How IT Support Can Transform Your Business Operations

If your business hasn’t implemented effective IT support, you could be missing out on a game-changing opportunity. Studies indicate that 74% of employees believe inadequate IT support reduces their productivity, preventing them from delivering their best work.

The good news is that implementing better IT support is straightforward and can revolutionise your business operations. It helps you to meet workers’ needs, boost productivity, cut costs, and even reduce staff turnover, as we’ll explore below.

IT Support’s Role In Business Operations

IT support plays a crucial role in business operations and, ultimately, helps everything run smoothly. Its chief responsibility is to assist staff with software glitches, hardware malfunctions, and account lockouts. But it can also help develop strategy and position your company favourably against rivals.

The beauty of these services is that employees can reach out whenever they encounter a problem. Helpdesk professionals can troubleshoot and eliminate it, improving overall enterprise productivity.

IT support also transfers over to remote work. Colleagues can contact the helpdesk team from any location, benefiting from their assistance with VPNs, accessing cloud services, or logging into company portals.?

Cybersecurity is part of IT support’s remit. During quieter spells, teams work on safeguarding sensitive information and beefing up security protocols to monitor threats and manage users. Work often involves compliance management, ensuring the organisation complies with industry standards and avoids legal pitfalls.?

The Key Benefits Of IT Support For Business Operations

IT support brings several key benefits to enhance small business operations. Some are what you might expect, but others are surprising.?

Minimised Downtime

One of the most significant advantages of having dedicated IT support is the reduction in system downtime. When technical issues arise, skilled IT professionals can quickly diagnose and resolve problems, ensuring that business operations continue with minimal interruption. This rapid response time is crucial in maintaining productivity and preventing potential revenue loss.

Protecting Your Business Data

IT support will improve cybersecurity and protect business data. It puts measures in place to safeguard sensitive information and stop malicious actors from obtaining it.

Most businesses deploy the simple measures, for example, 83% businesses now use up-to-date malware protection (compared to 76% before 2023). A further 73% restrict admin rights, while 75% implement firewalls and 54% have agreed-upon processes for phishing emails that apply across their organisations.?

However, what use are these measures if they are not professionally configured, deployed appropriately, kept up to date and then monitored in use?? Why spend good money on security and then not get the best from it, Cyber Security is not just about measures taken but also about how well they are implemented and supported.

Reduced Staff Turnover

The benefits of good IT support on staff turnover can be very significant. Evidence suggests that putting an effective helpdesk in place can reduce staff turnover through several channels, including:?

• Improving employee training and helping them get up to speed on business processes and operations
• Providing workers with self-service tools they can use to increase productivity when they get stuck
• Improving internal communication and engagement, allowing workers to feel supported when they need help?
• Overcoming productivity impediments and finding ways to use technology to help employees enjoy their jobs more

Currently, the average cost of replacing a UK-based employee is ￡25,000, rising to ￡100,000 for senior roles. Therefore, it is something companies want to avoid.?

Cost Savings

Cost savings are another significant benefit of IT support. Implementing effective measures can cut down on internal spending through several channels, including outsourcing and operational efficiencies.?

For example, outsourcing IT support tasks can reduce costs by 25 to 45% in some companies, with savings up to 70% in some instances. Likewise, managed services may increase organisation efficiency by 45 to 65%, a similar figure.?

These cost savings come from a combination of factors, including better results and streamlined operations. Firms can operate more efficiently than resourcing in-house and get bespoke assistance to improve specific workflows.?

Fixed monthly fees (offered by many agencies) also help. These cover the required services and provide businesses with a clear cost ceiling against which to measure the benefits. Access to specialist technology can save on the high costs of recruiting and maintaining an in-house team.

More Scalable Operations

IT helpdesks can also help businesses scale their operations sustainably. Experts know which technologies to implement and when as the firm grows, swapping out existing solutions for smarter ones when the time comes.?

Effective IT support services monitor network performance and watches for inefficiencies and bottlenecks. Teams look for situations where the system can’t meet demand and seek solutions to expand capacity.?

Helpdesks use a “needs analysis” that assesses the company’s future growth and its technology requirements to scale accordingly. For example, it might require faster servers or increased storage capacity.?

In some cases, it may be necessary to implement cloud integrations instead of relying on physical hardware. In these cases, IT support can usually scale infinitely.?

Improved Risk Management

Finally, IT support can reduce risks substantially. Putting systems in place that align with industry regulations helps firms meet government requirements.?

For example, helpdesks can assist with data protection and privacy. Experts can implement encryption protocols to prevent malicious actors from intercepting sensitive information.?

Access control is another perk. It ensures only authorised personnel can access sensitive data based on the well-established principle of “least privilege” and “zero trust”.?

Other activities may include things like:?

• Conducting audits of network security and highlighting vulnerabilities
• Leveraging penetration testing techniques to see if data are accessible
• Ensuring compliance with industry-specific technical requirements?
• Monitoring IT infrastructure in real-time to detect compliance breaches immediately
• Backing up data regularly and keeping it in a disconnected repository in a secret location

Now You Know How IT Support Can Transform Your Business

Reading this article, you should better understand how effective IT support can transform your business. It can boost efficiency, improve staff morale, and lower costs. However, it also offers intangible benefits, including boosting your brand and helping your company grow faster.