Managed It Services

Managed IT is a solution provided by an IT service provider that combines unlimited IT flat-rate support for a flat monthly fee with proactive monitoring of workstations and IT infrastructure.

In a nutshell, managed services are once again focusing on the IT business. The more problems your organization has, the more time and resources IT companies need to designate. This translates into less benefit for the IT organization and leads it to take more proactive measures to reduce the number of organizational problems. This inevitably aligns the results of the two organizations.

Why are managed IT services important?

Align the results of the organization: An IT company is encouraged to do a great job; they want to minimize the problems for your organization because they have KPIs directly related to the efficiency of your IT.

IT experts guarantee peace of mind: You are not an IT expert. Managed service providers take care of your IT so you can focus on running your business.

Proactive support: Managed services offer proactive support. So instead of your IT company constantly solving problems, they will actually try to identify them before they occur, keeping your systems running and your problems.

IT strategic planning: What systems do you need in 12 or 24 months? Chicago IT Managed Services help you anticipate and advise you on planning an IT department. This provides access to proactive support and ensures that the IT infrastructure and software are up to date and updated to minimize risks such as downtime, viruses, and crashes.

Complete IT outsourcing: Managed services give you access to a complete IT department. You don't simply get daily IT support; you also get an IT manager and a virtual CIO so you can think strategically about how IT fits your organization.

Challenges of managed IT services

Here are some challenges you should be aware of when you are thinking about moving to a managed service agreement.

Hold suppliers accountable: The reason why you opt for Chicago IT Management Services is that you want to improve operational efficiency and remove the number of IT problems or roadblocks that affect your team. You need to consider suppliers accountable and make sure they make these improvements. Most providers offer effective reports so you can see exactly how much work they are doing for you and how much efficiency and productivity are improving.

Get strategic IT planning: As part of a managed services contract, you need to benefit from strategic IT planning. You may have difficulty seeing the benefits of a managed service contract if you don't get this component. Make sure your IT organization plans proactively for the next 12 or 24 months and has strategies for improving IT infrastructure and updating software.

Find a supplier with good experience: You need to check the background of your supplier before entering into a contract. They should be able to demonstrate a history of proactive service delivery and measurable results. Check the references before committing and ask yourself which customers they have and if they have experience with companies similar to yours.

Four keys to successfully implement managed IT services

Your organization must make a number of decisions when entering into a managed services IT contract. Here are some things to consider:

• Complete the total IT cost to determine the actual IT cost for your organization.
• Identify potential suppliers; request a check of your current systems.
• Choose a managed service provider and complete the integration process with the provider.

Complete the total IT cost to determine the actual IT cost for your organization.

The first step to moving to managed services is to run a total IT analysis cost.

It's a calculation of what you currently pay for IT support, combined with the cost of lost productivity and downtime that can occur.

An easy way to quantify it is to examine the total cost of wages for staff within the organization; so it counts how much the organization's inefficiency costs every day. It can be as simple as 20 minutes a day due to ineffective systems, but those minutes add up quickly.

You also need to calculate downtime. Are you down for three hours a month? How much is this for your organization in terms of your team's hourly wages?

Identify potential companies; request a check of your current systems

Once the total cost of computer analysis is complete, it's time to select some IT Managed Service Chicago. This process usually involves searching for a company that you are comfortable with working with, that is proven and that knows your industry and the requirements associated with it.

An IT audit is required. This is generally quite intrusive and will involve an IT professional who will provide a complete overhaul of your IT infrastructure, software, and systems. This can usually be done locally or remotely.

Choose a managed service provider and complete the integration process.

When selecting a supplier, make sure it meets your needs. Often, if you only evaluate on a cost basis, you may not find the right partner. Remember that IT now plays an important role in the whole organization. It is important to work with someone who has your best interests in mind and who can provide a proactive service that works.

Will they be able to help you improve IT efficiency?

Will this increase productivity and minimize downtime?

These are the questions you should ask yourself when evaluating suppliers.

The integration process is the last step. This implies making security changes to ensure that the current IT company no longer has access to its systems. Correction work may be needed to bring your site to best practices. Ultimately, it's about gathering and consolidating documentation, checklists, network diagrams and so on to be able to effectively manage the IT environment.

This general process should take about 30 days in most cases, which means that the managed service the contract would not take effect for at least 30 to 45 days after signing.