Achieving Efficiency With The Right Managed Services Provider

You are in the midst of running down the stairs and you slip and fall down the entire the entire flight. You gash your head and lose consciousness. As you come to, you notice people standing over you. A person hands you a towel for your head and says, “That was quite the fall, but you look to be okay.” So, you take him for his word, right? Wrong! You go to the hospital to see a professional where they can check you out, make sure nothing below the surface is wrong, and give you stitches for the gash across your forehead. You make sure that a professional has the chance to confirm that you are not in any danger. If it makes sense to see a doctor after hitting your head, wouldn’t the same logic apply to issues in other domains? Shouldn’t your IT infrastructure be handled with the same care? Technology is too unique and sensitive to not assure that it is checked by professionals.

I should start here by defining professionals as a group, or organization, whose sole purpose is to implement, handle, support, and educate businesses or individuals on Information Technology (IT) and IT services. Whether it be to leverage the newest technology, take advantage of economies of scale, or to get the most efficient tool set for your arsenal, you should be looking to the people in the trenches for advice.

How Can a Managed IT Provider Help My Business?

First things first, technology changes too fast. A person’s goal at any job is to become an expert in their respective field so why not use a team that is made up of experts? There are so many intricacies to each individual role within a company that it can take a lifetime to master that specific art. So, should you stop doing what you are doing to get a skill that is not related to your ultimate goal? Absolutely not. That is the way many people handle their IT infrastructure, and it's all backward.

Instead, partner with people, or companies, who have spent their careers learning and becoming experts with IT tools. These people have their fingers on the pulse of technology, and as technology rapidly changes, they are adapting their practices to be in line with the industry. They know what new tools are out there, and can even specialize in your specific industry. They can also train you on what is going on in the industry. Imagine if more companies had IT professionals come in and teach their teams about Ransomware. How much money could be saved by educating your end users ? By using these IT providers, you can operate more efficiently and keep yourself ahead of competitors who may not have IT experts on their side.

You might be asking, “Why not just have my own internal IT staff?” Although that is an option, it actually prevents you from taking advantage of something your competition using professionals will have: economies of scale on the technology side of the house. Economies of scale mean as the rate of production increases, costs go down. You could bring in one employee, and their focus will be IT. But you will have to pay them a salary. This means that if there is nothing wrong with the infrastructure, you are still paying them. Additionally, will one internal IT staff member be enough to help you when you do encounter larger problems?

Alternatively, with a professional team that is managing your network, you pay a fee on a case by case basis. This fee can be fixed billing (i.e., on the books it can look like a salary), but the cost will only be based on the exact work that is needed. The cost can be lower too because of the fact that they manage many infrastructures. This gives them much larger buying and supporting power than you alone can provide. In addition, because of the economies of scale that are brought to you, as you grow and need more support and services, your cost only goes up marginally as opposed to bringing on another employee which would require an extra salary. Working with these professionals means that your only worry is about factors that relate specifically to your specialty and not to what is outside of your scope of work.

Along with the tools that an IT professional utilizes to operate your network more efficiently, they also have tools to manage the work you are doing. This means that they can change your IT infrastructure to make sure it is set up for your exact needs. They can provide you with progress reports that can help you with future planning and promote a company-wide organization. They work with you to create a plan based off of your specific needs. They take these needs, and within the confines of the plan specified, they will use the best technology to provide you with the capabilities and functionality needed. This maximizes your flexibility. Much like the way your business differentiates itself from other businesses in terms of the way you offer your services, make sure that you work with IT professionals that can customize your solution to go along with the differentiation you provide as a business.

SumnerOne Does Managed Services Right

A professional can provide you with a wealth of resources that an internal IT employee may not be able to do for you. This does not mean that you should fire all the internal team. On the contrary, you might find that the best solution is a combination of internal IT personnel and an external IT professional team that has the deepest understanding of technology, and where it is heading. With their additional skills and resources, they can provide you with economies of scale that can help you to customize a specific solution that fits your needs and can grow with you.

SumnerOne has the knowledge, skills, and people ready to help your business reach the next level of efficiency with managed services. Our team of experts will act as your business's right hand when it comes to maintaining your security, backups, and support. If you would like to learn more about how we can help your business, contact us for a security assessment today.

Originally published October 16, 2018 updated December 4, 2018