Defining your IT strategy is a powerful step towards success, yet alarmingly we still find organisations that don’t take the time to clarify what they expect or require from IT. At its simplest your IT strategy is a statement of how you intend to use IT to support your over-arching business goals. You don’t have unlimited resources to spend on IT, so your IT strategy is there to clarify where you will focus your efforts, and equally as important where you will not.
In our work with clients formulating and executing on their IT strategies we often see clear trends emerging over time in response to the ever-changing IT landscape. Of course, every company will have their own unique IT strategy, but common patterns can emerge.
As we work with our clients in preparation for the year ahead, we are seeing the following three themes appearing with consistency.
Related: Why aligning your IT strategy with business goals is critical for success
User Experience
In response to the pandemic the world of work has changed significantly, also significantly shifting how people relate to their employment, the environments they work in, and the tools that they are expected to use. Simply put, user experience has become a critical element in every IT strategy.
But what does this mean for your organisation? It means that employees are expecting easy-to-use, efficient and user-friendly technology solutions that allow them to do their job effectively from any location. This includes everything from remote working tools to cloud-based collaboration platforms, all accessible as easily from their smartphone as their home office.
They are also expecting to have fingertip access to the information and expertise that they need, with top-tier training and support services available when required.
So, as you plan your IT strategy for 2024, make sure that user experience is at the forefront of your decision making and investment plans. Put yourself in the shoes of your employees and consider their daily tasks and interactions with technology – are they seamless, intuitive and empowering? If not, it’s time to make some changes.
Cybersecurity
As technology continues to evolve and become increasingly intertwined with our daily lives, the risk of cyber-attacks and data breaches has also risen exponentially. Cybersecurity is no longer just a concern for IT departments but should be a top priority for every organisation’s IT strategy, with direct board-level oversight.
A strong cybersecurity plan should include regular security audits, employee training on identifying and handling potential threats, as well as implementing the latest security software and protocols. Importantly in the post-pandemic world, your cybersecurity plan must also consider new ways of working. With many staff now working from home, old ways of securing your organisation may no longer be as effective.
Cybersecurity not a one-and-done task, but an ongoing process that must be continuously monitored and updated to stay ahead of potential threats. Make sure that your IT strategy reflects this and allocate appropriate resources to keep your organisation’s data safe and secure.
AI & Automation
2023 was the year that artificial intelligence hit the mainstream, with the release of ChatGPT throwing the floodgates open. The new-found accessibility of AI is emerging as an inflection point on the longer-term trend of business process automation, with the combination of the two promising significant opportunities.
AI and automation can streamline processes, improve efficiency, and reduce costs in almost every area of your organisation – from customer service to HR to supply chain management. It can also provide valuable insights and data analysis that humans may miss. As the technology continues to advance, it will only become more powerful and integrated with our daily lives.
It’s no longer a question of if but when AI and automation will become an integral part of every IT strategy. So, in the year ahead, make sure that you’re keeping up with the latest developments and considering how it can enhance your organisation’s operations and drive growth.
Conclusion
As we move towards 2024, it’s clear that user experience, cybersecurity and AI/Automation will continue to be pivotal elements of every IT strategy. Organisations must prioritize these areas to stay competitive and meet the evolving needs of their employees and customers. With a strong focus on these essential components, your IT strategy can serve as a roadmap for success in the ever-changing digital landscape.
Keep in mind, however, that these are just three of many elements to consider when crafting your IT strategy. As technology continues to advance, new challenges and opportunities will arise, requiring organisations to stay agile and adaptable.
Grassroots IT has many years of experience working with clients to formulate IT strategies that align with business goals and lead to tangible results. If you would like to talk about your IT strategy, contact us today.
Key Signs You Need a New Managed Service Provider
Change can be hard, especially when it comes time to move on from a relationship that no longer serves your needs. Change can be even harder when that relationship is with your IT partner or Managed Service Provider. With IT at the heart of modern business, you need a strong relationship with the right MSP. With a robust partnership with your Managed Service Provider (MSP) can enhance efficiency, improve security, reduce costs, and most importantly, ensure your business stays ahead in today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape.
Of course, what this means will be different for each of us and may change over time, but the important thing is to recognise if your existing MSP relationship is no longer working for you, and when it’s time to move on. Over the years at Grassroots IT, we’ve helped numerous companies move on from their incumbent IT partner once they realised that they deserved more from the relationship, so we have a pretty good idea of what the most common areas are where MSP’s fail to perform.
Have you lost confidence in your Managed Service Provider?
The number one sign that it’s time to find a new MSP is that you have lost confidence in them. This may sound obvious, but sometimes the hard part can be recognising the situation for what it is.
So how do you recognise when you’ve lost confidence in your MSP? Here are some common behaviours that may indicate it’s time to rethink your IT relationship.
- You dread having to call them for anything.
- Issues are never resolved properly the first time.
- You always want a second opinion on their advice.
- Reported issues disappear into a black hole.
If these statements resonate with you, it’s crucial to address the situation and seek change. Remember, you deserve an MSP that instils confidence, provides effective solutions, and whose advice you can trust.
Do issues never seem to be solved properly?
Another important sign that your relationship with your Managed Service Provider isn’t working is when you consistently experience recurring issues that never seem to be resolved correctly. No matter how many times you report the issue it’s always treated as if it’s the first time it’s happened, or if it is acknowledged as recurring, a proper root-cause analysis and resolution never seems to be a priority.
These technical glitches keep resurfacing time and again, causing disruptions to your business operations and leading to unnecessary stress and frustration. This persistent problem can not only indicate a lack of expertise or commitment on the part of your MSP but also highlights the urgent need to consider partnering with a more capable and reliable MSP who can provide the necessary support and solutions to address your unique business needs effectively.
Making the switch to an MSP that is dedicated to delivering top-notch services and expertise can help ensure that your technology infrastructure runs smoothly, enabling you to focus on growing your business without unnecessary hindrances.
Is your MSP helping to move you forward?
A significant red flag to watch for is if your MSP lacks a proactive, forward-thinking approach. The technology landscape is continually evolving, and your MSP should not only be keeping up with the pace but also staying one step ahead. They need to be actively speaking to you about potential weaknesses and risks in your IT infrastructure and suggesting improvements and updates to optimise your systems.
An MSP should not merely be reactive, responding only when issues arise. Instead, they should be consistently strategising and planning for the future, ensuring your business is equipped with the most up-to-date and efficient technology solutions. If your MSP is failing to communicate and engage with you in planning and updating your IT systems proactively, it might be time to consider a transition.
Your business deserves a partner who values progression and innovation, effectively guiding you through the ever-changing maze of technology to enhance your operational efficiency and growth.
Do you struggle with their poor communication?
The relationship between you and your MSP is a crucial one. But if communication or responsiveness is lacking, this can derail the success of your IT partnership. You should expect timely responses from your MSP at every step along the way and a reliable cadence of proactive communication, such as quarterly reviews. If they fall short in this area, it could be an indication that their service standards are not meeting your expectations, indicating that it’s time to consider making a switch.
When looking for an MSP with whom you can build a strong and mutually beneficial relationship, search for someone who prioritizes communication and values customer service. Look for an MSP that is easy to talk to, responsive when you reach out to them, clearly communicates how they plan to address any issues, and keeps you in the loop throughout the process.
Do your MSP’s values align with yours?
The right MSP should be a good fit for your company culture. You and your MSP must share similar values and beliefs, as this will ensure that you feel comfortable working with each other and can collaborate effectively.
At Grassroots IT our core values are fundamental to how we do business, influencing everything from how we select our team members to which clients we choose to work with.
When you find the right MSP, it can be an incredibly rewarding relationship that helps to propel your business forward. So, make sure you take the time to do your research and find someone who understands your goals and values, applies their expertise in a way that aligns with your vision and expectations.
When to Consider Switching Your Managed Service Provider
Selecting the right Managed Service Provider is a crucial decision that significantly influences your business’ growth and success. It’s essential to recognise the red flags when they arise and make the necessary changes to ensure that your IT partnership is solid, effective, and forward-thinking.
Consider the points highlighted above and evaluate whether your current MSP relationship is empowering or hindering your business. Remember, you deserve an MSP that is not just a service provider, but a partner who understands your business, aligns with your culture, and is dedicated to helping you navigate through the technology landscape.
Recognise when it’s time to switch and take the step, even if it seems daunting. The right MSP can truly transform your business, and the journey towards that beneficial relationship is worth the effort.
When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of IT support, many senior business leaders find themselves drowning in a sea of data, with no clear understanding of which metrics really matter. In this blog post, we’ll be taking a closer look at three key metrics that every business leader should be paying attention to when it comes to measuring IT support performance and optimising the effectiveness of IT within their organisation.
Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction (CSAT) is a direct measure of how satisfied your end users are with their experience of your IT support services. CSAT feedback is usually captured through a simple online survey directly from the end user on completion of each interaction, with results presented as a percentage score. If you’ve ever clicked on a red or green smiley face icon in a support email, then you’re familiar with a CSAT survey.
The end user experience (and therefore CSAT) can be impacted by many factors, such as how easy it was to engage with IT support, how quickly and effectively the issue was resolved, and how friendly and supportive the IT support person was in their communication. Many of these metrics can be tracked individually, but arguably are most useful when considered in combination through the resulting metric of CSAT.
Why is CSAT important?
Customer satisfaction is a metric that speaks to the quality of the IT support service being delivered. Whether you have an in-house IT support team, work with an external IT support partner, or some combination of the two, ensuring that the service being delivered is of the highest quality should be a core KPI of business leadership.
Issue Categories
All IT support issues should be logged as tickets, and all tickets should be categorised in a number of different ways. A common approach to categorising support tickets is to use the industry standard ITIL guidelines, meaning a ticket may be categorised using one or more of the following:
- Priority – Often a numerical scale from 1 to 4, where 1 is urgent.
- Type – Often using categories such as “Incident”, “Request” and “Problem”.
- Sub-type – Next layer categories such as “Hardware”, “Software” and “Accounts”.
Irrespective of what labels and values are used to categorise IT support issues, all issues must be categorised consistently to not only guide response efforts, but to allow for later reporting and analysis.
Why are Issue Categories important?
Issue categories provide an extremely important feedback loop to management on what is working well within the organisation and what needs attention. For example, an analysis of all urgent “Priority 1” issues may identify a particular piece of networking equipment that is repeatedly failing and causing significant disruption to business operations. By identifying this, management can choose to replace the faulty equipment, thus saving the business from further expensive downtime.
Another example may involve the discovery that there is a particularly high number of “Incident” style issues related to a particular software application. Further investigation may identify a misconfiguration within the software, or perhaps a lack of knowledge amongst staff of how to use the software, leading to errors. In either case an opportunity has been identified to remove a problem and improve productivity.
Stale Issues
Stale issues are issues that are not resolved within a reasonable timeframe. What constitutes a “reasonable” timeframe will differ from one organisation to the next, however a good starting point may be to use the average resolution time across all similar issues. The specific timeframe used is less important than the intent of the exercise, which is to draw attention to issues that, for whatever reason, are not progressing to resolution as would normally be expected.
Common causes of stale issues can include:
- Insufficient IT support capacity or knowledge to resolve issues in a timely manner.
- An end-user not engaging with IT support attempts to resolve their issue.
- An external vendor not responding to IT support escalations in a timely manner.
- A resolution requiring significant change or investment from the business.
Why are Stale Issues important?
Stale issues indicate a bottleneck, or even a complete blockage in the normal IT support process. The bottleneck may be temporary, or it may be more systemic, but in either case the usual processes are not functioning as normal, and an opportunity may exist for management to step in to either help clear a temporary blockage, or to explore opportunities to remove systemic issues.
Conclusion
Monitoring key IT support metrics is vital to maintaining service quality and driving the effectiveness of IT within the organisation. The challenge can be separating the signal from the noise, identifying those metrics that actually matter, and not becoming distracted or overwhelmed by everything else. By focussing on these three IT support metrics, you will have a clear line of sight on service quality and opportunities for business improvement.
The last few years have brought technology to the top of the business agenda in a way that only a global pandemic could. Despite this unprecedented focus on information technology, and the frantic pace of change to keep up, there has been relatively little attention on true innovation. From our perspective, working with medium-sized Australian businesses, it appears that most spending has instead been concerned with paying back technological debt accumulated over years of under-investment.
The dual demands of a suddenly remote workforce and a rapidly escalating cyber-security war have knocked the wind out of many organisations, forcing them to urgently defend ground rather than seek competitive advantage. The hard learnt lesson for many is that outdated technology and business processes can rapidly flip from hard-worked assets to existential threats.
With the challenges of the pandemic slowly receding, it’s time to shift our attention to the future. To not only take stock and ensure that we have the foundations in place for success and growth but to consider some of the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
Read on for three technology trends to watch in 2023.
Artificial Intelligence goes mainstream
For what feels like forever, we’ve been hearing the competing voices of AI proponents and detractors both promising very different, but equally startling, futures. On one hand, blissful hyper-productivity; on the other, apocalyptic job losses and societal decay. Neither prediction has come to pass. Indeed, if the utility of Apple’s Siri is anything to go by, we’re safe from any real disruption from artificial intelligence for the foreseeable future.
The fact is that we all benefit from AI every day. Every time you unlock your iPhone with face ID, scroll through a social media feed or trust your bank’s fraud detection systems, artificial intelligence is doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes.
So why will 2023 be the year of artificial intelligence? Quite simply because we have reached a tipping point. Indeed, that tipping point was reached on 30 November 2022 when OpenAI released ChatGPT and captured the popular imagination with their impressive AI chatbot. Not only are non-technical users finding ever more creative, useful and disruptive ways of using ChatGPT, but even Google has taken notice, reportedly concerned about the threat AI poses to its core search engine business.
This year we expect to see continuing strong uptake of existing applications and services built on AI (see below for more). More interestingly though we expect to see mid-sized organisations begin to experiment with integrating AI into existing applications and business processes using services such as Power Automate, ChatGPT and Azure AI.
Further reading:
- ChatGPT – Try it for yourself.
- Creating an effective AI strategy – A collection of resources to support business leaders through their AI journey.
- How to design an AI marketing strategy – Primarily concerned with the application of AI in marketing, but the authors present a framework that is equally applicable to any other department.
Existing AI-based applications to explore:
- Automatically import bills, receipts & invoices into your accounting system with Hubdoc or Dext.
- Audit your accounts for bookkeeping issues in real time with XBert.
- Create sales & marketing copy with Jasper.
- Write clear, powerful communication with Grammarly.
- Integrate AI into your existing applications & business processes with Azure AI.
Business Process Automation gains traction
Curiously enough small and micro-businesses have historically embraced opportunities to automate business processes more readily than their mid-sized counterparts. Larger organisations often seem content to maintain the status quo and simply spend more human labour on a task rather than applying technology and automation. To be fair though, smaller organisations don’t usually have to deal with legacy systems or the greater cost of change that can come with larger scale, and the price of failure can be higher.
2023 however is shaping up to be different for two reasons. First, the cost of labour continues to rapidly increase. Blame it on inflation, the great resignation, or any number of other reasons; the fact remains that employment costs, from recruitment through to retention, show no sign of easing any time soon.
The second factor is that the pandemic provided organisations with an unprecedented ‘burning platform’ opportunity, allowing them to shake off legacy technology and work practices in favour of modern cloud platforms, in the process putting automation far more within reach.
Here are some things that we expect to see accelerate over the next 12 months.
- Organisations doubling down on their commitment to a single platform such as Microsoft 365, to take advantage of built-in process automation opportunities.
- Increased adoption of no-code tools such as PowerApps to build custom internal apps rapidly.
- Integration of Robotic Process Automation and Artificial Intelligence to automate existing legacy systems.
Cybersecurity
OK stay with me on this one. We’ve been talking about cybersecurity for years now, and for good reason. If there’s one thing that has the potential to destroy an otherwise great company, it’s a security breach. So, what’s changed to put cybersecurity on the map (again) for 2023?
Put simply, various factors are coming together to drive home the point that security is no longer just an IT problem. In fact, those organisations that continue to treat it as an IT problem are going to find themselves hitting more and more obstacles to doing business.
For starters, many contracts are starting to require a compulsory level of security compliance, and even cyber-insurance, from all parties. Not compliant with at least Essential Eight level one? Your sales team’s going to be cranky when they get disqualified from that big deal because of it.
Speaking of cyber-insurance, not only are premiums rapidly increasing but simply complying with policy requirements is becoming far more difficult. We’ve spoken with several organisations in recent months who are simply unable to obtain cyber-insurance at any price, due to their existing security posture. Some experts are even predicting that cyber threats will ultimately become un-insurable.
And of course, let’s not forget that the weakest link in any defence is always the people. The more we impose security restrictions on staff, the more likely they are to find ways to circumvent them, so the more we need to train them on the importance of cybersecurity, and so on it goes.
In short, thanks to the rapidly escalating threats facing all organisations, there is no longer any doubt that cybersecurity is now a board-level issue, and any business that treats it as anything less will very quickly be forced to deal with the consequences.
Further reading:
- The biggest data breaches of 2022 – Including some big Australian names such as Optus, Medibank and Bunnings.
- Aussie businesses increase cyber spending in 2023 – Business leaders are committing to greater spending on cybersecurity following recent high profile security breaches at Optus & Medibank.
- Key questions for an organisation’s board of directors – The Australian Investment & Securities Commission has compiled a list of key questions for board members to consider.
- Cybersecurity tips for CEO’s – 5 actionable steps for CEOs.
- The Essential 8 – An actionable framework promoted by the Australian Government for mitigating cyber security incidents. +
Summary
2023 is shaping up to be an exciting year, with a number of medium-term trends gaining traction. We can expect to see more mainstream adoption of these technologies as they mature past the high-risk early adoption stage and the costs of successful implementation rapidly decrease. To talk about how your organisation can see around corners and take advantage of these trends in 2023, contact us today.
Engaging with an IT partner doesn’t need to be an all-or-nothing exercise. In many cases organisations will partner with an IT provider to work alongside existing in-house IT staff to provide complementary skills and capabilities. When choosing a IT partner to work alongside in-house IT staff it’s important to choose one familiar with a Co-managed IT model to ensure a productive, harmonious engagement.
Here are the top 5 ways that a Co-managed IT partner will be able to work alongside your existing IT staff.
#1. Work with senior business leaders to develop an overarching IT strategy
In some cases, companies may have internal IT staff who are well capable of taking care of day-to-day IT management support and project delivery. Yet senior business leaders may still need additional support in building an overall IT strategy for your IT staff to execute. Choosing a Co-managed IT partner will give you the confidence that your technology is aligned with your long-term business strategy, helping manage growth, improve profit and drive positive change.
#2. Provide ongoing IT management support to help your staff maintain focus and accountability
Companies with in-house IT staff may find there is still a gap in the management and execution of IT strategy into the organisation. Choosing a Co-Manage IT partner who can provide ongoing IT management support will ensure a smooth execution of any agreed IT strategy. Your IT partner will also ensure your IT staff stay focused and accountable on executing IT initiatives throughout the business.
#3. Provide help-desk support to allow in-house IT managers to focus on high value activities
It’s common for existing in-house IT support staff to become consumed with day-to-day help-desk support for staff and clients. This in turn doesn’t give them time to work on bigger picture IT strategies, planning and execution. Partnering with a Co-managed IT provider can help provide help-desk and service desk support for your company, allowing existing in-house resources – whether technical or management – to focus on higher value activities within your organisation.
#4. Deliver IT projects and change initiatives that require specialist skills
A Co-managed IT partner can provide project delivery capabilities to help companies deliver IT initiatives requiring specialist technical skills that your in-house IT staff may not have, such as Microsoft Office 365 migrations and process automation development. These IT capabilities can be complex, and something you want to implement correctly the first time.
#5. Provide escalation support for in-house support staff
In-house IT support staff may manage the incidents and problems that occur in your system, but may not have the higher level technical skills or experience to handle the more complex and involved issues. The right Co-managed IT partner can provide that higher level escalation support, from both a generalist perspective and a more specific product area. For example, in house IT support may handle all day-to-day help-desk requests, and then escalate the more complex or time consuming issues to your Co-managed IT partner.
As you can see, investing in the right Co-managed IT partner can provide additional IT support in a more targeted and specific way, becoming an extension to your IT team. In the digital world that we live in today, you can never have too much support when it comes to your business IT needs.
Whether your business is growing and you’re ready to level up your IT to include a dedicated IT provider, or you’re looking for a new Brisbane IT partner, you need to consider Managed IT Support – which means working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP). So let’s talk about choosing an MSP and how to find the right IT partner for your business.
What is a Managed Services Provider?
Our definition of a Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a company that remotely manages its client’s IT infrastructure and/or end-user systems, typically on a proactive basis and under a subscription model. In a previous blog post, we’ve talked about an MSPbeing “a company that gives SMBs the capability to outsource their IT service delivery requirements. A good MSP will actively keep an eye on all systems, often proactively resolving issues before they even impact the business.”
A good MSP should be your trusted partner in ensuring that your IT is always on the right track, working with you to create an IT strategy that aligns with your business goals, proactively managing and monitoring your IT systems, and being on hand for support when things do need fixing.
Why would you hire an MSP over a lone “IT tech”?
1. Strategy First
A good Managed Service Provider won’t just launch into fixing anything in your IT network that’s broken. They will first do a thorough analysis of your existing systems, report on anything that needs to be upgraded and work with you to ensure your IT strategy aligns with your business goals. There’s no point spending money on IT just for technology’s sake – it’s important to ensure your IT budget is being put to the best use. And with the IT strategy in place, this enables you to focus on your core business and leave the IT work to your reliable MSP.
2. More predictable costs.
Most MSPs will charge a regular fee (often monthly) to manage and monitor your network and give you access to a Helpdesk, with a large portion of the work they do covered by this fee. They can also help with forecasting your IT budget, to help plan for equipment upgrades and other IT expenses that may arise. With the MSP proactively managing your IT network, the risk of downtime is dramatically reduced and therefore unforeseen expenses are much less likely. So while you may still have some expenses outside of the monthly charge, your IT costs become far more predictable which makes for a much healthier business cashflow.
3. Access to the latest quality resources
By choosing to partner with an MSP, you get access to a range of highly skilled and reliable IT personnel without the financial commitment of recruiting your own IT staff. A good MSP will have knowledge and be experienced with the latest range of IT equipment and systems and be able to give recommendations about the best technology for your business needs. They will also often have a network of specialty suppliers available through which to quote on and purchase your technology requirements, rather than having to deal with generic retailers who don’t understand your business.
4. Better security measures
The value of having a quality MSP on your team is knowing that your business is as cybersecure as possible. Your MSP will be able to advise on the best cybersecurity solutions for your business, including information on firewalls, cyber-insurance, passwords and user account security, security awareness training and routine audits. Rather than flying by the seat of your pants and *hoping* that your systems are safe, your MSP will be able to ensure you have an effective cybersecurity program in place in your business.
5. A true partnership
It’s great to have someone around to fix your tech when it breaks, but hiring an MSP is about working in true partnership. Your trusted IT partner should understand your business goals, keep you informed about opportunities to improve your systems and procedures which will drive business improvement and work with you on projects, as well as providing high quality helpdesk support.
Are there risks involved in hiring an MSP?
There are always risks involved in bringing a supplier on board in your business, especially one who has access to your company data, so it’s important you ensure you are hiring the right MSP in whom you trust. A quality MSP will have documented policies and procedures on how they keep your company data safe when they are working with you. Rather than one individual storing all the information about your business in his/her head, a quality MSP will be able to give you access to a team of IT professionals with a range of experience and knowledge.
What questions should I ask when hiring an MSP?
We understand that embarking on a partnership with a new Managed Service Provider might feel daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Perhaps you might not even know what questions to ask a potential IT partner!
Firstly, think about what your intentions are when looking for a Brisbane IT service provider:
- What are your non-negotiables about this partnership? What things are really important to you when sizing up your MSP and what things can you live without? For example, do you want someone who has a local presence because you need lots of on-site work done, or is it okay to access helpdesk support remotely and on-site work can be arranged when required?
- How do you like working with an IT partner? Do you want someone who can manage everything independently so you can get on with your core business role, or would you like to work closely together?
- Do you have in-house IT staff who will work with your chosen MSP?
- Do you want a partner who just keeps things ticking away and fixes when required, or do you want someone who is actively managing your business systems and always looking for ways to improve your business?
At Grassroots IT, we understand that efficient business operations rely on robust and adaptable technology solutions. Our Managed IT Services in Brisbane offer comprehensive support, including cloud computing and cloud services, to ensure your systems are secure and scalable. We provide proactive management security measures to protect your data and infrastructure, along with responsive technical support to address any issues promptly. Our solutions are cost-effective, designed to optimise your IT investments for long-term success.
We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service, working closely with you to align technology strategies with your business goals. Contact us today for your MSP.
In this article we will discuss:
- What are Managed IT Services
- What is Managed IT Support
- What are the benefits of Managed IT Services
- Understanding Managed IT Services pricing
- Common models of Managed IT Support
- Managed IT Support pricing models
- Common factors that influence pricing
- Common inclusions & exclusions
- Other things to consider
What are Managed IT Services?
If you’re considering engaging a Managed Service Provider (MSP) to provide Managed IT Support, it’s important that you understand what factors can influence how much you will pay. You may be looking to change from an existing MSP, upgrade from ad-hoc support, or perhaps compliment in-house IT staff; in any case it’s important that you understand the factors that can influence Managed IT Services pricing, and what the price is likely to look like.
Managed IT Services are IT services provided and managed for your business by a third-party provider known as a Managed Service Provider (MSP). They are an effective way of providing your business with the information technology services and resources that it needs to prosper, without having to invest in building your own in-house capabilities in these areas. With the burden of providing and managing your IT services contracted to a third party, you can stay focused on your own core areas of expertise.
There are many services that can be delivered as a Managed IT Service, such as IT Support, Helpdesk, Internet connectivity, Infrastructure Management and Application Maintenance.
What is Managed IT Support?
Managed IT Support is the provision of IT Support & related services such as Helpdesk by a Managed Service Provider, usually charged at a fixed monthly cost for an agreed scope of service. Managed IT Support is the preferred choice for small & medium businesses in Australia when compared with other options such as ad-hoc break fix support or hiring an in-house IT support team.
Managed IT Support is often thought of primarily as user facing Helpdesk support. Although this is a significant part of any engagement, most Managed IT Support contracts will also provide for proactive management of IT platforms and infrastructure. Every MSP’s contract will be different, which is why it’s important that you properly understand the inclusions and exclusions when considering a new engagement.
The benefits of Managed IT Services
Managed IT Services have many advantages over the alternative options.
- The MSP’s interests are aligned with yours. The better managed & maintained your IT systems are, the fewer issues you will experience and the less you will need to call on helpdesk support.
- Promotes a partnership approach, allowing for a better understanding of each business and a more productive working relationship.
- Access to a full team of IT experts with a range of skills, knowledge and experience.
- Removes the risk of a single point of failure, such as a single in-house IT resource or a small ad-hoc provider.
- Proactive monitoring of systems and resolution of emerging issues, rather than waiting for un-seen issues to become disruptive problems.
How much does Managed IT Support cost?
Every business has its own unique requirements, and every contract may have different inclusions, however in general there are commonly accepted methods for pricing a Managed IT Support contract which take into consideration factors such as the size and complexity of your IT environment, and the scope of services included.
As a rule of thumb, a Managed IT Support contract in Brisbane will cost between $100 and $150 per computer (or user) per month.
Prices in other parts of Australia may vary but in general this price range is a good indication of what you can expect to pay across most of Australia.
Common models of Managed IT Support
One factor that can influence Managed IT Services pricing is the support model that your organisation has chosen. The three most common support models are:
Fully Managed
For many small to medium-sized businesses it can make sense to fully outsource the provision of IT support to a Managed Services Provider. This will entail the MSP providing not only user-facing Helpdesk support, but also monitoring and management of infrastructure and platforms such as Microsoft 365.
Co-managed
For businesses that already have an in-house IT team, Managed IT Support can complement these staff by either providing escalation support for more complex issues, or by relieving some of the load by handling more routine or lower-level duties.
Platform management
For those businesses happy to handle their own user-facing helpdesk support, Managed IT Support can help by monitoring and managing all infrastructure and platforms and remediating any issues that may arise.
Managed IT Services pricing models
There are three common pricing models used when pricing IT support contracts which may either be used to price the entirety of the contract or used in combination to reach a final price.
Per Device
Per device pricing uses a certain price for each device of a particular type. For example, you may have 20 computers in your business and be offered a price of $100 per computer per month. Of course, it’s important to be clear on what is included in this price. Does this price include Helpdesk support for your users? Does it include management of any infrastructure such as firewalls and switches?
Per User
Per user pricing is similar to per device pricing, but rather than identifying individual devices it counts how many users are in your business.
Flat Fee
The flat fee pricing model doesn’t specifically offer a rate per device or computer, but instead offers a single flat fee, irrespective of the user or device count in the business.
Irrespective of which pricing model is used, it’s worth noting that the intention is to determine a price that will provide the client with fair value for money while allowing the MSP to make a sustainable profit. In recognition that business circumstances change over time, most contracts will allow for periodic adjustments to ensure that the agreement continues to provide value for both parties over the long term.
Common factors in Managed IT Services pricing
The final cost of Managed IT support for your business will vary depending on the needs of your business and the Managed Service Provider that you choose to engage. Here are several of the most common factors that can influence the overall cost of a Managed IT Support agreement:
- The number of users
- The number of computers
- The number and type of other devices such as firewalls and printers
- Any unique or specific apps to be supported
- The complexity of your IT systems
- The age & health of your IT systems
- The number of separate office locations
- The number of remote or field workers vs office workers
- Any existing in-house IT staff
- Specific requirements for response times, such as 24×7 helpdesk
- Inclusions and exclusions such as onsite support and security management
Common inclusions
Each MSP will include different services in their contracts. Some MSP’s will have tightly defined service offerings with different inclusions that you can choose from, often following the classic Good – Better – Best model, with names like Bronze, Silver and Gold. Other MSP’s may offer a more bespoke pricing model, with inclusions and pricing specific to each client’s needs.
Whatever the pricing model, most Managed IT Support contracts have common inclusions such as:
- Remote helpdesk support
- Infrastructure & platform management
- Cybersecurity software and management
Although less common, some MSP’s may choose to bundle additional items into their main list of inclusions. For example, we have seen some MSP’s bundling Office 365 licenses, and even new laptops into their core Managed IT Support contracts, rather than leaving them as optional extras.
When assessing the price of Managed IT Support it’s important to be clear on what is included in the monthly fixed fee, and what is not. For those items not included, it’s also important to be clear on what rates would apply.
Common exclusions
There will also usually be items excluded from the agreement, but available at extra cost, such as:
- IT strategy development & implementation
- Projects & major changes
- Products such as computers and software licensing
- Onsite support
- After hours support
- Remediation of malicious action
- Security audit, monitoring & response
- Training
Other things to consider
Price is a key factor when considering Managed IT Support, however there are other crucial factors to understand when deciding whether Managed IT Support is right for you, and if so, which Managed Service Provider you will partner with.
- What is your risk profile? Partnering with a proven Managed Service Provider is an effective way to reduce your exposure to IT risks such as poorly maintained systems and key-man risk.
- Is there values alignment? The most productive engagements are long term partnerships which rely on mutual respect & shared values.
- Does the MSP have a proven track record of working with organisations like yours?
- Does the MSP have experience supporting the technologies that you use?
- Does the MSP have a proven process for supporting you not just today, but helping you to evolve and develop your IT into the future?
Next steps
Technology is a critical piece of every business but can be confusing and difficult to get right. Partnering with a proven Managed Service Provider will give you the peace of mind to focus on growing your business. Contact us today for a free consultation on how Grassroots IT can help.
Technology has evolved into a necessity in almost every aspect of our daily lives, especially in the world of business. Companies are constantly forced to adapt to the rapid advances in technology in order to thrive. For some business leaders, keeping on top of the latest technology changes might feel exciting, but for others, it can feel overwhelming and pulls you away from focusing on core business.
The decision to use outsourced IT support may save you a LOT of trouble. If you’re a business leader who is looking for better value from your IT investment, then outsourcing to a trusted Managed IT service provider may be a great option for you. You might be surprised at the benefits of outsourced IT support when compared to building your own team of in-house IT experts.
In this blog we share 5 of the the most important benefits of outsourced IT support.
#1. You can stay in your zone of genius
Knowing that there is a reliable IT Support team looking after your IT health gives you the opportunity to focus your energy on the core needs of your business. This will help drive your business forward rather than allocating valuable resources to not-so-rewarding tasks such as software updates, security patches and day to day helpdesk issues.
To have a Managed IT Support partner is to have a dedicated set of eyes looking after your IT health so that you can fully benefit from your IT investment, rather than becoming distracted by it.
#2. Peace of Mind
When you choose a trusted IT partner, your business is under the care of industry experts who are proactively watching over your IT health using advanced monitoring systems. This also includes enhanced performance for your IT systems, identifying glitches and addressing them before they become a real problem. But if they go unnoticed and undiagnosed, the issues could cause a major expense and downtime.
This will give you peace of mind knowing IT problems are minimised, and allows a highly experienced team of IT experts to take over solving problems and finding scalable solutions for your IT. Furthermore, they can help expand your vision on how you can effectively use technology in your business to drive positive change.
#3. Manage Cashflow with predictable costs
Many Managed IT service providers run on a subscription-based model that offers a fixed monthly or annual fee. Outsourcing your IT and having them proactively manage your IT systems also means there is less chance of unexpected problems and expenses from arising. This allows you to manage your cashflow with more predictable costs.
You may have the idea that on-boarding an external team of highly skilled IT professionals would be expensive, but in many cases it can actually save you money.
#4. Access the latest technology skills, knowledge and systems
One significant benefits of outsourcing your IT to a Managed IT services provider is having access to their up-to-date IT skills, knowledge and systems. This can play out in a number of ways:
- You have access to a whole team of IT experts, with a broad range of skills, experience, qualifications and expertise, all included in your monthly support costs. You don’t need to be reliant on one internal “IT guy” to have the adequate skills to fix every issue that arises.
- A quality managed IT provider will be on the forefront of technology knowledge and trends, so they can keep you updated on the most necessary changes relevant to your business.
- Should you require further recommendations with regard to technology (for example, relocating your office premises or scoping out a new project), you will be able to seek advice from your trusted IT partner who understands IT as well as your business systems and goals.
- A Managed IT partner can work with you to ensure your cybersecurity strategies are in place and your system firewalls and defences are up to date, so your data and business stay secure.
- A quality Managed IT Support provider will use the latest and best technology in their own business in order to monitor and maintain your IT systems, so you be sure your business is in the best and safest hands.
#5. Managing Your IT Vendors and Suppliers
Along with access to the latest technologies, a Managed IT services provider can share their network of product and service vendors with you, obtain the best deals, and communicate with vendors on your behalf. They will also have specialty product knowledge, understand the specifications and know what technology your business needs to meet your requirements.
Spoiler alert, the latest tech on sale at a retailer like JB-HiFi may not be the most economical or best-fit for your business!
Dealing with vendors can be overwhelming, but a good Managed IT Support provider will be experienced in liaising with vendors to help with purchases, as well as troubleshoot issues on your behalf. Your IT provider can streamline all communications and assign subject matter experts to handle each task.
The benefits of outsourcing to a managed service provider
Technology is a huge part of running a business and is a vital factor in determining the success of your short-term and long-term objectives. Having a set of expert eyes to take important IT matters off your shoulders is a smart initiative that can bring many benefits to you and your Organisation.
Interested in learning more about outsourcing your IT Support? See how we can help.
It’s fair to say that you’ve invested a lot in your IT support team. If you have an IT support team in house, then you’ve spent time and money recruiting them, training them, and developing them with the hard and soft skills necessary to perform at a high standard. You’ve spent money on computers, software, desks, all sorts of gadgets you may not understand, and of course plain old (but not plain cheap) floor space in your office. If on the other hand you have decided to outsource IT support you have made a big investment in other ways, not least of all the decision of which IT provider to place your trust in. You have made the commitment to bring these people into the ‘inner circle’ of your organisation to provide services to your people that are at the core of your business’ daily activities, and continue to invest in the relationship with every interaction.
Having made such a commitment to your IT support team, you need to ensure you get the most from the investment. Here’s how.
Communicate Openly
Your IT people want to help, they really do, but they can’t work in a vacuum. No one will argue the benefit of ensuring that IT is properly aligned with the business, but a lot of people still seem mystified by how to make this happen. In my experience it’s actually very easy. You just need to openly communicate with IT what the business strategy is, and how the business will benefit from IT involvement.
You may think that your IT people don’t need to know about your marketing strategy refocus, or about the gradual shift underway towards just-in-time inventory in the packaging warehouse, but if I position the question another way – how can you expect them to align their efforts with the business if they don’t know where the business is heading?
Keep your IT people up to date on where the business is heading, and they will do everything in their power to keep IT aligned with that vision too. If you feel this isn’t happening, then talk with your IT people about it. Don’t assume they have no interest in the business, and are only interested in their computers. You may be surprised.
Involve them Early
Your IT support team may appear to work magic at times, but rest assured they do not actually have super powers. When considering a new corporate initiative, make sure you include your IT people in on discussions at an early stage. This way they will be able to offer the benefit of their knowledge and experience to help the project move forward effectively.
I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve seen IT brought into projects (both big and small) late in the piece, only to be the unwilling bearers of bad news as they share why the current project plans will hit technical problems. No one wins in this situation. The IT people look like the bad guys, and substantial investments of time and money spent in planning have been wasted and need to be redone.
By looping IT in on discussions at an earlier stage the project team will have the benefit of their knowledge early on, and will be able to plan the project accordingly, avoiding any unnecessary surprises further down the track.
Nurture the Relationships
Whether you have your own IT people on staff, in your office or offshore, or via an outsourced arrangement with a managed IT service provider, your IT people are just that – people. As such they will flourish and bend over backwards to please you the more that they are made to feel welcomed, and valued members of your team.
Despite the popular adage, IT people are not mushrooms to be shut in a dark basement and fed….mushroom food. They are people who love to help, and engage, and feel appreciated, and the more you can make them feel this way, the harder they will work to help you and your business.
Like any working team, your IT department will flourish under the right conditions. They may be able to achieve more than you dreamt possible and show you the best possible return on investment if you keep them in the loop on your business direction, involve them early in project planning, and nurture your relationship.
While investing in technology is not an insignificant part of any business’ budget, having the right IT services in place could actually help your business to save money.
In this blog, we share our five essential services to ensure that your IT budget is well spent and your business isn’t just surviving but thriving.
#1. IT Strategy & Planning
Technology is ever-changing and, while it’s tempting to adopt the latest shiny gadget or software trend, it’s important to ensure that you have an IT strategy in place that aligns with your business goals. Working with an IT consultant who understands business as well as IT, you can create a plan and budget for your technology needs into the future that aligns with the direction and growth of your business. Having a plan in place will ensure that there are fewer IT emergencies and less unnecessary expenditure, which is much better for your budget.
#2. Managed IT Services
With the right IT strategy in place, now you need a team of IT experts on hand who understand your business and can deliver IT support, services and recommendations. Managed IT services is essentially having access to a responsive helpdesk support team, combined with proactive management of your technology systems. All this comes at a fixed monthly price. It will save your business money because:
- IT issues can be managed proactively, often before you’re even aware that there’s a problem (so the issue doesn’t turn into an emergency).
- As part of the service, patches and updates are run on your computer system outside of hours and behind the scenes, minimizing impact and downtime to your business. This means your team can be at their most efficient and productive.
- Having a fixed monthly cost enables you to manage your cashflow.
- You have a whole team of IT experts on hand with a wide range of skills and experience, rather than paying for a dedicated IT staff member with a limited skillset.
- You don’t have to manage an IT staff member’s leave and downtime (as you outsource to us).
- Your managed service provider is familiar with your business and can provide advice and recommendations that align with your business goals and help drive growth.
#3. An integrated platform for productivity and collaboration
There are many software packages available to businesses these days. Growing businesses can often be stringing together many different tech tools, without really understanding the true cost to the business, which includes learning the new systems and making each tool integrate smoothly. We are firm believers in adopting a system that aligns with your business goals and strategy, offers easy integrations between apps, and is secure and reliable. That’s why we use, support and advocate for Microsoft Office 365.
Microsoft’s ever-expanding suite of business products provides many productivity and collaboration tools, cloud services and high-end security. As well as Microsoft 365 and the Office suite of apps giving you an edge in today’s ever-growing world, Microsoft offers flexible plans and scalable pricing.
With scalable pricing, you can scale up and down as your business grows or you take on projects. Flexible plans and service offerings mean you can use the Microsoft Office 365 products and services that you need now and explore additional features later. You can even mix and match to suit different staff requirements. As well as offering incredible benefits to staff retention and engagement through the use of these powerful collaboration tools, you can save money because you’re not paying for licenses and features that you don’t need.
#4. Cloud Solutions
Migrating your business systems to the cloud is now key to unlocking a plethora of great opportunities for growth in your Organisation. Your business is unique and needs the right tools with the power and flexibility to enable you to drive productivity while reducing risk. The right cloud solution will bring enterprise grade capabilities into your business in an accessible and easy to manage package.
Not sure what cloud solutions even means? Some business products that you could utilise using the cloud include:
- Having a phone system using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) rather than traditional phones.
- Backup and disaster recovery, so that your business is backed up and running as soon as possible, in the case of an emergency.
- Collaboration tools between remote workers using Microsoft 365 and Office suite of apps.
- A business grade, high speed internet service so that your team is always working at optimum speed and not waiting for the internet to catch up.
When you consider what it might cost you to have an internet service that constantly lags or drops out, an outdated phone system, or not having backups in place if an incident causes your whole business system to be taken out, you can see that having the right cloud services in place can actually save your business money.
#5. Cybersecurity
Cyber-security threats and data breaches are becoming increasingly rampant, sophisticated and difficult to mitigate. Even more worrying is the rising cost of cybercrime to businesses. In Australia, the average cost of a single cybercrime is about $276,000. Implementing and maintaining a strong cybersecurity stance is crucial in every business, regardless of its size, and businesses these days can’t afford not to have adequate protection in place as the risks are too great.
A great place to start with cybersecurity is to learn more about the Essential 8 framework and ensure your business has a strategy in place that covers the basics of prevention, limiting the extent of attacks and disaster recovery. We are so passionate about security solutions that every client we support with a Managed IT Agreement has the following baseline inclusions:
- Endpoint security protection and management
- Network firewall management
- Security monitoring & alerting
#6. Adoption & change management
As an added bonus, one more thing to consider when it comes to managing your technology budget, is Adoption and Change Management.
Focusing on the people side of things in a business can often be overlooked but is one of the most important aspects of growing your business. Without managing the people side of change, even an organisation that has met all the technical requirements and milestones can still fail to deliver results and benefits. In our experience working with many clients over a range of industries, we know that organisations that embrace change management are more likely to achieve the intended project outcomes, stay on schedule and stay on budget. It’s all very well to implement the best technology, but if no one is using it, it’s no use to anyone and it certainly isn’t bringing growth to your Organisation.
In Summary
By investing in an IT plan and strategy, managed IT support services, a reliable platform for productivity and collaboration, cloud solutions and cybersecurity, you can actually save your business money in the long run. The important factor is to ensure they are the right technology services for your business and aligned with your overall business strategy so that the business can grow and thrive.
