5 Reasons for considering another company for outsourced IT support
Are you happy with your outsourced IT provider? It’s no surprise if the answer’s yes; after all, outsourced IT can help you grow your business without worrying about your IT infrastructure. That said, if you’re wondering whether it’s time to switch providers, this is also unsurprising. A study by BCG revealed that 62 percent of their respondents could soon switch providers or renegotiate their contracts.
What are the signs it’s time to change providers, though? Well, every company’s needs vary, but here are the five most common reasons you might consider moving outsourced IT providers.
Slow response time
Outsourced IT should mean quick response times, especially if you have an urgent question or a security concern. While these response times should be set out in your contractual agreement SLA, it could be worth switching providers if the following are frequently occurring:
- the responses are frustrating and unhelpful
- response times are unreliable
- you can’t trust your provider to respond at all
These may also be early warning signs that your business relationship may be at a decline.
Poor resolution time
When outsourcing IT, you entrust a team to identify and solve your IT problems in a timely manner. However, suppose your IT provider takes longer than expected to resolve an issue. In that case, it could be a sign that you’re dealing with an inexperienced team that lacks the knowledge to resolve the issue, or it’s just not a priority to them.
What’s more, if your provider can’t accurately pinpoint what’s wrong and resolve the issue, it will likely just linger – which can cost you money in the long run.
Break/fix model
There’s far more to outsourced IT than simply waiting for a problem to arise and then (hopefully) fixing the issue. An effective service IT provider should be proactive, meaning they seek ways to prevent issues before they even occur.
Ultimately, a reactive strategy is less effective than a proactive strategy. Being reactive can cost you more in the long run since system errors, hardware faults, and data breaches can be expensive to resolve.
The takeaway? Consider looking elsewhere if your provider doesn’t have a proactive strategy for supporting your business.
Lack of leadership
A leaderless team lacks direction, motivation, and purpose. So, if your outsourced IT team lacks leadership, this could result in:
- inconsistent and changeable planning
- unclear or mixed communications
- costly errors and oversights
If you sense there might be a leadership problem, and you don’t have the confidence that the outsourced IT team has the support it needs to make sound decisions, it’s time to change providers.
Insufficient cybersecurity services
And lastly, did you know that the average company faces around 270 cyberattacks per year? Cybersecurity is a massive concern for businesses across all sectors. If your outsourced IT provider lacks the knowledge or skills to assess your security risk and identify and block threats properly, this can leave your business vulnerable to an outside attack.
Additionally, when it comes to compliance, your IT provider should be able to get your business up to its compliance standard if this is a requirement for your industry. If this is difficult for them, it’s time to move on.
Outsourced IT support from GB Tech
With the right managed IT services provider, you can focus on running your day-to-day operations without stressing over your network security or infrastructure issues. Here at GB Tech, we understand what businesses want and need from outsourced IT. Contact us to learn more.
