Mid to large size businesses typically have internal staff members to manage a company IT infrastructure, projects, help desk, expansions, cyber security, etc. Sometimes an entire IT department is necessary. In some instances, it still makes sense to have an IT team on payroll depending on a company’s needs. However, depending on your businesses scenario it may be time to consider having your IT fully managed by an MSP or potentially co-managed with your internal IT team.
An MSP’s primary function is to provide value and confidence that your technology is in the management of a competent and communicative team. They typically handle the ‘managed services’ such as Microsoft 365, cyber security, network management, password management, backup management, also providing on demand remote help desk support, trainings, business continuity planning, and much more. Essentially you can have an entire team at your fingertips at reduced cost as compared to traditional in-house IT and with excellent internal controls for your IT infrastructure. Since an MSP would be under contract, they cannot take vacation or sick time, and there aren’t any of the typical payroll burdens to have to consider. For many businesses, an MSP makes more sense to take the place of your traditional IT team. In many cases you can get more bang for your buck so to speak.
Alternatively, a ‘co-managed’ arrangement could be the better way to go. Some businesses find this arrangement more ideal to maximize how their in-house IT team spends time. Your team handles the larger more critical projects while the MSP takes on the more mundane but necessary services like cyber security, Microsoft 365 management, and level 1 remote help desk issues. On staff IT teams that can offload these sorts of items often breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they can concentrate on the big picture for your business and have their ’go to’ for items they just do not have time to address. This arrangement also commonly is a money saver too.
If you rely on your internal IT team but find that they are struggling to keep up with certain tasks because they are too busy addressing common help desk items, or your staff does not have the time to train or get a certification for a particular service, it may be time to evaluate whether and MSP is for you in either a managed or co-managed arrangement.
The best way to think of it is that an MSP is simply an extension of your in-house team. The MSP is not after anyone’s jobs, they are there to provide value to the business and the IT team while reducing their day-to-day burden. A good example of this would be the hiring of a new team member. Your team is too booked up to properly onboard each new team member that comes on board and all the nuances that come with that important process. Instead, you defer this entire process to an MSP. They purchase a predefined workstation for you along with any accessories and set up the computer with all the necessary services and apps they would need. The computer arrives at your office and all the new team member or IT team needs to do is physically set it up and login for the first time and off they go! That’s only if your contract with the MSP doesn’t include onsite time! If your business is growing fast and you are doing this frequently, imagine the time savings your IT team could recognize by having a co-managed setup! This is just one of many examples where having a managed or co-managed arrangement for your business is beneficial.
When it’s time for your annual SWOT analysis, do not forget about IT. Inserting this new way of thinking could be a huge win for your team. Can I save money while increasing value to my team and make them more available for the big picture? The answer is almost always a resounding YES, in either a fully managed or co-managed arrangement.
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