Productivity is a component not often take into consideration when considering the pros and cons of IT support. Below, we’ll take a look at how Managed IT Services can help improve productivity within an organization.
As we’ve previously discussed, many small and midsize businesses still employ the old-school break-fix approach to IT management, meaning they don’t have IT support but will call an IT company if something breaks. The break-fix model presents a productivity problem when something goes wrong within a computer network. To help illustrate this, consider if a company has an issue with a computer that cannot access the internet. After having a couple of employees try to do basic troubleshooting (i.e. restarting the computer, unplugging the router and plugging it back in), they would then call an IT company to come out and assess the situation. The employee(s) who rely on the affected computer are then left to do busy work while waiting for support to arrive. If they are lucky, the technician can fix the problem and be on their way, meaning they only lost a few hours’ worth of work that day. But many times, a problem can require extensive troubleshooting and possibly replacing a component. The issue could have stemmed from something simple, like an old piece of hardware that should have been replaced long ago. In the break-fix model, issues are addressed as they arise rather than proactively, leaving business networks susceptible to significant downtime when dealing with something like a basic hardware failure. With the Managed IT Services approach, a team of IT professionals is proactively maintaining the network and evaluating the current and future hardware needs of the business, minimizing the risk of these types of incidents.
In regards to software updates, we’ve already discussed how easy it is for software to go without regular updates when relying on the break-fix model of IT management. This innocent oversight can cause systems to run slower, cause compatibility issues with certain programs or devices, and even freeze up computers altogether. On top of that, Compass America tells us that the average employee spends 30 minutes a week trying to fix PC problems or assisting coworkers (https://networkalliance.com/understanding-technology-costs/). These issues are by no means alleviated by the break-fix approach. If a small business has 10 employees, and each employee is averaging 30 minutes/week trying to fix technical issues, that comes out to 260 hours cumulatively lost over the course of a year.
While we could continue on with real world examples of server failures and various viruses and malware attacks that took networks down for hours or even days at a time, we think you get the picture. By relying on a break-fix approach to managing your IT infrastructure, you are literally waiting on what the name suggests – for something to break. This approach doesn’t work with any other aspect of business, and frankly, it doesn’t work with IT either.
The MSP model ensures that these problems are minimized. The remote support available to clients, as well as the proactive management and regular updates to your company’s network during non-business hours, minimize downtime and maximize your organization’s ability to produce value for your customers. Our focus is on your IT needs, so your focus can be on driving results. Rather than waiting for something to break, doesn’t it make more sense to take a proactive approach to ensure that the technology you depend on is simply more reliable?