the tech industry advertise their unique specializations, which means you need to know exactly what you’re looking for when you choose an MSP. The problem is, it’s inefficient to build an IT support toolkit with a bunch of different vendors that can’t work together seamlessly. Just as doctors have their own individual medical opinions, every organization has a different idea of how to run things, which is counterproductive to how your business is run.
The right MSP can make your life easier there. While almost no company can do everything in the IT sector, many providers offer a blend of services that can save you the trouble of having 7 different vendors with 7 different opinions. The right provider for you will be able to cover a majority of your routine administrative tasks without being burdened by conflicts of interest. Having a majority of your core services covered under the same trusted IT provider umbrella will save you time and stress, and goes a long way to ensuring your business operations are as smooth as can be.
What’s next? Making your choice.
Ultimately, when considering how to choose an MSP that’s right for you, your goal is to select one that helps make your business run more smoothly—from day-to-day operations to long-term projects, you want a team that adds even more value to what you already do. That’s why it’s important to carefully consider the services that each potential provider offers as you make your decision.
Synergy is a great place to start – as a longtime trusted Microsoft partner with 30 years of experience, we provide a blend of offerings that are a good fit for a wide range of organizations. From SharePoint Consulting to Process Automation, and even just standard Project and Support Services, we can partner with you for whatever you need. Contact our team today!
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