The IT industry is valued at nearly $5 trillion, and there’s a good reason for that. Technology makes up an integral part of our business operations and infrastructures.
As such, it’s important to have teams that can offer IT service options. If you don’t already have an IT support provider, it’s high time you found one to help you resolve common IT issues.
However, to make sure that you find a team that can provide you with outstanding services, you need to properly vet them. To help you out, we’ve put together a guide on how to pick IT service companies.
What Should I Consider When Choosing an IT Team?
Before you rush out and look for an IT team, you’ll need to sit down and consider a few things. This will help you to get the most out of your team and to ensure that you know exactly what you’re looking for.
Create a List of Needs
Every business is unique, which means that every business’s IT needs are unique as well. What your company requires in terms of tech support could be very different from what your competitors require.
Because of this, it’s critical that you identify your company’s needs. Otherwise, you risk signing up for a one size fits all solution that doesn’t actually cover everything you require. This leads to wasted money and weaker tech support.
When creating a needs report, there are a few questions you should consider. Think about whether you need backup recovery, network monitoring, or VoIP services, for instance. Make a list of what your company’s weak spots are.
To gather this information, ask managers and employees for their opinions on where your IT is lacking. Getting feedback from your teammates can help you get a more accurate picture of where your business could use support.
Consider Bringing in a Consultant
Sometimes creating a written list of where your business isn’t enough. Sometimes you need expert assistance to really ensure you’re selecting an IT provider that can help your team succeed.
The best way to do so is to use a third-party IT consultant that helps create technological roadmaps. This individual can help flag gaps in your company’s technology infrastructure and make it easier for you to choose the right support team.
On top of that, IT consultants can help provide valuable insights into what software and hardware your business could benefit from. They can make sure that your technology and equipment are up to date and are helping your business accomplish its goals.
Most importantly, an IT consultant can help you in the selection process of your provider. They know what to look for and what questions to ask, making it easier than ever for you to pick IT service companies that will truly help your business succeed.
Think About Scalability
Another thing to consider when selecting an IT provider is scalability. You want to make sure that the support services you select will be able to grow with your business.
In addition to this, you’ll want to know what the scalability limitations are. You’ll also need to understand any associated costs and how that will impact business growth and your bottom line.
Keep Centralization in Mind
One major point that your business should think about before selecting an IT team is centralization. Centralization means keeping the majority of a company’s processes in one location.
Having a centralized IT system is an important part of your IT solutions because it allows for agility throughout the organization. It makes it easy for any user to access critical information.
Look for IT providers that offer a type of centralization you’re comfortable with. There are several different centralization services, so be sure to ask questions about which your chosen team plans to use.
Make Mobile Accessibility a Priority
In a world where smartphones and mobile devices are used on a daily basis, it’s important to think about mobile accessibility. You want to make sure that your employees can access business technology from mobile devices.
Whatever IT service you choose to go with, make sure that they have mobile compatibility. The result will help boost your team’s productivity and stay agile in the modern business climate.
Prioritize Security
Many businesses today rely on backup services, data centers, or third-party resources to house their IT systems. With so many devices being managed in different locations, security should be at the forefront of your priorities.
On top of that, nearly 80,000 cyber attacks occur a year. If your business doesn’t have proper security measures in place you could put sensitive data at risk.
When looking for an IT team, make sure to look for teams that take security seriously in their own organization, too. If your chosen team gets compromised, your business does too.
Look Into Service Provider Specializations
Just because you’re hiring an IT provider doesn’t mean that any company advertising these services is appropriate. Your business has unique needs that need to be met and your team should be able to cater to those needs.
Consider the needs list that you made earlier. Look at what the top priorities on your list are and seek out teams that can cater to those priorities.
For example, if your business’s main concerns have to deal with security, an IT team specializing in cybersecurity should be a priority. These teams will have expert knowledge that IT generalists may not and will be able to better assist your business with meeting its goals.
Look at the Costs
When looking for an IT provider there are few things that matter more than the bottom line. You want to make sure that your IT investments provide you with good returns on security, efficiency, and service.
Before you rush out to find an IT team, you want to consider what your financial goals are. Your chosen IT team needs to not only meet your standards but excel at them.
They should also be able to assist your team in meeting your goals without requiring excessive additional resources. Their services should be scalable and affordable and shouldn’t cost your business valuable time or energy, either.
Look for Cloud Services
Since scaling should be a big part of your considerations when looking for IT services so should cloud services. SaaS, cloud services, and virtualization are all important ways to scale your processes and add extra infrastructure and capacity.
When considering an IT team, think about the cloud services that you require. Look for what remote services will best support your business’s scalability.
What Should I Look for in an IT Provider?
When selecting an IT provider, there are a few things that you should look for. Doing so will help make sure that you’re finding a team that truly cares about your company’s success and that can provide you with outstanding IT support services.
Responsiveness
Every company has different response times, thanks to the different processes that they use. You want to make sure that you find a company that can provide you with timely answers that work for you.
Ask them questions about how long it typically takes them to resolve issues and respond to communication channels. You’ll also want to ask them how long it will take them to get to you if providing onsite services.
Remember, just because a company gives you an answer doesn’t mean that it’s true. Follow up your questions by reading reviews and testimonials to get an idea of how the team performs in the real world.
Advisory Services
When choosing IT services, you want to make sure that you’re finding someone who goes above and beyond. Look for an IT provider who can offer you industry-specific advice.
On top of that, make sure that your provider is able to explain what they do. They should be able to give you and your employees a clear picture of what they’ll be doing for your team and why it’s beneficial.
Experience
Your entire IT infrastructure is going to be in the hands of your chosen IT team. That means that you need to choose someone who truly understands the world of IT and has the experience to back it up.
On top of that, you want to select a provider who adheres to IT best practices. Look for someone who is not only experienced but who also engages in continuing education.
Service Agreement
You need to make sure you read your new IT service agreement thoroughly. Knowing the terms of your contract will help ensure that you’re getting the services you need to keep your business up and running.
Make sure to find a team that offers 24-hour uptime ping monitoring. That way they can immediately jump on any issues that could potentially disrupt your business operations.
Predictable Costs
If your IT provider seems to be constantly changing his or her prices, you have a big problem on your hands. That’s because it makes it difficult to budget for your technology services.
A good IT team will offer customized packages of IT services. They typically use a fixed monthly fee that is easy for you to budget for and that you can use for tax write-offs.
Security
Security should be at the forefront of your chosen IT team’s priorities. Having a proper security system in place helps you protect your business against hackers, malware, and viruses.
Your IT team should use technology that blocks threats before they even enter your network. And they should be able to assist your team in adhering to government and industry security regulations.
Disaster Recovery Solutions
While a good IT team will help prevent issues from even taking place, they should also be available to prevent any issues that do arise. One way of doing so is to provide you with offsite and onsite cloud backups.
Make sure to select a provider that offers continuous backups so that you can always access your data. And, be sure to look for a team that conducts regular testing to keep your data protected.
Ongoing Support
There’s nothing like ongoing support to provide you with peace of mind that your tech is working the way it should. A team that provides ongoing support can help ensure that your data and technology services are always available.
On top of that, when you have a team constantly monitoring your IT, you can put the focus on your business operations. You’ll be able to perform better as a whole by leaving it to the experts.
Multiple Solutions
A good IT package should include a wide range of services. A few common services to look for are:
- Virtual CIO assistance
- Wireless services
- VoIP business phones
- Hosted cloud services
- Mobile device management
By offering a large range of services, an IT team can provide you with everything you need in one package. They’ll be able to create customized solutions so that you don’t have to use multiple providers for your tech needs.
Priorities
Last but certainly not least, a good IT team should make your business a priority. They should care about your business goals and about your team’s impact.
The reason for this is that it helps you ensure that they’re providing good quality of work. You want to make sure that the team that’s helping you cares about what you’re doing and not just about making a paycheck.
Pick IT Service Companies Like a Pro
With this guide on how to pick IT service companies you’ll be able to find a provider that fits your IT service budget. And, you’ll be able to find a team that can take care of any issue your team is facing.
If you found this guide helpful, you’ll need to check out some of our other content. We’ve got tons of guides and reviews to help you make any digital decisions.
