When to Engage an MSP

Over the past decade, engaging a managed IT service provider (MSP) has quickly become a popular approach for modern day SMEs to acquire their IT services, but how do you know when your business is ready?

Before we jump into when, let’s start with the what.

A Managed IT Service Provider is an organisation of qualified IT experts who commonly offer a menu of IT services, such as helpdesk, business continuity, and security solutions. They typically bill at a predictable, agreed upon monthly cost that can include additional services (project delivery, IT procurement, etc) a la carte.

As for the when, here are 5 tell-tale signs that it might be time to invest in a partnership with an MSP.

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1.     Managing IT is getting in the way of the vision
Perhaps you’re a business owner with a secret gifted tech-wiz living inside you, so you think ‘Why should I pay someone for something I can just Google myself?’ – right?! Although knowing enough to set your business up is truly an advantage, at some point you need to ask yourself if the time you’re spending troubleshooting Steven’s recurring printing issues is the best use of your time. Entering a partnership with a great MSP allows you to focus your time on business goals while being empowered, rather than hindered, by your technology. Do what you do best, outsource the rest.

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2.     Your in-house IT Manager is wearing too many hats
You may already have a gun IT resource or two in your team and see the value they bring to the workplace. However, maybe in recent times they’ve been consumed with problem solving while the overall technology roadmap is not getting the attention it deserves. Or you may be starting to have concerns about whether your IT platform is still the best-fit solution for your business, but your IT team don’t have the capacity to investigate better solutions. If you feel like you’re being sheltered from innovation, an MSP can be a great supplement to your in-house IT team. As the region’s leading MSP, Cloudwize have forged excellent relationships with a number of our clients who have their own internal IT resources. We take on the day-to-day so that you can focus on the important stuff. As the saying goes, por qué no los dos?

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3.     You’re growing!
The hard work is paying off, and the newfound momentum is generating an increase in revenue. You’re bringing on new staff and quickly coming to find that the IT requirements for supporting your growing team are also increasing. Before you set out on a mission to recruit additional IT staff members, it may be an excellent time to consider engaging an MSP. These days most MSPs have a Per-User-Per-Month billing model which allows you to scale your IT support expenses to your business requirements. As an added benefit, you’re not just hiring an individual, but a team of specialists with a breadth of knowledge beyond that of any single team member without having to worry about sick leave, paid holidays, superannuation, computer equipment or office supplies.

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4.     Key person risk
It’s possible you’ve struck it lucky with a sensational IT guru. Your systems are purring away without a glitch, and things couldn’t be better. Whenever you do have minor hiccups, your tech-genius seem to have all the answers on the tip of their tongue. You’re keeping them forever. But managing an IT environment is a complex beast and knowledge is everything. If, one day, your star player decides to move on, like it or not, that knowledge is leaving with them. Consider sharing the load with an MSP. Spread knowledge of your systems amongst a team of techs who securely document all of your nuts and bolts and how they’re put together, for their benefit, and yours. Not to mention, having a set of extra hands for those mammoth IT projects.

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5.     Things are getting complicated

Although you have all the basics covered, your team are reaching their limits. There are some complex changes on the horizon that will need a higher-level skillset. Senior-level IT resources are expensive, and good ones are hard to come by. A great MSP can provide you with that super-tech level of support, along with the birds-eye perspective you need to help make the big decisions.

The benefits of engaging a great Managed IT Service Provider are immense, and the arrangement can be flexible. If accessing an entire team of specialists with diverse skillsets using advanced monitoring tools to keep an eye on your systems 24/7 sounds useful to you, or if any of the above scenarios rang true, it might be time to explore your options.

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Cloudwize are a relationship driven Managed IT Service Provider, partnering with regional businesses who rely on technology to power their company forward.
If you want to check out how Cloudwize can help your business, take a look at our Services page.