Most of the time, a good outsourced IT provider is simply going to work behind the scenes and help you keep your business running smoothly while staying out of the way. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to help make their job easier.
Make no mistake: it’s in your best interests to have your technology care partner working as easily and efficiently as possible. The better your technology performs the easier it will be for you to stay profitable and productive.
With that in mind, today we want to give you a handful of tips you can use to help your IT partner help you. These are the habits and mindsets you can adopt so to get the very best from their time and expertise…
Don’t Sit on IT Problems
Sometimes, a business owner or executive won’t want to contact their IT provider about a “small” problem. However, it’s sometimes the case that what can seem like a little annoyance today can turn out to be a warning sign for a bigger issue later.
Things like crashing computers, unexpected errors on devices, and trouble with an email or VoIP network can be easy to brush aside. But, you’ll be helping yourself and your IT team if you make a call and let the experts get to work diagnosing the situation.
Be Upfront and Realistic About Your Constraints
It’s a common misconception that investing in technology are IT support has to be an “all or nothing” decision. In the real world, though, every business owner and executive has budgets, schedules, and other constraints to work with.
You can help your IT partner a great deal by being upfront with any limitations you’re dealing with, whether they are financial or not. That way, they can come up with answers that work for you, rather than generating plans that won’t ever actually be implemented.
Give Them the Whole Story
Much of the work we do involves finding and fixing problems. Many solutions are simple, and can come down to resolving conflicts between different apps, drivers, or software packages. However, we also help our clients to plan ahead for the future, particularly when it comes to things like budgeting and upgrades.
Of course, your IT team can’t give you good advice if they don’t have any idea about what your plans look like. You don’t have to give your vendor sensitive or confidential pieces of information, but you’ll have an easier time getting what you need from them if they know how you want to expand or otherwise change your business in the coming months and years.
Be Willing to Try New Ideas
It can be frustrating to meet with a client who wants better, more reliable IT performance but insists on sticking with the same ideas and solutions they have always used in the past. In those cases it’s difficult to manage both sides of the equation and give them what they want.
We are all creatures of habit, but the world of technology moves quickly. You presumably hired an IT team because you believe in their vision and expertise. If that’s the case, be willing to at least consider the ideas and suggestions they offer even though they might run contrary to your established patterns.
Do You Need an IT Partner That Works as Hard as You Do?
Small and medium-sized businesses throughout Southern California turn to Fantastic IT because they want smart answers, good value, and a commitment to service that puts clients first. Our firm is growing by leaps and bounds because we do what other technology companies can’t or won’t.
If that sounds like the kind of service and protection you want to be enjoying, contact a member of our team today to schedule a free consultation. We will be happy to review your technology and business challenges to find the affordable and effective solutions you need.