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3 Ways MSP’s Help IT Departments Be More Effective

In a very fast-paced digital world, every business needs IT departments that adapt rapidly to the market.

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Technological advances are keeping IT managers on their toes, and this can sometimes interfere with productivity at work. For example, a change in how software works, or the introduction of new systems in the IT department will mean that a business must spend resources on learning how to use the new technology. The IT employees will also need to be trained afresh, to make sure they can still do their jobs well. Of course, this translates to you spending money on unexpected expenses, which is generally bad for business.

The Problems Your IT Directors May Be Dealing With

Sometimes, your company has an IT department filled with experts in the field, without junior staff members to deal with simpler, everyday activities. Tasks like software upgrades and data backup might interfere with tougher roles like planning and coming up with new strategies. In this case, the business needs to invest in in-house IT staff to deal with such matters.

In yet another different kind of scenario, a company may be experiencing rapid growth and expansion. Subsequently, they will need additional IT help very urgently. The new members of staff will assist in putting in new hardware and software, training members of staff on various IT needs, and fixing the hitches that come with installing new devices. Either way, your company will need to work with IT experts who are already good at what they do.

Why You Should Consider Managed IT

Most IT departments have now recognized the need for specialists, as well as readily available in-house staff to help with daily routine tasks at the office. Even smaller business owners are looking into creating and improving their IT departments, to stay ahead of the competition. What most companies do is either have an in-house team or contract with external IT companies and leave the tech work solely in their hands. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.

With an in-house team, your IT needs can be covered immediately if something comes up. The employees are often available at a moment’s notice. Because not everyone at the company will know how to handle IT issues, an in-house IT team is very essential to the smooth running of the business. The last thing you want at your company is for everything to come to a standstill while you call someone from an IT business to fix your technology problems. This is bad for business, and for your employee productivity.

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On the other hand, your IT department is unlikely to be spending resources on keeping up with new technological advances, all the time. Of course, they will often need expert help in one way or another even if it’s just occasionally. This is where external contracts with IT professionals come in. Whenever you need extra help, you can contract with another business and allow them to exclusively run your IT operations.

A good example is experts who constantly help the staff move their emails from Exchange or IMAP/POP environment to Office 365. They clearly have the expertise for this because they have done it a few times. The best thing about this is that your employees can sit back while the more experienced and knowledgeable people work on IT. Here you can be guaranteed that the work will be done very well and that you are staying up to date with tech advancements easily.

But what if you could combine the expertise of an external IT firm and the convenience of an in-house team?

What is a Co-managed IT Department?

A co-managed IT department is one where the company has both their in-house team and an external team of IT experts working together. They are able to enjoy the advantages that come with both approaches, without having to choose one over the other. 60% of clients here, stated that these partnerships are collaborative and involve the sharing of knowledge between both groups to make IT at the company better.

Who Gains from a Co-Managed IT System?

As a business owner, you can enjoy the benefits of having an internal team that can easily be reached whenever you have an IT problem that needs immediate fixing. With your team in-house, you can also manage them effectively because communication is faster. If they need anything, the message can quickly reach management. You are also able to budget more accurately for your employees and the expenses of the department.

For your employees, having outside help available to them always allows them to work without unnecessary interruptions. This is because someone else is handling any emergency issues. It also gives their roles a lot of structure, since they are clear on what their duties are, and what work belongs to the other company. This allows them to focus on their roles and do them well.

An external company will always be grateful to have someone on the ground. This way, any problems can be detected and communicated immediately for prompt fixing. Also, they can focus on high-level strategies and improvements while the staff members work on day-to-day troubleshooting programs around the office. This arrangement is a win-win for everyone involved.

Benefits of a Co-managed IT Department

  1. More productivity for company staff because someone is always available to help with IT.
  2. Better budgeting since external contractors have fixed rates for a wide range of IT services.
  3. Easy access to new technologies without having to bring in professionals all the time.
  4. Clearer job descriptions for all employees because everyone plays a distinct role in the department.
  5. Increased cybersecurity that external experts are in a better place to provide, as compared to the company’s direct employees.
  6. Supplementing your staff capacity, especially during peak periods. If there is urgent bulk IT work to be done, your staff members will benefit from getting extra help from your IT partners.
  7. Maintain some level of control and structure over your IT department, without needing to give everything up to another business

Learn more about how to run co-managed departments well, or contact us to make use of our services.

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