For many businesses, whatever their size, IT can seem like a minefield. Whether it’s online payments or adhering to legislation, there’s a lot to distract you from focussing on growing your business. A highly qualified IT technician with experience is something that every business wishes they had. Here we discuss how Manged IT Service Companies can provide you with just that along with the benefits of outsourcing.
Costs
Outsourcing your IT services turns fixed IT costs into variable costs, allowing you to budget effectively. You’re only paying for what you need when you need it rather than a constant outgoing for something that you may not need to use for weeks on end. Labour costs can also put a huge burden on your business. Recruiting and training IT staff can be a large financial commitment and employees don’t always live up to your expectations. Particularly temporary staff who have no commitment or investment in your company. Outsourcing managed IT services means that you can focus your HR efforts where you need them. When you choose a managed services provider you are able to break down the large costs that often come with IT.
Peace of Mind and Eradicating Risk
Managed IT services mean that you have access to individuals who are trained, experienced and certified in what they do. With the majority of businesses saying goodbye to the standard 9-5 work day, it’s important that your IT services reflect your operating hours. When you work around the clock, so does your computer system. Managed support services provide support when you need it to make sure your business can keep going and meet the demands from your customers.
For IT service companies, the same problems are encountered frequently. Whereas in-house IT employees are often isolated from any IT issues that fall outside of their day to day activities. Just because somebody is qualified it doesn’t mean that they’re experienced. Think of it like this, if you were in hospital and there was a newly qualified doctor and one that had carried out the procedure you were there for thousands of times, which would you prefer?
With all investment comes risk. If there was no risk, then everybody would be doing it. A range of factors mean that things can change quickly. From legislation to the financial state of a business, it’s important to prepare for changes that are out of your control. When you use an outsourcing partner, they will pre-empt risks for you and manage the effects too. Industry knowledge means you’ll always be secure and compliant, something an in-house operator may not be aware of. Outsourced service companies are experts in what they do, making them an ideal candidate for managing and dealing with your IT risks.
Increase Efficiency and Stay Focused
When an organisation keeps their IT service requirements in house, they often spend excess time conducting research, planning for development and implementing strategies. Each of these tasks increase costs which in turn impact upon customers.
Even if you still have an in-house IT team, back-end and complex issues can mean that their time is spread thinly. Outsourcing allows you to choose which issues your in-house team deals with and which need more attention from a third-party.
As with every business, both time and resources have a limit. When you outsource your IT services, you are able to stay focused on what really matters to help your business thrive.
Be One Step Ahead
Any IT service company of a high quality will have access to the resources that allow them to begin new projects quickly. When these projects are kept in-house it can take months to hire the appropriate staff, train them and take time to support them as they need. With an outsourced IT company comes years of experience which saves both time and money.
Having the means to scale appropriately means that your business can prepare and plan for effective implementation. When you outsource your IT services, you are able to scale up and down dependent on demand. For example, if you’re a business that experiences rapid periods of growth and custom there will without doubt be IT issues that come with them.
Keep Up With The Big Businesses
If you’re a smaller company, chances are you simply can’t keep up with the in-house teams of large companies that can afford to exclusively hire experts. Outsourcing provides you with access to IT experts who are committed to helping you without the financial burden of the salary that they’d need. An independent third-party company with variable fees which scale to your budgets gives your company an edge against others.
Globally there are organisations that are struggling to fill IT vacancies in their recruitment efforts. Aspects of IT like cyber-security and the development of apps and software require a refined skill-set that not many people possess. By outsourcing to a quality IT partner, you ensure that your business has constant access to the expertise that’s in demand.
IT Managed Services companies have the capacity to assist in moving businesses to the cloud. A key enabler for business growth and gaining an edge over other companies. Issues that occur surround applications designed years ago no longer being suitable and the cloud can have trouble in supporting them. This is an example of when IT Managed Services come into play, with expert knowledge and experience they resolve the issues without placing strain on your business with strategic plans for change and technical executions to achieve your aims.
Comply and Stay Secure
There are a huge number of things that you need to do to stay a) compliant with legislation and b) secure. Do you know whether your firewall is up to date? What about your DMZ? Is it installed? How often are you auditing? Do you deal with financial transactions online? Have you implemented PCI security standards? Taking payments online is a great tool for business growth, however if you’re not compliant and secure it could cost you everything. When you outsource an IT Service Company with years of experience and relevant qualifications, you ensure that your online activities are safe and secure.
The sheer number of laws you need to abide by is enough to get the better of any in-house team. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and Sarbanes–Oxley are all examples of laws which dictate what you can and cannot do online. Whatever industry you’re in, there’s lots you need to do to stay compliant. A managed services company will take the pressure off your team and leave them to put their efforts into driving innovation into your business.
If you’re looking for a Managed IT Services company for your business, get in touch with Flyford Connect today. We offer a range of IT services that could benefit your business.
Call us on 01522 300056
Email us at info@www.flyfordconnect.co.uk
We operate throughout Lincoln, Sheffield and Doncaster
