Your business utilizes technology to perform operations and meet the needs of your clients. For these technology systems and infrastructure to function efficiently, they require proper management and monitoring. In most cases, you need the input of a professional IT service provider to manage all of your IT needs the right way and affordably.
Sometimes, having an in-house IT support department can be costly for a business. Without a quality support structure in place, you risk opening your business up to devastating downtime and potential losses. Third-party IT support services come in handy to create a more robust and affordable support system. However, the services these companies offer are not created equal, and you might not always get value for your money.
This is why one of the most important decisions you have to make for your business is to choose a suitable IT support company. One factor that determines a company’s suitability is how fast it responds to your support needs. Finding a company with timely service delivery can significantly improve your business.
Importance of Professional IT Services
An IT support company, or IT managed services provider (MSP), comprises professional IT specialists that make up the core IT team of the company. The team provides expert guidance and management to your business for various information technology needs. They are knowledgeable about cloud platforms, device networking, electronic hardware, and software applications. With this knowledge and expertise, a good IT team will offer your business a large selection of IT support services to cover any, and all of your IT demands.
Such a team will play a crucial role in the daily operations of your business for smooth operations. The services they offer in the above areas can enhance productivity and help the growth of your business. Technicians on call provide support for your business by email or phone for problems you experience in your IT department. Their roles and functions include but are not limited to:
Comprehensive Monitoring
It’s crucial to monitor the performance and progress of your company’s internal operations. Monitoring also entails checking your customer reach efforts at each stage. Among the best ways an IT team can help you to execute more refined business operations include performing internal and external audits of your IT systems. They also must improve quality control to prevent the security of your company and your customers from being jeopardized.
Safety from Viruses and Compromising Software
Your IT support team serves to ensure that your business systems are safe from various viruses and cybersecurity threats. It’s their responsibility to ensure that they set a combination of standard antivirus management to secure your devices from internal and external threats extensively. When your systems are well protected, updated, and monitored, your business is at a lower risk of falling prey to the risks associated with digital data access and operations.
An excellent example of the importance of technical support is the recent malware and ransomware attacks on various businesses across the country. There is a need to maintain solid and defensive walls against malicious activities on your company website to prevent the aftermath of such attacks.
Effective Data Management
Your business carries essential data such as your customers’ data, employee salaries, business finances, and sensitive HR details. As such, data storage and management are of utmost importance and the reason you need a reliable IT support team. With a competent IT team, you can enforce a deeper assessment of business needs and scrutiny of your company’s data landscape.
Solve Complex Problems
Your business will encounter various technological problems from time to time, requiring the intervention of an expert. The execution of advanced and precise solutions to internal system problems is one reason you need a reliable and responsible support team. When facing IT challenges, you need them to be resolved within the shortest time possible to enable you to resume operations and meet client needs immediately.
The Problem with Some IT Support Companies
All these services don’t come cheap and depending on what your business needs, you’re probably paying premium charges for IT support services. However, do you get timely support services when you need them? You might have all kinds of stories about other businesses that are unhappy with their IT support vendor.
There are two primary reasons that your IT support company could be slow in responding to you. The first one is that they lack the capacity or service commitment to meet your business IT needs. Secondly, it could be that they don’t understand the urgency of the problem at hand and don’t know the impact it could have on your business.
The Importance of Service Level Agreement
The first problem is easy to address through a Service Level Agreement (SLA). A reputable managed service provider will, in every case, include an SLA in their contract. If you don’t have one with your current IT team already, you should request one. The SLA is crucial as it defines the timelines for response and resolution. If the company repeatedly fails to honor this agreement, you have every right to move on to another company.
The second problem is more challenging to solve, mainly if the company wrongly classifies your issues each time. Lack of clear communication channels will even make the situation worse. For example, your IT company may have committed to responding to critical problems in an hour and less critical ones in two hours.
If you are consistently getting a response in one and a half hours, there is a likelihood that your business functions and issues have wrongly been classified. You are frustrated because the company keeps missing the deadline by 30 minutes. Meanwhile, they are celebrating because they respond to your issues 30 minutes before the stipulated deadline.
On the other hand, the IT support company you partner with could be charging you too expensively for their services. One possible problem is that you could be paying for a service not aligned with your business priorities. Alternatively, it could be that you’re not aware of the work they do for you behind the scenes.
Get Value for Your Money and Timely IT Support with Envision IT
When working with an IT support company, you want to feel confident that your business assets are safe and well protected. You want the assurance that anytime you run into technical problems, your IT partner will respond and resolve the issues within the shortest time.
Addressing the above problems early in the contract agreement will significantly improve the odds of having a reliable and functional relationship with your IT support company. When issues arise, a good IT partner will be more interested in ensuring your business is successful. They will help resolve problems and frustrations through transparent communication to manage your expectations. Overall, they will help ensure that the services they offer are aligned with your goals and priorities.
Envision IT provides a unique approach to IT services and support that no other MSP in West Michigan can match. All this is for the benefit of your company. If you are looking for reliable and timely business IT support services, Envision IT is your partner or choice. Call us today, and talk to our team of experts for ongoing support.
