The Seven Mistakes
1. Failure to consider the response times
Determining the response times of your prospective IT providers is essential. You need to ask them how long they usually take to reply to queries and resolve problems. Be sure to gauge their onsite support efficiency too.
Not enquiring about their availability is another grave error. Your IT team should provide round-the-clock services, including specialists that will monitor your system. Constant monitoring and availability can help ensure you can detect IT issues early. With this, the provider can immediately administer patches and updates to safeguard against disasters. Furthermore, your IT provider should offer simple access to their desk support. You should be able to contact them via email and phone.
2. Neglecting the security aspect
Disregarding the security features of your IT provider might be the most severe mistake. Teams with improper defence mechanisms can’t shield your system from cyber attackers, increasing the risk of losing data and access to resources. To avoid this, look for IT providers that can protect you from malware and other threats. They also need to prioritise protecting your business’s confidential data, like trade secrets and customer information. When it comes to specific security measures, your IT provider should have features that prevent data intrusions instantly upon detection. The list includes phishing attacks simulations, web content filtering, DNS security, endpoint protection, mobile device management, and dark web protection. In addition, responsible teams should eliminate point-of-sale and network intrusions before they compromise your system. Making sure they abide by security compliance and government regulations is also paramount – note whether they have any security certifications such as Cyber Essentials or IASME Cyber Assured.
3. Forgetting the budget
Many IT companies operate under pay-as-you-go pricing schemes. Although this helps you minimise upfront investment, adopting a large number of technologies simultaneously without considering the recurring costs can cripple your finances. Retainers work best for both parties and guarantee swift support without spiralling costs. Research your providers thoroughly and draft your budget with professional assistance. These steps can prevent considerable frustration down the line.
4. Not determining scalability
One of the biggest impediments to growing your company is choosing an IT provider with poor scalability. By contrast, scalable IT teams allow your business to evolve and grow. They can continually extend their services to accommodate your company’s goals, even if these goals change.
5. Opting for non-responsible service level agreement
Service level agreements (SLAs) hold IT providers accountable for their services. It establishes standards for responsibilities, quality, scope, and delivery time in writing. Without it, you’ll have no way of ensuring transparent collaboration.
When selecting your IT provider, find one with a responsive agreement. It can help guarantee the SLA scales with their services while rendering continuous improvement.
6. Lack of team training and feedback
The story doesn’t end once you’ve found and partnered with a trustworthy IT provider. New technologies won’t magically increase your bottom line and decrease outputs. To accomplish your goal, your employees will still need to understand how to use your new tech solutions. But bear in mind that not every team member may be able to grasp new tools easily – some may even prefer the existing platforms. Fortunately, you can hire IT experts to train them. These professionals should simplify any complex steps and advise your staff on making the most of your new investment. Also, some enterprises set up regular training but fail to monitor their team’s performance. This is a huge mistake, as it keeps you from assessing your employee’s response to new technologies. So, conduct questionnaires and other forms of feedback collection to determine and address any weaknesses.
7. Ignoring experiences with previous clients
Choosing an IT provider is similar to buying standard products and services. Failure to check user reviews can lead to disappointment. To get a clear picture of your IT team’s capabilities, analyse their current and previous clients from similar industries. Look for reviews, testimonials, and ask the provider for a list of projects and references. After doing your due diligence, you should be able to tell whether an IT provider is an ideal match for your company. However, keep in mind that every IT team is different. For instance, they might be well-versed in the healthcare industry but have no experience working with retailers. That’s why as mentioned, stick to IT providers servicing your industry to get the best results.
Find the right fit
Nobody wants to end up with a poor IT provider that can’t deliver great results, leaves your company open to cyber attacks, and causes other vulnerabilities. Your investment goes down the drain, and your operations suffer.
To find your right fit, get in touch for a free consultation.
