5 Signs Your IT Company Is Going Above and Beyond For You

Does Your IT Company Go Above and Beyond for You? Find Out Now.

Not all information technology (IT) managed services providers (MSPs) are the same. Today, 31 percent of IT services have been outsourced, with 89 percent of these organizations reporting they’re satisfied with their decision to hire an IT company. While cost-savings is a common motivation, KPMG research reveals that organizations also use outsourcing as a driver for higher-quality IT, better access to top skill sets and faster product development.

As the idea of outsourcing to an IT MSP becomes an increasingly common strategic business decision, there’s been a proliferation of vendor options. Vendors can have a significant impact on quality of experience.

To learn whether a prospective IT company will disappoint or become a valued, strategic long-term partnership, read on to learn signs of a provider that exceeds expectations.

1. Utilizes a Ticketing System

   It’s difficult to project when your employee’s demand for IT support will peak. MSPs should provide your employees with access to an intuitive ticketing system for submitting both basic requests for password resets and more complex requests for urgent assistance, enabling constant communications and transparency into the status of tickets.   Skyen utilizes IT Glue a best of breed tool for MSPs operations.

2. Responsive to your Issues

   Your organization can’t afford to lose productivity when your technology stops working. 98 percent of organizations in 2017 say one hour of downtime costs over $100,000. Leading MSPs don’t only guarantee uptime via service level agreements (SLA), they offer 24/7 proactive system monitoring.

3. Effectively Communicates

   An average MSP will offer transparency into the state of your technology, regular reports and channels for communication. An exceptional IT company will specialize in quality communications, offering a single point-of-contact and direct access to experts. More importantly, they’ll work to understand your vision and proactively communicate ideas for improvement.

4. Offers Value Pricing

   No two businesses’ technology needs are the same, which is why organizations should avoid settling for a one-size-fits-all approach to pricing IT services. While some organizations need the predictable, monthly bill associated with fully-managed IT services, others can benefit from a different approach. You may drive the most value with innovative approaches to pricing for on-demand IT support, a fully outsourced CTO or specific support for your applications or information security needs.

5. Is Proactive with Your Issues

   One of the most crucial ways to evaluate an MSP before signing a contract is whether they’ll provide a proactive or reactive approach to managing your organization’s IT needs. Generally, avoiding reactive providers can prevent downtime, dissatisfaction or stagnant technology. Reactive IT companies wait for something to break and respond to issues, which can lead to lost productivity for their clients.

In contrast, proactive IT providers continually monitor systems and apply updates and patches immediately to avoid security risks or lost productivity for their clients. They’re continually working to refine both your existing IT infrastructure and your longer-term IT roadmap to ensure your technology operates as-expected and exceeds expectations.

Conclusion

No one wants to form a relationship with a managed services company for information technology that’s going to operate on-call in response to problems. If you’re making the choice to fully outsource your business technology, you want a strategic partner who proactively manages your technology needs for both the present and the future.

By understanding how the leading IT companies operate a little differently than their competitors when it comes to providing proactive, transparent client services, organizations can develop an understanding of the right questions to ask during the vendor screening process.

With the right approach to evaluating your choices, you’ll identify an organization that supports your technology strategy, offers the necessary expertise and will become a trusted advisor on how to integrate technology into your larger business goals.

Interested in learning more about Skyen’s services?  Contact us for a free evaluation and consultation.