When you are trying to optimize any kind of business, efficiency is the keyword. By this, we mean the smooth and effective running of the business. To be efficient, a business must also be resourceful, making full use of all that they have. There are many other yardsticks by which the efficiency of a business might be measured, but most of them can be aided by the work of a good managed service provider (MSP). Let’s talk a little bit about how these kinds of services can increase the efficiency of your business operations.
MSP’s Can Offer A Lot Of Expert Advice
Technology is a bigger part of the business world than ever before. In an environment like that, a tech problem can quickly become a crippling factor. Likewise, an advantage in this department can be the thing that lifts you above the competition, so it is very much a double-edged sword. So, what makes the difference? Experience and expertise.
No matter how good your in-house IT team might be, they represent one relatively small part of your organization. By contrast, an MSP is an entire company that is focused on IT management and support. Because their entire company is focused on t that one specific thing, they can draw upon a much larger pool of skills and experience. When you do business with them, you gain access to a helpline (which will hopefully have 24-hour service).
MSP Support Can Make Your IT Department Much More Efficient
Of all the departments in your company, the IT department is the one that will see the greatest increase in efficiency from the adoption of MSP services. This is because the MSP will directly affect their workings, whereas the other departments will only be affected indirectly. The bottom line is this: When you farm out some of the IT work to an MSP, your IT department will have time to focus on the most important things.
Under normal circumstances, on-site IT technicians have to spend a lot of time on routine maintenance and monitoring. This might include updating all the software with the latest security patches, monitoring the network for threats via a packet sniffer, or keeping an eye on workers remotely to ensure compliance with policies. While all of these tasks are necessary, it is better to have your on-site professionals focus on matters of more immediate importance.
For instance, instead of sitting in front of a packet monitor all day, that technician could be working on ways to upgrade and improve the physical structure of your system. They will probably find all sorts of ways to streamline operations and make things more efficient, but only if you give them time to find those opportunities for improvement.
Less Network Downtime
When we are talking about the smooth and effective running of a business, we should definitely say a few words about network downtime. When your internet service goes down for one reason or another, it means that all your work is brought to a standstill. While you are unable to connect, you can bet that sales and other opportunities are passing by unheeded. This isn’t just hyperbole, as larger companies can stand to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars from an extended outage. In some cases, those losses have even been numbered in the millions.
When you go with the services of an MSP, your contract with them should include something called an SLA, which stands for “Service-Level Agreement.” This is basically a declaration of responsibilities that both parties agree to uphold. You need to make sure that the SLA includes a provision that limits the amount of acceptable network downtime.
Thus, if they fail in their obligations, and you experience more downtime than the agreement permits, they become liable for their losses. This gives them a powerful motivation to protect your network because they will also be protecting themselves.
Easier Budgeting
Planning a budget can be a very nerve-wracking task, as you are trying to accommodate a lot of needs at once. That being said, you should be able to handle your IT expenses in most cases. But, here is the thing: Those IT costs will include a lot of different things. By the time all of these numbers are combined, your total IT setup could be costing you more money than it saves.
Using an MSP can help with this problem for two reasons. First of all, they will eliminate most of your equipment costs. You will only need to provide end-user equipment (like desktops, laptops, tablets, etc.). All of the network infrastructure (and the equipment that it requires) will be provided by your MSP company. Secondly, an MSP consolidates all your monthly IT expenses into a single bill, and that always makes budgeting and prediction easier.
Conclusion
We could literally go on all day listing the many ways in which an MSP can help to increase the efficiency of your business. Obviously, some parts of your business will be affected more than others, but companies tend to function as an interconnected web. Anything that helps one part of the organization is likely to help the entire organization in one way or another. If we have helped you in any way, we invite you to fill out the contact form and learn even more.