Conventionally, businesses that needed IT services get them on an issue-by-issue basis. However, in a bid to improve efficiency and productivity, companies now prefer managed IT services.
So, what are managed IT services?
Managed IT services are solutions offered by a third-party company to ensure your technology and infrastructure are up and running as required. Managed IT service providers will proactively monitor your systems with a fixed monthly payment.
Ensuring that these services run smoothly is of paramount importance. However, to do this, service providers need to maintain a few best practices.
In this article, we will share with you some key best practices that IT service providers should implement to remain productive and profitable.
Allow me to expound.
1. Specialize
The importance of defining your scope of work for managed IT service providers cannot be over-emphasized. As a businessman looking to establish your brand, it is essential to know exactly the services you are going to offer as well as understand your competitive edge against other similar businesses.
You can opt for a managed software solutions company if you understand the intricacies of software development. However, you can also consider offering web design, cloud computing, network infrastructure, and many more services, depending on your expertise.
Once you identify your preferred field, look for ways in which your business can stand out from your competitors. To ensure you maintain a successful business, you need to be the ‘go-to’ solutions provider. That means you should offer unique services that are appealing to customers.
2. Be picky with the clients you serve
Many startups may not have the luxury of being selective with their clients because they are trying to establish a customer base. However, as time goes by, managed IT solutions providers might need to narrow down and select their target audience.
There are various reasons why being choosy with clients is a good idea. As a managed IT service provider, you need to consider the work that goes into managing technology and infrastructure for different clients. You should work with clients whose scope of work matches the services you can provide. Supporting businesses with more intensive environments might be an opportunity to learn, but the business relationship can quickly turn sour if you are inefficient and cannot meet the demands of the client.
3. Offer proactive support
Considering that businesses are wholly or partially dependent on technology, suffering downtime can cause insurmountable losses. For this reason, it is vital for IT service providers to offer proactive support, among other things.
To improve overall brand success, ensure you offer ongoing customer support. You need to understand that no IT support service is foolproof and issues are bound to emerge. For this reason, you need to be prepared by regularly reviewing areas where you manage. This allows you to identify potential problems and solve them before they happen. By handling such issues beforehand, you ensure a smooth running of the systems and infrastructure, allowing your clients to go about business as usual without suffering possible downtime.
4. Implement standards
The managed IT industry is broad. However, all niches have standards that service providers need to meet. For the best services, know all the standards you need to implement on all technologies and infrastructure. It is a great strategy for streamlining internal and external operations alike.
Developing these standards depends on your area of service. For instance, a service provider offering software solutions can create a list of the software processes, the amount of memory they need, other additional applications it supports, and configurations. By doing so, you position yourself for faster troubleshooting and management procedures.
5. Build customer trust
Customer trust yields loyalty. As such, building customer support should be one of the core businesses of a managed IT service provider.
To do this, make sure you offer your clients services that are a perfect fit for their business model. Before selling them the most expensive technology, consider the needs of their organization. The most costly piece of technology or infrastructure may not offer the required solutions. So, you need to first identify the problem and offer an effective solution, regardless of the cost.
Another way to build customer trust is to regularly offer your clients invaluable advice. Take a look at their IT operations and share ways in which they can improve. Businesses are more likely to trust a service provider who goes above and beyond their call of duty to offer invaluable actionable advice.
6. Use up to date technology and infrastructure
Technology is evolving every day. Developers are creating upgraded IT tools to improve user experience and minimize the likelihood of failure. Companies also are on the lookout for service providers who use next-gen technologies, among other things.
For this reason, it is essential for managed IT solutions companies to have current equipment and tools. The software applications they use should be within the currently supported version. The reason being, developers and consistently creating security patches that are for the sole purpose of fixing bugs and improving efficiency in previous versions.
Such practices ensure that all systems in a business have optimal security features, minimizing the risks of these systems becoming vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks, among other problems.
7. Pricing matters
Pricing is one of the things that makes or breaks a company as it shapes the profitability of a business. Getting the price right will not only save your company, but it allows a consumer to decide whether or not they are willing to invest in your services.
When you launch your managed IT solutions start-up, you may be tempted to gain a competitive advantage by offering lower prices. This is a huge mistake as you may lack sufficient finances to keep the business afloat.
Instead, devise ways in which you can make your services more appealing to prospective clients. If you offer genuine managed IT services and are great at what you do, you will attract clients who are willing to pay premium prices for your service.
