What makes a friend great to you?
Everyone has a different answer, but most people can agree on a few key basics: communication, friendliness, similar interests, and more. Although the two are very different, an IT managed service provider shows greatness in a similar way.
In this article, we’ll talk about a few attributes to look for when comparing outsourced IT teams.
Read on for more!
Communication
Just like any good partnership, communication is one of the most important parts of working with an IT managed service provider. Everything from goals to billing needs to be discussed in a clear and honest way.
And communication isn’t limited to just regular contact. It also means that you should expect your IT team to be able to answer any questions you have in a way that makes sense to you.
Like any good business owner, you want to make sure your money is going to the right place, and an IT professional that can show and explain their work should put your mind at ease.
Before working with an IT team, make sure to ask how they communicate the work they’re doing for you. Do they send reports? Will someone call you? Regular, honest, and understandable communication sets a great IT team apart from the rest.
Knowledge and Expertise
The key to all great IT is in the knowledge of the IT provider.
If you need to work with an IT team, you want to work with one that has a staff of experts, even if it costs a bit more. Experience can be more expensive up front, but a team that doesn’t know what they’re doing may end up costing you more in mistakes, modifications, and time.
Some IT firms might be able to offer you a cheap deal, but you have to ask why. If it’s too good to be true, you could be working with novice or cheap labor.
Transparency
As previously mentioned, communication is incredibly important when picking an IT team. In a similar vein, your new partners should be transparent with you.
Because tech can be complicated, a skeevy salesperson might try to talk over your head on purpose, like a mechanic who overcharges without any explanation. Everything from billing to work needs to be clearly explained to you.
If they’re not transparent, they might not be honest. Malice isn’t always involved when a team isn’t clear, but a lack of transparency can be indicative of other issues like poor internal processes.
Ownership
Who owns your IT company?
Keep that question ready when you’re shopping for IT support. Although a company may look great on the outside, there may be a different story when you find out who is really in charge.
A company may say it’s local but fail to mention that an enterprise a thousand miles away is calling the shots. While there can be benefits to working with large businesses, the negatives often outweigh the positives.
One major downside is corporate culture. Nothing can be more frustrating than needing a simple IT fix that gets caught up in the corporate world and takes weeks to correct. A local or regional business will prioritize your needs, no matter how big your organization is.
Working with a team in your area means that you can support a local business and stimulate the economy in your area. Plus, unless you manage a large enterprise yourself, a regional IT organization will be a similar size to your company, which means they’ll offer solutions they may use themselves.
It’s a win for you, your team, and your community.
A Great IT Managed Service Provider Isn’t Far Away
Finding a great IT managed service provider isn’t hard. Often, you just need to think about what you expect from a friend and ask your IT company to do the same.
SH Data Tech is a local IT managed service provider that’s ready to meet those expectations. We’d love to hear how we can help you, so please, contact us today!
