Common Managed IT Services Challenges and How to Avoid Them
When you’re considering starting a relationship with a managed services provider (MSP), building that business relationship can take time and be complicated. The benefits of working with an MSP include constant access to a team of IT experts, significant cost savings, easier standard compliance and risk mitigation, IT scalability and access to a range of innovative technologies.
However, there is any number of managed IT services challenges that can commonly arise that you should try to avoid as you begin your relationship with your MSP. With the market for MSPs projected to hit over $356 billion USD by 2025, there will be good and bad MSPs. Here are some tips to help you avoid any managed IT services challenges.
Managed IT Services Challenges
The Company Can’t Scale When You Need It
In an ideal world, your MSP can guide and support you as your business grows, giving you new strategies and products to help your business’ IT assets grow along with the rest of your company. Instead of having to constantly follow up with them for help, they should proactively approach you with product and technology suggestions for you to implement. If your MSP can’t provide you with the right strategies and guidance, it’s time to move on, because they won’t be able to keep up with your needs.
The Latest Cybersecurity Measures Are Not Offered.
You would expect that an MSP would primarily focus on keeping your business’ cybersecurity at the top of their to-do list, but it’s surprising how many managed IT services challenges are focused on cybersecurity failures. When you don’t have sufficient cybersecurity, your company can be vulnerable to hackers. This can include failure to back up and secure your sensitive data, data breaches, and similar areas of concern. If your MSP isn’t providing you with regular briefings on threats to your company and ways to minimize risk, it’s time to look for a different MSP.
Delayed Responses
When you’re dealing with a serious IT issue, such as an internet outage, data loss or server crash, you don’t want to wait a long time for a response. If you spend more time trying to chase down your MSP to get status updates than you do getting proactive results from them, it may be time to switch, because a good MSP should be able to get back to you quickly on these matters.
You’re Constantly Being Upsold
There’s a big difference between good, timely recommendations for quality technology, services and products, with quality data to back up and justify the costs, providing you with information on how the upgrades will improve your operation, and constant upselling of products and services with no justification as to why those products or services can improve your business. If you feel like you’re constantly in the middle of a sales pitch, move on to an MSP that has your best interests at heart.
The Invoice From Your MSP Doesn’t Match Services Received
Most companies use an MSP to help stabilize and secure their IT budget. That’s why it’s important to make sure that your invoices are accurate. If you notice a serious inconsistency between your expectations and your invoices, it’s important to question these charges. Your MSP could be installing equipment or software without your consent, billing you for services you didn’t agree to or are taking advantage of employees who are ignorant of your agreement with the MSP. Being billed for unapproved services is one of the most common managed IT services challenges to avoid.
Issues With Outages and Downtime
One of the biggest managed IT services challenges that can impact your business is recurrent issues with downtime and service outages. If you’ve hired an IT service to help you avoid these issues, experiencing them frequently can cause serious harm to your business. Having your website down or your employees unproductive because the system isn’t working will actually cost you revenue and additional overhead costs, so if you’re seeing frequent service outages, it’s time to switch your service to a company that respects your profitability.
The MSP Offers No Remediation Strategies
Are you receiving vulnerability assessments and remediation strategies regularly to ensure the security of your data and digital assets? If you aren’t, it’s time to start shopping for a new MSP company. Good MSPs deliver years of experience and technical knowledge to defend your company against cybersecurity threats and data breaches, so issues are a sign that your current provider can’t deliver on their promises, leaving you open to risk.
Lack Of Transparency
Is your MSP able to communicate effectively the changes and upgrades they’ve added to your digital infrastructure? If they’re keeping things to themselves, are reluctant to discuss how new technology or strategies will impact your business, you should start looking for a new business.
Poor Internal Security
Your MSP should take solid steps to defend your company’s internal security because MSPs are common sources of hacking and cybersecurity breaches. This means that a good MSP will take solid precautions to protect your sensitive client information and your customer’s access, even if they need to provide that protection from their own employees. Though it’s a common practice for MSPs to share credentials to client data access or provide flat permissions, it’s one that leaves you open to a data breach. Poor security is one of the worst managed IT services challenges.
Managed IT Services Provided By Network Outsource
If you’ve discovered any of these common managed IT services challenges with your MSP, it may be time to start shopping for a new company to do business with, while you’ve still got a company to protect. Network Outsource is well-positioned to help small to medium businesses take charge of their IT services and help them grow successfully through the challenges of digital transformation. Please feel free to reach out with questions, for more information or to schedule a consultation.
