Crystal Rae
Are you worried that you aren’t doing enough to improve your company’s tech capabilities? That’s not surprising. With global IT spending reaching $5.2 trillion in 2021, you can’t afford to fall behind your competitors in the space.
If picking an IT service is in your company’s future, you need to know a few essential things before making your decision. Below are five critical factors to consider when comparing IT service options.
- Location
Yes, you can work with a big IT firm with a global presence to handle your IT needs. The question is, do they have a local support team available when they can’t handle their job remotely?
Working with a local company means you know for sure that they can come on-site to fix problems. In addition, you won’t have to go through troubleshooting tips yourself while on the phone because your provider can’t go into your office.
- Experience
It’s easy for someone to go online and gain a lot of theoretical IT knowledge. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll be able to put their knowledge into practice when the time comes.
That’s why finding a company that has a lot of experience with IT is essential. You need to know that they can back up their knowledge and keep your company’s IT infrastructure running smoothly.
- Fee Structure
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all fee structure in the IT world. Businesses have different needs, so make sure you understand the different fee structures to find the one that’s right to you. Keep the following structures in mind when comparing service fees.
The two most common structures are break-fix and retainers.
A retainer is a monthly fee you pay for a pre-determined amount of service every month. You’ll work with a provider beforehand to determine what you need, and they’ll provide their services when needed.
The break-fix model is great if you have a limited need for support. Call your provider when you have tech issues, and they’ll charge you hourly for their service.
- Off-Hours Support
The chances are good you have employees that don’t only work during business hours. Remote work has made it easy for everyone to work on their own terms. The question is, what happens if your computer systems break during those times?
Make sure to find an IT provider that offers support during all hours. Bigger providers should have a team available that works during every shift.
- Regular Monitoring
It isn’t enough to respond to IT problems when they occur. You can do a lot to monitor the health of your computer systems to get in front of issues before they happen. There’s no need to suffer from IT failures when you have monitoring tools that tell you when problems are likely to occur.
Make sure your provider uses these tools to get alerts about potential issues. Doing this will allow them to solve problems before they cause disruptions to your business.
Take Picking an IT Service Seriously
With how vital information technology is for businesses today, you can’t afford to hire an IT company that can’t handle the job. Keep the factors above in mind when picking an IT service. If you do your due diligence, you’ll increase your chances of finding a great IT partner.
If this post was helping, head back to the blog to find more great tips.
