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Originally Posted On: https://www.compugen.us/blog/managed-services-and-why-theyre-critical-to-your-business
A few weeks ago, my laptop died on me. The tech geek in me tried for over a week to fix it but ended up making it worse. I consulted an expert, and he fixed the laptop in a day. Case in point – experts simplify your life.
Do you think everything’s going great with your business? Do you think you’re maximizing innovation and growth to attain your goals? What if I said, there’s a high chance this answer is a ‘no’, and you might never even realize the reason?
The reason is simple – your resources are being used up with the mundane, less impactful tasks, veering your focus from your core business processes. This is where managed services can be the game-changer.
49% of businesses agree that outsourcing IT functions have allowed them to use key resources for core business operations that were otherwise blocked.
Having said that, don’t assume that managed services are limited to such cases. Managed services complement lesser experienced IT staff, and experienced staff looking to eradicate complexities that need a helping hand.
From cost savings and better risk management to high productivity, future-proofing, high efficiency, and better availability, availing of managed IT services can give your business the competitive edge it needs.
What are Managed IT Services and How Do They Help?
When a business outsources its IT operations to external service providers, like Compugen a Managed Service Provider (MSP) then manages the business’s IT operations depending on the services availed by the business.
MSPs often proactively manage networks and devices including but not limited to network troubleshooting, hardware and software support, and/or complex tasks such as remote monitoring or specialized services.
This is ideal for businesses that have dedicated IT teams. Your IT staff can focus on the evolution of core business processes to align themselves with company goals, instead of mundane tasks.
Why Should Your Business Use a MSP?
Apart from employee satisfaction, MSPs offer high long-term savings. You might assume that these services are expensive due to their specialized nature. That’s kind of true, but only initially. A study by SysGroup reveals that with MSPs, your costs start rapidly declining after 3 years, going down by almost 59% in 5 years, and by a staggering 148% in seven years!
If you think that those easy, repetitive tasks do not warrant financial backing, or that your experienced guys and gals can handle it – think again. While they may have the skills, bandwidth and cost are what we want to better understand. A Cisco study reveals that almost 65% of the total I.T. budget is spent just on regular maintenance and updates, i.e., just keeping the “lights on”. You could cut down that cost by half just by using MSPs.
What Types of Businesses Use Managed IT Services?
The simple answer here is ‘all kinds of businesses can use managed services. However, there are three categories of companies for whom Managed IT services are must-haves.
- SMEs which do not have the financial resources to hire full-fledged teams to manage all facets of I.T like customer support, automation, security, etc.
- Businesses with IT teams where the strain of routine tasks hampers the development of their IT infrastructure and subsequently, blights the company’s development.
- Business with staff capable of handling most responsibilities, but falling short of domain expertise when executing novel and/or complex projects.
The question to ask here is: Are you utilizing all your resources heavily in operations, rather than amplifying revenue and brand valuation? If yes, managed services can be of immense help.
Factors to Consider While Outsourcing your IT to a Managed Services Provider
Managed services are usually tailor-made to your requirements. However, you can start with four basic questions to make your search simpler.
1. Is the MSP proactive?
Almost every organization pays for security, maintenance, repairing, and servicing costs, but proactive MSPs could eliminate threats and secure systems in advance.
2. Is Your Internal Capacity Running Out?
This could be due to limited staff, less skilled employees, or overburdened IT teams – ask them to figure out if they need external support.
3. MSP Limitations
MSPs offer services from a basic help desk to full-fledged IT support, but not all companies do everything. Figuring out what services are best for your business is the key to understanding which MSP could be most suited for your business needs.
4. Have you Attained Operational Maturity?
Your team could be excellent at using the technologies out there, but MSPs are experts are leveraging the latest tech to streamline your business processes. It could well redefine how you operate and save you a LOT of money.
Final Word
There is an occasional misconception that managed services are a replacement for your internal team. The reality is quite contrasting, though – managed IT services are meant to free them up for critical business processes.
From serving as remote customer help desk staff to handling security crises, managed services ease the role of the IT team in any organization.
All MSPs would sign a service level agreement with you, predefining their support axis and your IT staff’s responsibilities to ensure they complement each other.
If you believe in growth, cost savings, flexibility, consistent evolution, and prudency, managed services would be the best way to go.
