As humans, we sometimes have the tendency to focus on the negative – you see that especially in the news. When it comes to IT, the same thing applies – customers focus on support tickets because there’s an issue, so the reason or context why you reach out is negative.

While this doesn’t seem like such a big deal, you have to ask yourself the question: do you end up with a negative association with your IT support company?

Let me ask you a few questions:

  • When was the last time you’ve caught up with them and reviewed what you’ve achieved together?
  • When was the last time you were able to go on a deep dive into new (and upcoming) technology (think AI software to support your business)?
  • When was the last time you sat back and evaluated if what you’re using is still fit for purpose?

If the answer is “rarely” or “never", you’re missing a trick. While regular catchups with your managed services provider should be on your agenda anyway to ensure they’re meeting their SLAs, what they can achieve goes way beyond that.

Ask yourself the question: How important is IT for running your business? If everything hinges on IT (which is the case for many industries), you should really kick off the conversation outside of the support tickets you submit.

For example:

  • Do you know how your IT infrastructure would accommodate unexpected business growth? Would you potentially experience bottlenecks?

Another example:

  • You decide to diversify – do you know what the best technology out there is to support your new venture?

Fact is: today’s technology landscape is complex – from software to hardware, from functionality to setup. And everyone’s trying to do more with less (that is, with the aim of a positive impact on productivity and cost). While that’s something to strive for, it can become tricky very quickly when you apply this to staff, like your IT team.

If your in-house team doesn’t have the time to look into it – who else if not your MSP – is qualified to or even will?

But it’s not just that – if you were to experience a cyberattack tomorrow, would you be able to continue working? Would your data be safe?

I encourage you to pick up the conversation with your MSP – pick their brains how they can support you to achieve more going forward because you pay them a substantial amount of money every month to help you get the most out of their expertise.

Or if you're interested in a conversation with us at Innovate Ltd, feel free to send us a message.