IT is a critical part of any business and requires special skills to administer and ensure that investments are made in line with the business vision. While it is tempting for owners to wear multiple hats, IT isn't an area that runs well with minimal attention. Having to juggle vendors, apps, desktops, servers and security is difficult even for IT professionals. There are three sure signs that it may be time to outsource some of your IT processes.
Lack of Visibility
IT can become complex very quickly, and the simplest network can explode into a mess of wires and switches. If you don't know how many desktops you have with antivirus or what versions of Office are installed on which workstations, you are missing critical information that could impact the business. Having outsourced business IT support allows you to receive executive reporting of the items that are the most pressing to your organization. Proper asset management also allows you to focus your investments.
No Clear ROI
IT can very quickly become a black hole of expenses, both in the operational and capital sides of the budget. IT investments should have a measurable impact on the business, with clear asset values. Projects where IT investments are required should clearly add value to the project. Outsourced information technology services often have relationships with key vendors that can offer a tailored, budget conscious solution that directly ties into the IT projects.
Infrastructure Awareness
Maintaining an IT infrastructure is a key area where outsourced technology services are a huge benefit and time-saver. It's very challenging to develop and maintain a patch management policy. Keeping up with regular Windows updates and third-party updates ensures that your network is secure. Outsourced IT usually have remote management and monitoring software that can automatically update Windows patches, scan for viruses and proactively monitor the hardware inside desktops, usually for a cost-effective price.
The benefit of managed IT services in both security and stability of the network and the amount of time that can be given back to the team is usually worth the costs. Solutions are tailored to the needs of the business and can be done a la carte to suit the business needs.