Overcoming IT Challenges

“This isn’t sustainable, David,” Sarah said, scrolling through the outage reports on her screen. “That’s the third time this quarter we’ve had to deal with an outage. It’s not just frustrating—it’s costing us. A LOT.”

As the head of operations, David was well aware of what was going on. However, he was relieved Sarah, the company’s CFO, was finally seeing it, too.

“We’ve been dealing with these issues for months now,” David sighed. “Every time we get hit with downtime, the team loses momentum, and we fall further behind. I’m pretty sure we even lost that deal last week because of it—although Tony won’t say it in so many words.”

David leaned back in his chair, wrapped his hands behind his neck as he thought about the sales leader’s frustrations, and then blurted out what both of them were now thinking:

“If I’m being honest, Sarah, I don’t think our IT provider is cutting it. They’re always coming in after the fact, fixing what’s broken… But you and I both know we can’t keep going like this.”

Sarah agreed. She’d seen the numbers—and they weren’t pretty.

“Here’s what I’m thinking,” Sarah said. “We’ve grown a lot in the past year, and they just haven’t kept pace. Maybe that’s on them, or maybe it’s on us. But maybe…”?

Sarah trailed off as she thought. “OK, what if we had a provider that not only responds to IT emergencies, but that understands our business and can help us scale? Do you think that’s too much to ask?”

“I don’t think so,” David shook his head. “Not these days anyway. So much has changed in the MSP landscape since we initially brought them in.”

Sarah was intrigued. “How so?”

“Well, for starters, I don’t think we need to be stuck in the break-fix cycle,” David said. “In fact, I’ve heard really great things about this one Atlanta-based MSP we should potentially look into.

“My brother Paul’s been using them for years, and from what I gather, they are more than just basic IT support. He says their approach is proactive, not merely reactive. You know, they actually do all the things needed to prevent problems from happening in the first place, plus is helping his company stay secure as they near another round of funding.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “So, instead of only coming in after the system crashes, they’d work to keep it from crashing in the first place? And help Paul’s company tighten things up?”

“Yep,” David said. “He said they took time to dive deep and understand his business’ goals and aligned all the technology and systems strategically to support them both now and later as they grow.”

Sarah smiled. “It’s nice to know things aren’t going to come crashing down—no pun intended—right as things ramp up! I also take it you and your brother have talked about this before, huh?”

David’s eyes widened as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Only when our system crashed for what felt like the millionth time last month…”

Sarah considered it.

“Yeah, our provider is great when it comes to patching things up, but we both know we’re past the point of just needing fixes,” she said. “I mean, we need those, too, but we need so much more, especially if we want to remain relevant and competitive. You and I both know this, David.

“Plus,” Sarah glanced around as she lowered her voice, “I refuse to lose any more deals or, heck, talent because of IT issues. I have a sinking feeling that one incredible VP candidate—you know, Carla—turned down our offer when she realized she wouldn’t have the same experience working remotely as our employees have in the office.”

David nodded. “You know, I had the same feeling. Not to mention, she ended up going to our competitor to make matters worse…”

“She did? I had no idea!” Sarah exclaimed before shaking her head. “Well, that’s it. We can’t afford to lose out on good deals or great people anymore. Not if we can help it. Sounds like it’s time to text your brother to get that company’s info.”

“Yep. I’m going to call him now,” David said as he stood up from the table. “Oh, and you’ll like this: He also said onboarding was a breeze, too, and they even offer some kind of money-back guarantee or something. I’ll get more details on that.”

“OK, now you’re speaking my language,” Sarah smiled as she stood up as well. “Honestly, that’s what’s been holding me back from evaluating other options. It was such a pain to onboard our current provider!”

“And expensive, too,” David smirked as he pulled his phone out of his pocket while walking out of the conference room. “I have a feeling this will be a much better experience—for all of us,” he said before putting the phone to his ear.

“Hey Paul! Got a minute?…”

This story highlights the importance of having a proactive IT provider that not only fixes issues but also helps a business grow and stay competitive. If you find yourself in a similar situation, it might be time to evaluate your current IT support and consider a provider that aligns with your business goals.