Why Outsource IT to a Managed Services Provider? Key Benefits for Your Business
Technology is now an essential part of business operations. As technology rapidly advances, the expertise required to manage it effectively has expanded beyond what internal IT teams can reasonably maintain. Many organizations are choosing to outsource their IT management to a managed services provider (MSP) so they can focus on core business goals rather than get bogged down in complex IT tasks.
Partnering with an MSP offers many advantages over trying to handle all IT functions in-house. This article will explore the key benefits of using an MSP so you can evaluate if it's the right choice for your organization.
Benefits of Using a Managed Services Provider
Main Benefits of Using an MSP
- Enhanced business growth and strategic planning
- Increased focus on core business operations
- Improved IT service quality and responsiveness
- Access to a breadth of IT expertise
Enhanced Business Growth and Strategic Planning
The #1 reason organizations choose to use an MSP is to enable greater business growth. Effective technology allows employees to be more productive and provide better service to customers. With MSP support, you can advance strategic IT initiatives rather than just respond reactively to daily IT issues.
MSPs provide dedicated resources for long-term technology roadmapping and planning aligned with your business goals. They conduct quarterly reviews to evaluate your entire technology stack and propose improvements to support objectives like increased efficiency, better customer experience, entering new markets, etc.
This continual optimization of your IT infrastructure fuels business growth and evolution.
How Managed Services Provider Drive Strategic Planning
- Quarterly reviews of technology stack
- Roadmap creation aligned to business goals
- Ongoing infrastructure optimization
- Dedicated resources for long-term planning
Increased Focus on Core Business Operations
Trying to manage daily IT issues while also developing long-term IT strategy can become all-consuming and distract leaders from running the core business. MSPs handle the burden of day-to-day IT management so executives can devote their time and energy to essential operations, from managing teams to developing new products and services.
Benefits of Freeing Up Internal Resources
- Executives can focus on business growth, not IT maintenance
- Managers involved in IT can better lead their departments
- Employees don't waste time trying to fix IT problems themselves
Improved IT Service Quality and Responsiveness
No matter the size of an internal IT team, day-to-day problems like password resets, connection issues, and printer jams inevitably arise. For small IT teams, resolving these routine issues while also handling major maintenance and upgrades often causes delays and frustration for employees.
Conversely, MSPs provide access to large it infrastructure+optimization IT service desks to quickly handle password resets and other basic requests. More complex matters are routed to dedicated engineers. This prevents problems like extended downtime and maintains high service levels across the organization.
| Internal IT Team | Managed Services Provider |
|---|---|
| Small team handling everything | Large service desk for routine issues + dedicated engineers for complex matters |
| Prone to delays/frustration | Prevents extended downtime and maintains service levels |
Key Differences in Service Quality
- Large service desk versus small internal team
- Dedicated expert engineers
- Proactive maintenance to prevent issues
- Quick resolution of routine requests
- Prioritization of critical issues
Access to Comprehensive IT Expertise and Experience
A typical MSP employs over 100 certified IT engineers from help desk technicians to systems administrators. For most businesses, building out an equivalent internal team is not feasible due to the costs of hiring and managing so many specialists.
MSPs offer immense knowledge and experience without the high overhead expenses and HR workload. They also stay on top of the latest technologies and best practices so you don't have to.
Key Knowledge Areas MSPs Offer
- Help desk support
- Network administration
- Data security
- Business continuity planning
- Compliance auditing
- Vendor management
- Technology roadmapping
Conclusion
Partnering with a managed services provider solves many IT challenges from freeing you to focus on business operations to driving growth through enhanced technology. With an MSP's support, you no longer need to worry about managing complex IT functions and can instead devote resources to your organization's true purpose and strategic goals.
If you are considering outsourcing IT, evaluate potential MSPs for key capabilities like strategic planning, broad expertise, and superior service quality. This allows you to focus on running your business, not your IT department.
