With a flexible Managed Service Provider, your technology assets can improve every corner of your organization with greater efficiency and focus
Managing any complex organization is a juggling act. One slipup in a workflow or gap in a supply chain and everything can fall apart, resulting in wastage, as well as slowdowns and stoppages in an operation — and technical challenges and risks are everywhere.
Consequently, IT departments are stretched thin managing increasingly complex infrastructure arrangements. Adding support in targeted areas can reduce their burden significantly and empower them to better manage high level IT priorities.
Here are six areas where taking on strategic support can extend the reach and effectiveness of your internal IT resources:
1. Helpdesk
An IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) helpdesk should be built to handle all Level 1 tickets so that your highly skilled IT resources can concentrate on the most complex and significant technical challenges.
The key metrics for judging the effectiveness of a helpdesk are:
- Average Response Time
- Average Resolution Time
- Customer Satisfaction Rating
When a helpdesk responds rapidly to new requests, moves tickets efficiently through the system (elevating issues to higher support when appropriate), and removes obstacles to productivity, the entire organization benefits.
2. Backup and Recovery
Data integrity and business continuity work hand in hand today. A managed backup and disaster recovery service ensures that your sensitive documents and datasets are secured, redundantly backed up, and accessible for rapid recovery 24/7/365.
When it’s offered as a comprehensive solution, your team can offload backup responsibility entirely and ensure full recovery from:
- Ransomware Attacks
- Physical Damage (fire, flood, etc.)
- Human Error
But, make sure no area is left unmonitored. All-encompassing backup and recovery covers data and documents wherever they can be found in your organization, whether in a private, public, or managed cloud, on a legacy app, or within a productivity or communication platform.
3. Cabling
It’s an essential part of computer networks and power grids, but many IT professionals scoff at the thought of getting their hands dirty doing the hard work of running cables. They shouldn’t, though. Finding optimal cable management solutions is an intriguing and necessary challenge.
Choose an IT partner willing and able to get into your conduits and crawl spaces to install the right cables, the right way, for:
- Computer Networks
- Surveillance Systems
- Fiber optics
- Telephony
- Wireless Access Points
4. Procurement
Partnering with a capable MSP is like adding a virtual procurement manager. They can help select and source the right tools for your operation, track down the best pricing, and manage all associated contracts, licenses, renewals, and warranties. They can also help with product support like pre-sales solutions design or hardware demo units.
An experienced procurement team delivers:
- Products and vendors tailored to your core business functions
- Tools and processes designed for your industry
- Solutions that fit your budget and integrate with your infrastructure
- On-going support and consultation
Plus, if you choose a centralized procurement solution (a one-stop-shop for all the technology that powers modern business), you never have to juggle contacts with numerous vendors.
5. Onsite Logistics
IT departments that are geographically spread out and struggling to coordinate, particularly in regard to physical, onsite operations, benefit greatly from onsite support and logistics management experience.
It’s true that the tools for remote monitoring and management of IT assets have come a long way, but there are still situations where boots on the ground are needed. The ability to get techs hands-on quickly almost anywhere to address problems in real time is invaluable and keeps businesses agile amid changing market forces.
6. Overflow Staffing and Specialized Expertise
Adding MSP manpower to respond rapidly to incidental events such as a ransomware cleanup, PC deployment, or major data migration means you get strategic support right when you need it most.
When IT departments are overburdened and overwhelmed by unanticipated spikes in user activity or new initiatives that are more involved than expected, problems tend to snowball. MSPs with specialized IT capabilities stand ready to deploy them in response to pressing issues facing their partners.
It’s an ondemand performance and resource advantage because, with support from highly trained and experienced technology professionals, available at a moment’s notice, businesses are prepared for whatever comes their way.
The Right Partner Makes You Better
Choose a technology partner with a record of building dependable, cost-effective, and smartly-managed IT solutions that are proven to augment the efficiency of your business.
When your internal IT department and a MSP are in sync, information flows freely (but securely) throughout your organization, and strategic guidance is offered to steer you towards optimized solutions, measured both in cost savings and business outcomes.
The right MSP arrangement is tailored to your needs, synergizes with your strengths, monitors and mitigates your vulnerabilities, enhances your capabilities, and saves you time and effort. For a large majority of businesses today, it’s the right choice.
D2 Integrated Solutions is a collaborative and pragmatic information technology partner. Ask us how we can augment your IT resources.
