Getting The Most Out Of Outsourced IT

One of the biggest challenges that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face is how to use limited resources to their advantage.?

Not only does every decision need to be made to protect your finances, but it can make it challenging to find reliable? IT services.?

In this article, I take a closer look at how you can find and outsource reliable IT services effectively, even with limited resources.?

??? How Does Technology Impact Business??

Technology plays a significant role in our current business climate and impacts nearly everything we do.?

There are many ways that technology can be used to benefit your business, including:?

• Connecting with customers in an easier and more efficient way.?
• Making communication simpler and more effective.?
• Using technology to help you automate processes.?
• Helping you to reach your business goals.?

Although the benefits of using technology to grow your business are undeniable, running an SMB may make it challenging to implement the above-mentioned steps.?

This is usually due to a lack of resources and limited compatibility with existing systems. You may also find it challenging to keep up with and manage new technologies.?

This is where an external IT service provider—like Sorbis—can help. We’ll take a closer look at this in the next section.?

?? What Is Outsourced IT??

Outsourcing your IT services means hiring an IT service provider that works with your company independently.?

There are a number of benefits to doing this, such as:?

• Having access to more comprehensive support in a number of areas from a team of professionals with a wide range of specialized skills.?
• Ongoing network monitoring that keeps your systems up and running, even when there are internal issues. This also helps IT providers identify and address any potential issues before they become serious issues. IT providers also provide continuous assessments of your systems at all times.?
• Regular risk assessments are performed on behalf of your business to ensure that your software and data security infrastructure are up-to-date. This keeps you safe from cyber security breaches and financial losses.?
• Access to help on-demand from a team of experts available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You would think in-house staff are available when you need them, but most work 9-5 hours and aren't monitoring your systems after business hours.?

The Impact of The Wrong Service Provider?

Choosing the right outsourced IT provider is the best thing you can do for your business.??

It can free up time and help your staff be more productive. But how??

When technology systems are down or unavailable, employees can’t perform their duties—especially if they have to work online.?

Outdated or slow computer systems can also lead to long wait times and decreased productivity which leaves workstations vulnerable to viruses.?

Inadequate or outdated software can also make it difficult for employees to complete tasks efficiently, causing frustration and leading to lost time.?

Lastly, loss of data due to technical issues—such as system crashes or power outages—can result in losing important work. This may force employees to start over, wasting valuable time.?

Cybersecurity threats and data breaches can also cause a loss of confidence in technology systems which may lead to employees wasting time on manual processes and additional security measures. Over time, this may reduce their efficiency.?

Leaving your IT systems and management up to the professionals will allow your staff to return to what they do best, helping you grow your business.?

IT service providers will be responsible for your data, devices, and all other systems you use to run the business.?

This helps them to monitor and manage these processes to make running your business that much smoother.?

They will also be able to ensure that your technology complies with industry standards and regulations, as well as keep you updated on the latest trends.?

These are important steps to ensure that your business stays protected from data breaches and other cyber threats.?

?? Who Needs a Managed Service Provider (MSP)??

A MSP—another way of describing outsourced IT specialists—can help manage and maintain a business's technology.?

This includes:?

• Monitoring and updating your network and systems.?
• Applying and managing cyber security.?
• Providing technical support for staff.?
• Reporting on the quality and performance of the systems and making improvements.?

Some service providers, like Sorbis, will also help you build a strategy for the future. This helps you to know where your business is heading and what you need to do to prepare.?

If any the following scenarios sound like your business, you likely need an MSP: ?

• Small to medium businesses with limited in-house resources.?
• A growing business with increasingly complex technology needs?
• Organizations that rely heavily on technology for day-to-day operations?
• Businesses that lack the resources to secure their systems from cyber threats??
• Your businesses server has gone down in the last year?
• When you put your company email on the site haveibeenpwned.com you show up connected to multiple website breaches?
• It takes more than 24 hours to get a response or resolution from your current provider for technical issues?
• Your current provider isn't backing up everything and testing those backups on a regular basis.?
• A business that operates outside of normal business hours that requires round-the-clock support/monitoring.?

For SMBs, these service providers will likely help them to manage their day-to-day processes, including monitoring their systems and cyber security efforts.?

An MSP can be valuable to your business because it can help you to detect problems and vulnerabilities in your systems early on, before they become major issues?

Not only will they be able to improve these issues and make your business safer, but they can also monitor your systems to spot and remove potential cyber threats.?

?An MSP also makes running your business easier and smoother.?

This means you can spend more time running and growing your company instead of spending hours troubleshooting technical issues.

? How to Find the Right Outsourced Service Provider for You?

It can be challenging to know whether outsourcing is the right option for your business and if a specific service provider is the right fit for you.?

I’ve compiled this section to help you navigate the decision-making process, including a list of important questions to ask current and potential service providers.?

Availability:

Outsourced

• Available at all times to provide technical support.?

In-house

• Works on-site.?
• Often only works regular hours and weekdays.?

Accountability:

Outsourced

• Provides reporting and metrics.?
• Teams may utilize tools better and have a better ability to keep themselves accountable.?
• Has access to a framework that can keep measuring the health of your system and set priorities.?

In-house

• May lack the tools for reporting, which may make it difficult to keep team members accountable.?
• No framework or tools for measuring the health of the system and setting priorities.?

Skill-level:

Outsourced

• Team of trained professionals with skills across departments.?
• They usually have experience in multiple systems, which gives them a diverse skillset.?

In-house

• Skills are often limited to the talent available in-house.?
• Skills are limited due to a lack of opportunities to gain new and diverse ones.

Value:

Outsourced

• Accountability, frequent reporting and access to a range of tools.??
• Expertise focused on strategy, standards and process. ?

In-house

• May require additional software, hardware, and other equipment to do the job.?
• Minimal standards and unique procedures?

Services provided:

Outsourced

• May have developed a wider number of support and management systems.?
• Because technology and systems run smoothly, employees are able to work more efficiently?

In-house

• May have less efficient management processes.?
• May take up time that could be spent on running the business.?

Knowledge of the company:

Outsourced

• Will make understanding your business a priority.?
• When they know the business they can help with the technology to support it?

In-house

• Employees doing what they are told rather than what is best for the business.

? Questions to ask your current service provider?

Not all IT service providers are made equal.?

When you are enlisting the services of an IT company, you don’t want to settle for anything less than the best.?

The list of questions below will help you determine if the IT service provider is right for you and your business needs:?

• Does your current service provider have experience servicing your industry specifically????
• Are all their technicians capable of supporting your systems, or will you need to wait for a more skilled technician to support more challenging issues???
• How long has their team been in place? How much turnover do they have???
• What training do they have and when was it last updated??
• Are our systems optimized for maximum speed and performance???
• Is there a written plan to restore our data quickly in a disaster????
• Do they back up our network prior to performing any upgrades????
• Do they test the backups periodically to make sure none of them fail and that it can be restored quickly??
• Do they monitor off-site as well as on-site backups????
• Will they provide routine checkups and network assessments????
• Can they support the technology you currently have in place????
• Are their solutions scalable????
• What is their policy on on-demand support????
• What will you get in return for your investment??
• Do they have guarantees??
• How do they measure success??
• How do they achieve and maintain compliancy for your industry??
• Do they understand compliance and security requirements specific to your industry??
• Do they lock you in to a long-term contract??
• Is their help-desk US based or outsourced to an overseas company??
• If you were to experience a major disaster do they have a written plan for how your data could be restored quickly and/or enable you to work remotely??
• If your technician is on vacation or sick is everything documented so someone else in the department or company can manage high level technical issues or do you have to wait till they return??

Although these questions are important, the ‘right’ answer will look different for each business depending on their needs.?

That’s also why it’s essential to ask open-ended questions. Not only do these questions generate better answers, but they also allow you to get the information you need.?

Remember that what’s important for your business when choosing an IT service provider, might not be the same for another company.?

?? Make the Best of Your IT Management with Sorbis?

Choosing the right IT service provider can be a challenge, and with limited resources, you’ll want to ensure that yours is the best.?

At Sorbis, we know that finding reliable MSPs is difficult. That’s why we want to help.?

Our team of industry experts is ready to help you protect and manage your IT infrastructure by:?

? Providing regular reports on potential cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and efficient processes.??

? Using industry-leading technology to monitor and improve your systems continuously.?

? Offering 24/7 technical support for your business.?

? Ensuring your infrastructure is compliant with industry standards and regulations.?

? Getting to know your business in order to help you develop and implement the best business strategy for the future.??

? And much more.?

?Implementing a proven process to provide technology success for your organization.?

If you have any questions about outsourced IT, don’t hesitate to contact me, Gene, as soon as possible. You can reach out via email at [email protected].?

You can also check out any of my other articles—they’ve been carefully constructed to educate you and to help keep you safe.?

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