Technology is a strategic driver of progress within your organisation. It is also a critical element of supporting your employees, improving your productivity and protecting your business. This is why you need an excellent Managed IT provider.
In this article we highlight 6 key considerations when choosing a Managed IT provider.
6 key considerations when choosing a Managed IT provider
- Expertise and Specialisation – It is important to identify the key areas of technology that are really critical to you and make that the focus for the IT provider. Whether your infrastructure is on-premise or cloud or Microsoft or AWS it is critical that the selected managed IT provider has good experience and competencies around this technology.
Alongside this also goes the type of business you are, it doesn’t have to be just industry experience but depending on what stage you are at, what type of growth journey you are on, what your user base is, whether its remote or office based but ensuring the supplier has good examples of similar businesses will really help. - Proactive Approach and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) –Firstly, strong SLAs and regular reporting against performance is key and should be part of any requirements. Designing good SLAs that deliver for your business is key, the higher the SLA the higher the cost. The proactive approach is where a lot of IT providers fall down, most will sit back and handle tickets but in reality most organisations are looking for a strategic partner, that can come to them with solutions, help them deal with the root cause of issues and generally rely on them to improve your IT approach over time. Again, how you factor this into your requirements to get the best out of your IT provider is important.
- Security and Compliance – IT support and cyber security are strongly linked. One of the main reasons to use an IT provider is to outsource the risk of cyber security to an expert. Make sure your selected partner can demonstrate strong expertise in this area, have a proven track record and technology offering to keep your business safe. From backup and disaster recovery to defence in depth and SOCs and XDRs, they need to be bringing these to your security approach.
- Scalability and Flexibility – This one will depend on the type of business you are but most businesses are constantly changing, whether this is transformation, growth, mergers or downsizing. Make sure you know how your IT needs are likely to change in the next 3 to 5 years and understand how your IT provider will accommodate this. Could they handle you doubling the number of users? What would the cost per user be? Likewise, if your requirements drop does the service cost?
- Communication and Transparency – Any good relationship relies on communication and transparency and making sure this is something you get. You need to be kept up to date, told of any breaches or serious incidents upfront. You also want to understand how your business is using the service and linking to the proactive point above be discussing your IT strategy and improvements on a regular basis. Consider service management, reporting and communications approach all as part of your decision.
- Proven Track Record and References – References and track record is the best way you can gain confidence in the new IT Providers ability to deliver for your business. Asking for relevant case studies and references for a business like you is a must. Also, if it is a big enough purchase then taking the time to speak to an existing customer of theirs will really help you understand if they are the right IT Provider for you.
By carefully considering these factors, you can make an informed decision and select a Managed IT Provider that empowers your business to thrive in the digital age. At Bridgeall, we understand how important this can be for your business. Our approach is proactive, customer first and is completely focused on improving both your IT infrastructure and cyber security. To learn more about our Managed IT Services visit our services page here.
