What to Expect When You Compare Managed IT Services in Kansas City
In today’s technology-driven world, businesses of all sizes rely heavily on IT systems to operate efficiently, maintain their data, and safeguard their organizations against cyberattacks. Whether a small startup or a global corporation, maintaining IT infrastructure is vital.
When organizations consider IT service management, they typically have two options: hiring an in-house IT team or outsourcing to a managed IT service provider. In this blog, we’ll explore the pros and cons of IT service providers in Kansas City and what to expect when you partner with one.
What Is a Managed IT Service Provider?
Before we delve into the advantages and drawbacks of professional IT service management, it’s important to clearly define what it is. An in-house IT team consists of one or more IT professionals who are employees of the company. On the other hand, a managed IT service provider is a third-party company that provides teams of IT professionals to businesses and organizations on a for-hire basis. Typically, they are hired to provide specific IT services or ongoing IT maintenance.
Pros of Hiring a Managed IT Service Provider
Vast IT knowledge and skills: Professional IT companies are staffed with industry experts who possess a wide range of skills and experience in various IT domains. Additionally, they stay current with the latest technology trends and best practices, ensuring your systems are modern and secure.
A diverse set of services: The needs of your organization will evolve and fluctuate over time, which means your IT needs will, too. One month may require an expert on cabling and computer networking to expand your office for new employees. The next month may require additional cybersecurity support due to increased attacks. The advantage of working with a managed IT service provider is that all the bases are covered in terms of IT services, including:
- Backup services
- Disaster recovery services
- Data recovery services
- Application support
- Cloud support
- Server support
With an in-house IT team, not having a resident expert on a certain facet of IT means hiring a new employee or attempting to find a qualified contractor, which equates to valuable time and money being spent.
In fact, according to The Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), the average cost of employee onboarding is $4,100 per new hire, not including salary, benefits. SHRM also says it costs an additional $4,683 on average to recruit and complete the hiring process. A managed IT service provider could be more cost-effective, depending on your needs.
Continuous IT support: When something goes wrong with the network or there’s a security breach, there’s not a moment to spare. IT issues hinder employee productivity and can result in long-term damage to an organization’s reputation and their profitability.
As one of the leading IT service providers in the area, Kansas City Managed IT provides 24/7 support for any and all IT needs. This means we can begin rectifying the problem as soon as it occurs, which promotes optimal outcomes by mitigating downtime and damage. By comparison, in-house IT personnel may only be available during normal business hours.
Reduced labor costs and consistency: Hiring an in-house IT team can be expensive. Their salaries, benefits, and training costs can drastically affect your overhead. By outsourcing to a managed IT service provider, you can cut down on your costs and not need to worry about employee turnover. Members of in-house IT teams come and go. When you hire an IT service management provider, you can rest assured you will always have IT resources in place.
Cons of Hiring a Managed IT Service Provider
Communication adjustments: Transitioning from an in-house team to a managed IT service provider will change how IT professionals communicate with company leadership and their workforce. However, when working with an experienced team that values client relationships, most organizations report an improvement in communication.
Lack of organizational knowledge: Managed IT service providers are specifically hired to oversee IT services and nothing else. This means they won’t be privy to non-IT related elements of the company, company culture, and the overall growth goals of the organization. However, remaining separate from the rest of the organization has no impact on their ability to perform the IT services they are hired for. In fact, by focusing on IT and nothing else, company leadership will find that IT service providers are focused and exceptionally productive.
Vetting: The process of vetting a professional IT service management company is different from vetting a potential employee. Human resources, the chief technical officer, and company leadership may all need to get involved to ensure the relationship is mutually beneficial and necessary IT needs will be satisfied. When evaluating an IT service provider for a potential partnership, the majority of them will offer to perform a full IT assessment or other service that demonstrates their value, which is something a typical in-house IT candidate won’t do.
Getting Started with a Managed IT Service Provider
Now that you’re up to speed on what differentiates in-house IT service management from managed IT service providers, you can confidently move forward with the vetting process. An IT company offers numerous advantages, including expertise, cost savings, scalability, and round-the-clock support.
When you hire a company like Kansas City Managed IT to oversee your IT needs, you can expect:
- 24/7 customer service and troubleshooting
- Professional IT consulting
- Disaster and data recovery services
- Server, desktop, and cloud support
- Comprehensive cybersecurity
Call us at (816) 381-9969 or send us an email using the contact form on our website. We’ll be happy to walk you through our IT services and how they will benefit your organization.