When to Replace Managed IT Services in St. Paul
Working with managed IT services in St. Paul comes with several key benefits, from lower IT spending and flexibility to scalability and heightened security. However, it should also be considered that not all managed IT support providers are equal. Some might not be able to deliver the benefits that you typically expect of a managed IT provider. So, what signs should tell you that you are not making the most out of your contract with a managed IT company?
9 Signs You Need to Change Your Managed IT Services Provider
1. Recurring Problems
Providers of managed IT services in St. Paul usually include monitoring systems that help IT specialists anticipate and detect IT issues so they can resolve these before disrupting your operation. If a problem pops up, the cause and resolution get carefully documented to stop the issue from occurring again or at least make it easier for managed IT support specialists to address the problem the next time it happens.
It is a different story, though, if the same problem keeps occurring. This could mean that your IT provider is not doing their job, not monitoring your systems, not keeping track of your frequent issues, or just using Band-Aid solutions to resolve your problems. If this is the case, you're better switching to a more trustworthy managed IT company.
2. Delayed Response
Each time you forward an issue to your managed IT support provider, you would expect to hear back from them at the soonest time possible to avoid prolonging your downtime. But if you keep making follow-ups to see if the team delivering your managed IT services in St. Paul is finally acting on it, you might want to start looking at another IT provider.
The delayed response from your managed IT company could be due to a lack of IT specialists, use of the wrong or outdated technology, or lack of proper monitoring. A good IT provider should be available as much as possible and should give you a response or update within an hour or two of you telling them about an issue.
3. Lack of Transparency and Communication
If your managed IT support provider fails to give you a rundown of the services they provided for you or why they charged a project for consuming a specific amount of time, they have a transparency issue. This becomes an even bigger problem if they failed to resolve some issues or do not even know what ongoing problems you still have. What you can do now is to move on and find a more reliable company offering managed IT services in St. Paul.
4. Surprise Charges
Business owners choose to hire a managed IT company to control their spending by paying a fixed fee. However, your invoice might come as a surprise if your IT provider went ahead and bought or installed new equipment or software without first discussing it with you. It could also be because your in-house IT staff did not know the scope of your contract with your provider. Discuss your managed IT support agreement with your employees and be keen on monitoring how many hours are left or how many charges you've racked up over time. If this keeps happening even with these proactive measures in place, the problem may lie with your IT provider.
5. No Backups
If your managed IT services in St. Paul involve regular data backups, but your provider keeps failing to deliver this particular function, this might cause significant problems in the long run. Backups need to be completed on time, so if there are frequent delays, start looking for a replacement managed IT company now.
6. No 24/7 Monitoring
Even if you keep to business hours, your network is on round-the-clock and has to be secured and up the entire time. This means that you managed IT support should be monitoring it 24/7, too. If not, finding someone to replace them should be a priority.
7. No One Understands Your Business and History
It would be of great assurance to a business owner like you to have a dedicated IT specialist attend to your IT needs. But if that person keeps changing due to high turnover within your managed IT support provider's firm, everything about your business and IT history should be neatly turned over to the next account handler. If this isn't the case, find an IT provider that prioritizes your need to deal with someone familiar with your needs.
8. Lack of Confidence in Security Measures
Do you ever question why someone from your managed IT company has access to your confidential data? Just like how your managed IT services in St. Paul include stringent network security measures and the like, you should feel assured too in the way your IT provider handles your data and the rest of your IT infrastructure.
9. Inability to Keep Up with Your Growth
With growth comes more demand for IT needs, something that your IT provider should be able to keep up with. They should be prepared to give you bigger storage, tighter security, and more IT staff. Otherwise, you'd be better off with a managed IT support team that can handle your expansion.
Network Medics
Are you ready to work with an experienced and trustworthy managed IT company? Check out what Network Medics can do for you. We have been in the business for more than a decade and have equally seasoned IT specialists working for us. Call us at 612.315.1900 to know more about our services and how we can help you optimize your managed IT services in St. Paul.
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