How A Managed Service Provider Can Support In-House IT Teams
The digital landscape is evolving faster than ever, with new cloud technologies, the growing threat of cyber attacks and strict compliance regulations. This can mean that in-house IT teams for small to medium businesses are stretched to the limit with multiple demands and the need for constant software updates.
Here’s a look at how working with our West Yorkshire IT solutions company can support overwhelmed IT teams, avoiding the need to hire and train new staff.
What are the common challenges faced by in-house teams?
Small to medium sized businesses usually have a small IT team, or even just rely on a single staff member who juggles the role with other duties. However, the growth of the company often places more demands on technology, while the IT team remains the same size. This can lead to issues such as:
Lack of specialist knowledge: As the business grows, it may acquire sector-specific software, migrate to cloud based systems, or require more stringent cyber security measures. This can mean that issues or tasks might arise that are outside the core skills of the IT team.
Too much time spent on routine tasks: An expanding business acquires more tech devices and staff, and this can mean the IT team is basically operating as a help desk, resetting passwords and fixing dodgy printers or sorting out connectivity issues.
Not enough time for forward planning: Modern IT infrastructure requires regular assessment to check if any upgrades are necessary, fix glitches that could lead to downtime, and look for vulnerabilities that could open the door to hackers. Small IT teams that are constantly fighting a backlog of work may not be able to strategically plan for the future.
No sickness or holiday cover: If the IT team consists of just one or two staff, the business operations could be at risk if the IT system goes down when there is not enough cover for sickness and holidays. Juggling constant demands can also lead to high staff turnover or long-term sick leave, potentially leaving the business in the lurch.
How an managed service provider can help
A managed service provider (MSP) can work with in-house teams to fill in the gaps and offer specialist advice and skills. Here are some examples of how we can help:
Advanced cybersecurity
We can proactively manage and monitor your firewalls to detect any issues before they escalate, roll out comprehensive endpoint protection, and carry out regular patching to ensure that no critical security updates are missed.
Managing standalone projects
Small IT teams don’t always have the time or expertise to research, plan and implement projects such as telecoms upgrades, cloud migrations, or hardware or server upgrades. We can work with you to deliver the project to an agreed budget and timescale.
Compliance and certification
We can support your business to become Cyber Essentials certified, which is a government backed scheme to help protect your data against the most common cyber threats. It can also help your business to become more trusted by customers, partners and investors, and increase market competitiveness.
Helpdesk and holiday cover
We can also support you with routine helpdesk enquiries, and cover for in-house staff absence, so you won’t be battling with unscheduled downtime and building up work backlogs for when the staff return to work.
So, there you have it: by working with an MSP, you can take the pressure off the in-house staff and allow them to focus on building a long-term IT strategy for your business. You’ll also have the peace of mind of better cyber security and cover on-hand when you are short staffed.
The level of support we offer is scalable, so you can ask for more help if you need it, such as when you want to roll out new software. It’s a cost effective solution for SMEs with small in-house teams, and rapidly growing businesses who are managing remote or hybrid working, or rely on round-the-clock IT uptime.
Strong and streamlined IT systems are the backbone of modern businesses, so if your IT team is stretched thin, we are here to help.