As a business owner, I’m sure you’ve reviewed your business expenses… but have you ever gone through them and wondered just what it was that you had spent your money on? It’s an understandable feeling to have. The many different IT expenses that show up on the standard invoice can add up quickly, and might inspire you to reconsider how you’re investing them… besides, how much do you really need an IT provider that you never seem to call?
Making Sense of Your Expenses
The answer to that question entirely depends on whether or not you utilize an MSP (or managed service provider) for your technology needs. This kind of provider handles your IT infrastructure by providing maintenance and support for it, covering all of your technology for a flat, recurring rate. As more businesses have the need for this kind of comprehensive support, more have realized the benefits of this approach. After all, there’s a lot of technology necessary in the day-to-day operations of any business today, which all needs to be maintained somehow. Furthermore, maintaining this technology proactively translates to fewer issues over time, which is definitely an advantage.
However, as we say this, it is important to address that we don’t speak for every provider in Ontario.
We follow the traditional flat-rate per-line-item approach that many MSPs follow, something that your other options may not do. Basically, if you receive a bill for some recurring service, you most likely have a service agreement with that provider. Whether that agreement inclusively covers a wide variety of needs, like proactive support, hardware and software services, and many other business IT needs, depends on your business’ situation.
However, we’re getting off track. The crucial point right now is whether you’re really getting the value for your investment from your provider, and that this investment is providing you with IT that can go the distance, and isn’t going to break down once you really get moving.
So, while you’re considering your expenses, you need to look back at your experience with your IT provider. How often did your team actually have to call in for remote support, or encounter some other issue? This brings up an important point.
Understanding the Pareto Principle
Assuming that you’ve experienced this before, have you ever looked back at an expense and (almost morbidly) thought to yourself how you almost wish that you had gotten some tangible return from it? Almost that you had underwent some negative event to make the investment more worth it?
This isn’t that uncommon of a feeling, and quality IT management can easily bring it about.
The Pareto Principle is precisely why this is. Also known as the 80/20 rule, it surmises that 80 percent of results will derive from 20 percent of effort. Have you ever heard the adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?” It’s the same concept with your technology.
After all, doesn’t it just make more sense to implement everything correctly when you first do it, keeping careful documentation, and monitoring it so you can nip impending issues in the bud, than it would to implement everything once–only touching it again when some catastrophe slams your business into some serious trouble?
The monitoring here is key, as it allows issues to be stopped before they become visible. In fact, you shouldn’t even notice them unless your provider mentions them to you – and you can be sure that they are there. This isn’t in reference to the Pareto Principle anymore… this is just Murphy’s Law.
So, if your IT seems to be running without a hitch, productivity is high, and security issues have actually been a non-issue, your IT maintenance and management is doing its job. The fact that you want some tangible return from it is only further evidence of its quality, and how well it is actually protecting your business.
To learn more about what features that managed services can deliver, reach out to 1-855-405-8889. Our team would be happy to help you out with your questions, or in optimizing your technology through minimally invasive IT support!