Are you tired of lost man-hours, expensive rush repairs, and work inefficiencies? Are you frustrated by your computer and IT environment? The answer to your troubles may be to work with a proactive IT services company that doesn't just sit around until you have a problem.
As a business owner, you know that IT breakdowns are costly and stressful. Often, you don't have the budget to buy a new computer. A proactive model of IT support will save money and give you better tools, more educated employees, and a more robust IT structure. Call us today, and we can walk you through how proactive IT services are becoming the standard of IT management!
What Is Proactive IT Support?
When you are proactive in your approach, you are looking ahead as you work. You are considering not only what your end goals are but also what potential setbacks could arise. This strategy of IT support takes care to look for minor issues—a technical hiccup here, a misunderstanding there—and makes plans to ensure that these kinds of problems don't get the opportunity to become major setbacks.
This perspective requires a more robust IT structure than a standard "fix-as-you-go" IT approach. You need to have a structure that can manage regular audits, provide proactive monitoring, and take care of ongoing maintenance to ensure an effective IT environment. Managed services are a proactive support system for businesses that want these benefits and more.
Reactive vs. Proactive Support
The traditional form of break-and-fix IT support has some small benefits, but it comes from an era where IT was seen more like plumbing and roofing. Though IT has similarities with the other trades, modern and more proactive IT support has important differences from the more traditional structure:
Proactive IT Support
- Prevents problems
- Monitor for signs of potential problems and enhance your network security
- Requires commitment but provides fuller services
- Includes IT training for your employees
- Higher investment, but can save money in the long run
Break/Fix IT Support
- Reacts to problems
- Jump in to solve a problem ASAP
- Cost-effective but limited
- Risks of unattended issues and long delays
- Lacks preventative options
In general, the break/fix reactive model can be cheaper, but the reactive approach risks larger damages since no work has been done to mitigate potential harm. Additionally, having to wait for an IT tech to get on-site and give them an overview of the problem takes far longer than a more proactive approach. Proactive IT services encourage preparation and a holistic approach to common IT headaches.
While making the switch to a proactive IT support environment may pose growing pains, there are ample opportunities to enjoy a new and reinvigorated business.
The Benefits and Challenges of Proactive IT Support
Proactive IT service is more than just a different way of approaching your IT needs – it is the best way! While changing to a proactive model can pose challenges, they are well worth the brief transition period!
Pros
Improved Potential – The proactive approach to IT comes with a holistic view that can find inefficiencies and productivity losses and improve your business!
Prevent Negativity – If your website often breaks or tech troubles cause issues, negative word-of-mouth can harm you in the long run – prevent it with proactive work!
Reduce Costs – Prevent downtime costs and unnecessary expenses.
Challenges
Initial Investment – You may need additional equipment or technologies to provide easy access to your systems.
Education – When transitioning to a managed IT service, employees may need to adapt to new tools, processes, and protocols introduced by the IT service provider. This often requires training and continuous education, which can take time and effort, especially if the staff is unfamiliar with the new systems.
How to Implement a Proactive IT Service Strategy
While a professional IT management company can best approach and enact a proactive IT strategy, you can take some simple steps that will help you start the path towards a more forward-thinking IT plan that will save money while it enhances your business!
- Start regular maintenance: Regular maintenance includes software and hardware updates, regular data backups, and frequent security scans. Each of these can help enhance and secure your network, but together, they create a much more robust IT environment.
- Train Employees: Educated employees are the number one tool for network security and health – employees with information gaps are the biggest risk. Train employees on how to spot phishing attempts and other potential hacks.
- Create a Knowledge Base: When your employees face an issue over and over, it is a waste of time to have your IT team field the same questions over and over again. Your business should create a knowledge base, or even a simple handbook, on how to handle common issues. Update it regularly and include a variety of topics, such as FAQs, how-to guides, and troubleshooting steps.
- Use Root Cause Analysis: Root cause analysis is simply a method of following repeat issues down to the root cause so that you can properly solve the problem once and for all.
- Improve Infrastructure: Your infrastructure is all of your computers and networks wrapped together – improving your infrastructure can enhance your employee's action times and reduce wasteful waiting.
These steps and processes form the foundation of a proactive IT support structure but are not the end-all-be-all. Some actions that you could take may require more technical know-how, such as performing network audits and building a self-service portal. With an IT professional at your back, these steps can be a breeze!
Think Ahead with Proactive IT Services from Computer Services Unlimited!
When your team is experiencing a slow and overloaded workday, utilizing proactive measures can smooth out many of your most common headaches. With the right tools and strategies, your IT team can have more time and budget on their hands for the work of improving your business – an ounce of proactive IT services is worth a pound of expensive fixes.
Call us today if you want to boost your business efficiency and experience a newly enhanced and reinvigorated workday! We are a DC Metro Area company that can take your hardest IT problems and create the strongest solutions – we can't wait to help!