Information technology now plays a major role in any given workplace. IT issues like chronic downtime, slow equipment, and security threats stand to undermine your bottom line.
But despite the critical role they play, many businesses find that dealing with their IT provider is akin to securing an appointment with the Queen. And we don’t need to tell you that you can’t afford to wait around for your IT to get fixed. Nor should you have to make do with equipment that isn’t performing.
How do you know it’s time to move on from your current IT provider?
Here are 9 signs they need to go:
- Slow response times. Whether your network is down or there are minor issues impeding workflow, time spent waiting for IT service costs your company money.
- Transactional meetings. Some providers only come around when something breaks, or there is an opportunity to sell. If you aren’t having annual, bi-annual or quarterly strategic meetings, then your IT is not helping you move your company forward.
- Not planning for the inevitable. A managed service provider should be there to help you make money. Without any planning for the future, you risk outdated equipment, or worse, security breaches. IT planning should consider the company’s growth trajectory, compliance, and potential risks.
- No backup strategy. If you’re missing a backup strategy, you are putting your company at risk. Chances are you work with data in some capacity. You need a solution that backs up your data and can quickly restore it, with minimal attention on your part.
- Your IT provider doesn’t understand your business. You and your provider should work together to come up with the IT solutions that make the most sense. If a provider doesn’t understand your goals or even what you do, that signifies a deeper issue.
- Issues aren’t getting fixed properly. We all want to feel like we’re being heard, one problem we hear about a lot is providers offering too much, too little, or the wrong response to IT problems.
- It’s a break-fix relationship. To meet your businesses’ needs, your IT provider needs to help you by being both proactive and strategic; not reactive. Parts and labor relationships can get costly and don’t provide you with holistic, forward-thinking IT solutions.
- They’re not monitoring. To maximize your uptime, you need a provider that is monitoring your systems, scanning emails, equipment software and cloud storage for signs of trouble. Otherwise, you might want to move on before you get caught in an ugly scenario that requires expensive repairs.
- You’re serviced under a minimal service agreement. Check your service agreement for regular check-in meetings, monitoring and issue resolution clauses. If you find it lacking, it might be a sign that you need a new agreement, or you need to shop for a provider that is going to be more attentive to your needs.
What can you do if you’re not getting good service?
If you’re not happy with your IT service, share your concerns with your provider first. Schedule a meeting and come up with a plan of action. Ask questions about recovery solutions, backup verifications, response times, and anything else your business needs. Their answer may tell you that it’s time to look elsewhere. Hopefully, they address your needs promptly and that’s the end of that headache.
In the meantime, research other managed IT providers in Zeeland and Holland companies in the area and talk to a few. You might gain some new insights into what you should expect from an IT provider. That way, if things don’t improve with your current provider, you’re one step ahead and ready to make a move to a more responsive provider who gives you what you need.
What You Should Look for in a new Managed IT Provider
Partnering with the right managed IT services provider can have a positive effect on profits, productivity, and frankly, employee satisfaction. It is essential to work with a provider that knows your business and is responsive and proactive. It’s hard to know whether a provider can deliver on “soft” promises, so ask new potential providers questions to see how they manage clients.
Trouble with your IT provider? Contact Macatawa Technologies. We can help.
