Working with the right IT service provider is extremely important if you care about your clients and your business. This is who will be in charge of protecting your most sensitive data and they will play an essential role in business continuity. They can also help you manage a remote or hybrid team more safely and allow you to control who can have access to sensitive information and when. Let’s take a look at a few things you’ll need to consider when looking for an IT outsourcing partner.
Check their Reputation
The first thing you have to do is check how long the provider has been in business and see what their previous clients have to say about them. Ask what type of businesses they are used to working with and ask them for references too.
It would also be a good idea to ask if they offer free trials. A lot of companies offer a free service for a short period just so you can get familiar with what they do. This could be an opportunity to start testing how they respond to requests and see how well they manage your networks.
Look at Your Needs
A business that has lots of local servers and devices to maintain will need a different set of expertise than a location-independent business with lots of remote employees. So, check where the company expertise truly lies and see if they are a good fit for your organisation.
Going with a specialised team will end up with better faster service and few interruptions, which will all benefit your bottom line. If you’re trying to build a hybrid workplace, for instance, then you need to work with an IT support London team that can handle your local IT infrastructure and monitor activity from remote and local devices.
In this case, Totality Services fully tailored IT support would be a perfect option for you as they specialise in this area specifically. These teams have been dealing with hybrid setups for years and know the challenges companies like yours have to face inside and out, so you can expect to get better service with fewer hiccups.
Check their Communication Style and Accessibility
You also have to know from the get-go how accessible they’ll be. How often can you call them, and how fast can you expect to get a response? Will you have access to someone dedicated to your account, or will you have to deal with a rotating roster of administrators? These are all very important questions that will need to get answered before you speak with someone.
Check how and how often they will provide reports too, and how fast they can get someone on-site in case of an emergency. These are things you have to prepare for as acting fast could make a big difference in how much damage is caused in case of a breach. This will also allow you to get to the source of the attack faster.
Another thing you should do is check how active they are during your interviews. If you’re the only person asking questions, then that’s a red flag right there. They should be showing real interest in your operation and be very specific about your IT setup and your needs. Be very wary of companies that are trying too hard to close without caring about your needs as they may not be able to give you the level of service you need.
Look at their Pricing Structure
You also have to look at their prices and how they compare with the competition. Check how often you’ll need to pay them and how. Also, check if you’ll have to pay extra for things like local visits and check-ups. Some will require that you pay for each visit while some will have a set number of visits included in their packages, so be very careful there.
Ask if They Outsource Themselves
Another thing you should ask the company is whether most of their employees have been with them for a long time or if they outsource. And, if they outsource, ask what type of functions they outsource and how much of their workforce is made up of subcontractors.
An IT team that has lots of subcontractors shouldn’t automatically be scratched off, but they wouldn’t be the best choice for someone who needs regular on-site updates, fixes, and audits, for example. So be very careful and privilege a company that has technicians you can actually look in the eye.
These are all things that will help you find a great IT solutions provider. Take the time to interview a few companies, ask them meaningful questions, and don’t hesitate to take one or two for a spin to see how things work between the two of you.