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by Martin DesRosiers @ Fully Managed™ Within the SMB market space, technology management has evolved dramatically over the last 5 years. Historically, companies have added full-time resources to manage and maintain their IT environments, or worked with an outsourced IT provider to work on issues as they arise. Times have changed and we are now seeing a continual trend towards outsourced IT support and management services, with fewer resources being dedicated to building out an in-house IT team. I attribute this to greater access to tools, better connectivity, a more mature IT landscape, and most importantly a trend whereby businesses are understanding the need to do more with less. The lure of a fixed monthly cost, unlimited 24/7 support, and access to multiple technical resources has just become too attractive to ignore. IT department sprawl is a thing of the past, and most progressive organizations focus on lean operations where they rely on external resources to address all of their IT needs while focusing their efforts on their core business functions.
That's where we come in, we become an extension of an organization, a true strategic partner. Unlike most traditional IT service providers, we strive to go beyond typical break-fix, reactive service. With an emphasis on being proactive by monitoring critical systems and providing ongoing maintenance, combined with regular strategy and review, our clients are assured of a maximum return on their monthly investment. This type of partnership allows for our clients to focus on their business goals, while having a trusted partner to provide technology solutions to business challenges that ultimately drive the business forward. Not all clients are created equal though, requiring us to be flexible in how and with whom we interface. I've identified three types of partnerships within our current client base in the Vancouver area which I'll expand upon below:
This type of scenario is common within most small to mid-sized organizations. IT work is performed by a full or part-time resource, a 3rd party individual, or by someone with the best technical understanding, yet holds a non-IT role within the organization. In this type of situation, management and end users are satisfied but not enthused with their current level of service, but realize that they may not be leveraging technology to its fullest. This scenario usually yields a service level that is fairly poor, end users are working around problems they know will take long to resolve (if at all), and there is a general lack of technical knowledge leading to a void of strategic technology initiatives. The one-man IT "team" is hardly able to keep up with the workload, and the strategic advice provided lacks the high-level view that aligns technology to tackle company priorities.
We are usually engaged as the business requires enhanced IT strategy, are experiencing growth, or feel they are not getting the most out of their technology investment. We are able to provide high-level direction to any business environment by leveraging our well rounded team of technology experts with decades of IT experience. Our help desk team provides quick resolution of issues while our senior resources focus on key IT initiatives, such as strategic development, project management and implementation, business continuity and disaster recovery, and technology lifecycle management. In conjunction with any existing on-site resource, we assist in providing much needed direction while drastically improving service levels and resolution times.
This scenario is common within larger organizations who may already have multiple internal IT resources, or a single IT director or manager. This partnership is more of a cooperative effort, working in conjunction with the on-premise IT manager or existing resources. This benefits the existing resource(s), allowing them time to be more strategic, and focus on higher priority IT initiatives. We reduce the workload by handling all support requests, maintenance, and monitoring tasks which are extremely time consuming.
In other instances we've partnered with companies looking for an organization that can help develop and mentor existing IT managers who are bright, yet inexperienced. Working together, they gain a level of insight from working with our team that has dealt with a vast array of client environments. The result is an internal resource that communicates corporate direction and collaborates with our team to ensure the right IT strategy is set forth. Working together to develop short and long-term strategies, a true relationship is formed, and we often help IT managers earn promotions to director-level roles and the respect of company executives, rather than being bogged down with the day-to-day nuts and bolts of the IT operation.
Much of the new business we earn comes from environments that either have no technical resource, or have used competing firms for outsourced IT management. This is common within small businesses, as the cost of a full-time IT resource is hard to justify compared with an all-inclusive fixed monthly rate. Strategically, it makes more sense for small business to outsource its IT and focus on what's important, growing the business. This type of partnership allows us to provide full IT management functions from the ground up. We maintain and upgrade your IT infrastructure, look after technical support, manage off-site backups, and provide high-level IT strategy on a quarterly basis or as needed. In this situation, we often become the Network Administrator, IT Manager, Director of IT and CIO - your virtual IT department at a fraction of the cost of operating it yourself.
One of our biggest assets that separates us from the crowd is our ability to think at a business level. Client executives particularly appreciate this as it allows us to provide solutions that tackle entire challenges, as opposed to chasing "shiny-objects" that often resolve only a portion of the issue, even creating additional challenges. We focus on being proactive and operate in a transparent fashion, providing full insight into the environment via comprehensive reporting and regular technology reviews. We provide an extremely high-level form of IT management, referencing internal frameworks and methodologies developed by seasoned IT professionals. Our goal is to help clients attain their business objectives by minimizing disruptions with effective IT management.
Whether you have a team of full-time IT resources or none, selective outsourcing is the right fit for any organization regardless of its size. Utilizing a team of technical resources enables a competitive advantage by ensuring IT is properly leveraged. We are passionate about what we do, constantly striving for continual improvement, and apply this same mentality towards managing your IT environment in an effort to help you stay ahead of the competition. As a partner, we consider ourselves part of the organization and realize that the more successful our clients are, the more successful we'll be. Being adaptive is key for any business - consider taking your technology to the next level and let us create peace of mind for you and your business.
