The traditional way of providing IT support goes something like this:
Problem occurs > IT provider contacted > Computer downtime and disruption > Problem fixed
For so long this has been the norm and people see it as the best way for IT to support their business. We think there is a better way. Instead of paying for a fixer why not pay for a preventer? We call this Proactive Problem Prevention and have a downloadable guide on it here.
What should your IT Provider be doing to help your business?
We think fixing a problem should only be part of what an IT company should offer. Instead of paying someone to only look at your tech when you have a problem, how about having someone who’s going to know all the ins and outs of your devices, know when they need to be upgraded or when something isn’t working as well for you as it should. The people in the ‘IT know’, should be the ones that are going to give you the tools and monitor your network and kit, so that you don’t have to think about these things. It’ll leave you time to focus on what’s important to your business.
That’s how we like to work. It means that we can often spot problems before they become problems. Even 10 minutes of computer downtime can be really disrupting to your workforce’s days, so why not prevent that stress?
You’ll be getting more for your money too. Computer downtime costs companies money each and every time it happens. When your IT support is preventative, your tech and network is being monitored constantly by people in the know. Half the time you won’t even know a problem has occurred, because it’s sorted before you even realise there’s an issue. Not only will you have less PC downtime, you’ll also have peace of mind that all your kit and software is up to date and protected.
Ideally you want your IT company to have backups of your data, stored in a secure location that means even in the case of an office flood or fire, you are still able to have all your important information stored safely away.
A great IT support will look after your internet security too. They will be able to monitor your network and flag up any suspicious activity, as well as maintaining an updated antivirus on your devices.
One of the most important things you want from your IT company is friendly, useful support. Be that remote access or in person call outs, being able to communicate with your IT company is key for addressing and spotting problems. You and your staff should be able to call at any time and not feel silly or like a nuisance.
Why is prevention better than cure?
Ah the old cliche. It’s a well known fact that if you can prevent something from happening, it’s generally a lot easier than the panic stations when the proverbial hits the fan.
Even for a highly proactive IT company, preventative measures still aren’t able to prevent 100% of the IT problems in the world. (Trust us, if we could we would) What good support will do though, is minimise little disruptions, and have a plan for the big disasters.
With preventative IT support, the aim is to keep you online and your tech up and running, which in our eyes is a much better way to operate.
If you are wondering how to find out if your current IT company is preventative, all you have to do is ask how much of their revenue is generated by fixing problems, compared to how much is generated by preventing them. If they are unable to give you a straight answer or do not know, they probably aren’t as pro-active as you would like them to be.
If you would like to talk with us about how we can help you, book a call with Jon. He can help assess your needs and guide you through how we can help your business.
