It might seem obvious that an internal IT department, already knows the requirements, the needs and the environment of the company they support.

But, is that the case?

Do they have the right relationship with upper management?

Can they uncover the real business need before they introduce any technical solution?

How can the wrong choice hurt your business?

“It is the second time that we lost our data and we have to let our IT manager go. We didn’t even know that our backup wasn’t working, for ages!!!”

These were the words of the CFO (and the owner) of the mid-sized Software Development firm, in Greece.

Just before the latest incident, they had purchased 37K€ worth of IT equipment to restructure their corporate network. It was soooo wrong! It was so poorly chosen that it couldn’t even support the total number of employees!

What was that IT Manager doing?

There are so many technological areas to explore that is impossible for a single individual to hold on to all that knowledge.

Internal IT departments (especially in a one-man-show scenario) are often so busy dealing with everyday stuff, that they skip doing the important stuff.

It is not always desirable though to completely outsource your IT department.

For example, you may keep the daily stuff internally and hire a (Managed) IT Services Provider for the rest. However, in smaller business setups, it is quite common to outsource the whole thing.

However, in smaller business setups, it is quite common to outsource the whole thing to a (Managed) IT services provider.

What should you consider when choosing an IT services Provider?

During the evaluation phase, consider the following criteria to come closer getting the results your business deserves:

Your provider has dedicated teams and clearly defined roles within their service delivery model. Or, is the same person doing your support, the same person doing your projects? “Beware of This.”

There is a dedicated, and well-organized call center, with technicians that will be able to help you ASAP.

Your provider understands that Managed IT Services is a business model–a mind set and a culture at the core, not a line item on a services menu.

Your provider has a specific model to reduce technology risks and lower overall service issues instead of creating more work for your employees and the provider.

Your provider does not play blame games, or passing the buck, instead they take ownership of any technical issue and they work with all parties to ensure it gets successfully resolved; saving you time, productivity and stress.

Your provider conducts regular meetings to present (new) ways to improve the way you run your business, based on statistics and indicators from within your firm.