Managed Service Providers: What Are They & Why Do You Need One

Being an entrepreneur comes with various challenges, and growing pains within your  business can quickly change the way that you need to operate. These challenges can take a toll on your internal IT team, whether that is a single person or a small team.

This may be a signal that it is time to reevaluate your technological needs in order to continue on the path of growth. The next step is to consider bringing on an IT managed services provider, or MSP.

The following are ten signs it is time to hire an MSP:

Your in-house IT team can’t solve problems that your team keeps encountering.

Your part-time IT person or designated team member may not have the knowledge necessary to solve new or ongoing problems that your team are encountering. If your team is regularly experiencing the same obstacles over and over again, this may suggest your company will benefit from the expertise of an MSP. Whether it be a remote help desk or on-site support, working with an MSP will give you access to a wealth of IT knowledge when you need it.

You do not know about new systems that could improve operations.

There is a good chance that you should be looking for new systems and software to improve overall operations as your business grows and needs change. And if your IT team does not have the capabilities to support or make these changes, then it may be time to seek out some help.

IT problems are being fixed reactively instead of proactively.

If your IT person is fixing problems as they occur as opposed to approaching issues and systems proactively, he or she may either be overwhelmed or have a gap in expertise. It may be time to bring on an MSP, especially if your in-house IT person or team does not possess the insight to improve things and only fixes issues after they happen. An experienced MSP will be proactive about important IT needs such as security and data backup.

It has been a year or more since you’ve heard about security updates.

Maybe your IT team hasn’t discussed security updates with you in a while, which could have serious consequences down the road. Your IT security needs to be kept up to date in order to meet the growing and changing needs of your business.

Daily maintenance now consumes your IT team’s time with the growth of the organization.

It is very important that your IT team is ready to help support any special projects that your business has in the works. But if they are bogged down with regular fixes, they will likely not have the capacity to take on any strategic planning, implementation or ongoing support.

Sometimes outsourcing help for a lengthy and time-consuming project may seem like a smart instinct on a one-time basis, however you will still need to free up your IT person to collaborate since they have an existing knowledge of internal operations. With the help of an MSP, your IT person can focus on important project work that contributes to business growth while they provide resources and day-to-day maintenance support.

Your IT person is out and there is no backup support.

It is not uncommon for IT personnel to need time off for vacation or illness, or even a devastating case of your IT person quitting. Businesses with a small IT team will often experience difficulties in these scenarios. Hiring an MSP allows you to rest assured that someone will always be there to fill in the gaps and help support you when someone must take the day off, whether planned or not.

Certain types of work, such as budgeting or strategic planning, are difficult for your IT team.

Possibly one of the best benefits of a managed IT service is that it allows you to supplement your in-house team’s knowledge and capabilities. Technology management is a broad field in which different types of expertise and skill sets are required for different aspects. An IT person skilled at troubleshooting or managing IT projects may not be the most well versed in budgeting technology advancements or the cyber security threat landscape.

All of this knowledge and capacity cannot easily be found in one single person. An MSP, which supplements your team, can provide the expertise that ensures all areas of your IT are covered.

You’ve had a security incident that leads to significant downtime.

Any security incident, whether big or small, suggests that your business is not as prepared as it could be. The ever-present and continually evolving threat on security can cause an incident that leads your organization to experience downtime or data loss.

You may be leaving your organization open to even bigger threats in the future if the proper systems and procedures have not been established. A managed service provider knows how to take the proactive steps to ensure security is kept at the forefront of your business’s IT operations.

Your department heads are bypassing IT by finding their own apps, systems and software.

If you are finding that your department heads are going around IT to get the programs they need, it could indicate they do not have the right knowledge in those areas or the proper time needed to help. An MSP can support seeking out and implementing the right apps, systems and software that will improve operations and keep the entire organization running smoothly each day.

You have not figured out how to sustain an IT budget.

You will simply not be able to take your business in the right direction without being able to fund your efforts appropriately. Documenting a budget for technology with the strategy, goals and data to justify it takes a specific skill set. An MSP can help guide you to make an informed choice about your IT budget, ensuring you do not spend too much or invest too little.

How to Hire a Managed Service Provider

Are you ready to take advantage of all that managed IT has to offer? Organizations of all sizes are leaning on managed service providers to help supplement their in-house IT staff. Your organization can have access to a wealth of knowledge and expertise with an MSP by your side.

Contact Nuvodia today to learn more about the work we do to enable businesses to plan for, implement and maintain the infrastructure necessary to support business growth. We have the capacity and knowledge to support the needs of your organization, from technology investments to special project support.