Getting the most out of your IT service provider |
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| Technology | |
| Written by Ray Barber at Kaseya | |
| Monday, 22 February 2010 | |
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Seven Questions you should ask your IT service provider. Never before has technology been so integral to the way we do business, providing the machines, tools, applications and services that we all need to run a successful company. SMEs in particular are keen to take advantage of the latest technology trends, new applications and delivery models such as software-as-a-service – after all, these promise the ability to compete on a global scale and drive efficiencies and profitability. But although you may well understand the critical role that IT is playing in your company, it’s likely you don’t have an internal IT department or dedicated resource to support, maintain and manage your increasingly complex networks, devices and infrastructure. You need your IT to work – all the time – and using an outsourced IT service can give small to medium-sized businesses like yours the enterprise-level IT capabilities needed to help achieve business growth, reduce costs and maximise profitability. Finding the right IT service provider for your business can be a tricky undertaking though, with numerous companies to chose from, seemingly offering the same type of service. Here are my tips on seven key questions you should ask to make sure you choose an IT service provider that will allow you to focus on what you know best: your business. 1. What level of customer service do they provide? Having competent IT specialists working for your business is important, but how much help will they be if they aren’t accessible or are unable to explain your IT challenges in plain speak? Decent customer service can make your experience dealing with an IT services provider much more pleasant – and significantly more useful for your business. Ask the IT service provider about their service level agreements and whether they offer 24/7 support. 2. Can their staff offer expertise? Highly trained staff is important to handle your day-to-day unique IT needs, but using technicians with extra in-depth expertise and knowledge means they can help you identify new or innovative ways to improve your IT capacities and functions. Hire the best of the best to help propel your business. 3. Do they offer fixed monthly pricing? Managing costs is critical for smaller business, particularly in an unpredictable economic climate, so find out if the IT service provider can offer you a fixed monthly price for your IT support. They should be clear about what is included, such as number of visits to your office, and guarantee service level agreements (SLAs) so you get what you pay for. Paying by the hour can be expensive and may bring unexpected – and unwanted – surprises when the invoices start coming in. 4. Do they take a proactive approach? Will your IT service provider be able to prevent issues before they affect you? If not, the chances are that you’ll be on the phone to them every five minutes when something goes wrong and they’ll spend the majority of their time – and your money – fire-fighting to put things right. Look beyond this break-fix approach and choose a provider that will protect and maintain your IT systems through real-time monitoring or automatic alerts, so they can respond rapidly to problems before they manifest themselves in your business. 5. Do they offer transparent reporting and analysis? Using an IT service provider you can trust is important, but having access to information that gives you insight into the health of your IT system is much more advantageous. Analysing the performance of your systems, as well as your IT provider’s service levels, can help you gain a better understanding into your current IT needs as well as assess the effectiveness of your IT team and value they are – or aren’t – giving you. 6. Do they provide additional services? Are there other ways the IT service provider can help your business? Perhaps they can be that one-stop shop for everything ‘IT’ and assist with you with new hardware and software procurement. Finding an IT service provider that will act as a key partner will definitely help you towards your business goals can go a long way in helping you achieve success. 7. Do they know your industry? It’s not essential, but choosing an IT service provider that has experience working in your sector could be advantageous as they will be more familiar with applications that specifically designed for and used within your industry and the unique challenges you face. They will understand the varying importance of different aspects of your IT estate and will be better equipped to advise and help you get the most from your investment. The Kaseya IT Automation Framework allows IT service providers to proactively monitor, manage and maintain distributed IT infrastructures remotely, easily and efficiently with one integrated Web-based platform. With the help of Kaseya, over 6,000 IT service providers are arming small businesses with enterprise-level IT services and capabilities. Why not ask your IT service provider what system they use? Comments (0)
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