How to know if you’re getting the IT support your business needs
When business leaders have 101 priorities on their radar, sometimes outsourcing the IT support your business needs is the best thing you can do to ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently.
In fact, 59% of small businesses report having difficulty implementing and rolling out new technologies – which, in a digitally-driven world, can have a significant impact on your wider business operations and performance.
However, accessing the right IT support for businesses isn’t always straightforward. What one business needs from their IT partner could hugely differ to what another business requires – it’s all about your unique weak spots, strengths, and opportunities for improvement.
So, how do you know whether you’re getting the IT support your business needs to truly thrive? Here are some top areas to be aware of:
1. Basic everyday tasks have become difficult to execute
Your IT systems are designed to support everyday business practices – not hinder them. Across your organisation, your technology investments should be aiding productivity and streamlining operations. They certainly shouldn’t be making your job, or your employees’ jobs, even harder.
Whether it’s increased downtime, processing speed, or trouble accessing important data – if your IT infrastructure is regularly decreasing productivity and preventing your employees from doing what they do best, it’s time for a change.
Regularly checking in with employees of all levels is critical to understanding the full capabilities and challenges of your existing IT services, and whether your IT partner is currently providing you with the support you need within your organisation.
2. Your software has become outdated or redundant
Outdated, legacy systems pose multiple threats to your business. Not only does it leave you vulnerable to evolving cyber threats, but also increased downtime, hindered productivity, and various system failures and errors.
While we may not think of technology as having an expiration date, all software has an end of life where automatic or even manual updates are no longer available. It’s up to your IT partner to be aware of when software reaches the end of its life, and to guide you in finding the next best solution to suit your needs.
If you regularly find yourself using outdated software, or being blindsided by expired applications, then it might be time to find a new IT partner that can better support your business’ needs.
3. Response time is unpredictable
Whether it’s a system fault, security breach, or anything in between – rapid response time from your IT partner is critical. You need to know that the experts are on hand for all your IT needs, no matter how big or small.
At the end of the day, your business operations are reliant on seamless, efficient, effective IT systems – from inter-departmental communications, to data reporting, to virtual client meetings and more. When something goes wrong with your infrastructure, the knock-on effects can be significant. The right IT partner acts quickly and effectively to ensure your issues are resolved and you can continue business as usual.
If you’ve noticed response times increasing, this could mean that your current IT partner has either become overloaded and can’t keep apace, or simply become inefficient with their services. Either way, it means you’ve outgrown your IT partner.
4. Nobody is anticipating development or business growth
No successful business stays stagnant, and neither should its IT services. As your business expands, evolves and develops, so should your IT infrastructure to accommodate new users, needs, and challenges across your organisation.
Your IT solutions should never be a ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ strategy. Their success hinges on constant monitoring, upgrading and improving, so they can continue to support your business as it evolves. A strong indicator that you might have outgrown your IT partner is when they are no longer anticipating these developments.
Your services provider should be proactive, not reactive. They should understand your plans for expansion and development, and know how to adapt your infrastructure to accommodate your business’ growth.
When your IT partner no longer demonstrates this forward-thinking approach to your IT infrastructure, it could be time to look elsewhere for your IT support needs.
IT support for business that puts you first
The right IT partner has the ability to bolster your defences, drive productivity and offer much-needed peace of mind that all your IT needs are covered. However, that should never come at the expense of your business’ growth.
At Arc Systems, we offer businesses all-round IT support, from cloud migration to cyber security, data protection, and so much more. We help to build bespoke IT solutions that fit your unique needs, and that evolve with your business and employees, for total ease of use and efficiency.
Think you’ve outgrown your IT partner and need to take the next step on your IT journey? Get in touch with our team of experts on 01268 288 100 or [email protected] to see how we can help.