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4 Questions to Ask when Outsourcing IT Support

Posted By: Helen Friday 20th March 2020 Tags: , , ,

When choosing to outsource IT Support Services there are some important questions to consider first. Take a look at what we recommend and once you’ve got the answers, ensure those of the company you hire, match yours.

What IT Goals do you have?

Technology in your Business: How important is technology in your company at this point in time? What exactly do you use and how does this make your business run smoothly? Are there additional IT related features that could be of benefit? Understanding this in the first instance means you will be armed with relevant knowledge when approaching an external support company.

Specific Goals: What exactly do you wish to achieve with IT Support Services? Money saving is almost guaranteed, especially in comparison to hiring an inhouse technician. Consider the following:

  • Could performance be further increased?
  • Would you like faster response times?
  • Do you have enough security in place, including backups?
  • Are you compliant with the latest rules and regulations?

Once you have a handle on the specific goals of your business surrounding IT, you will be more aware of the right questions to ask a potential provider.

What IT Related Tasks would you like to Achieve?

Think about the daily routine: Do certain problems arise on a daily basis? Examine the following:

  • The printer doesn’t work for certain people sometimes
  • Connecting to the network can be hit and miss
  • PCs or devices don’t work effectively at all times

Issues like the above prove extremely frustrating. Taking time away from running a business, somebody, somewhere needs to leave what they are doing in order to assess and fix the problem. From here, look at updates and maintenance. Who is currently responsible for this? Are you aware of how secure you currently are? Worst case scenarios sees companies open to cyber attacks and recovery from such tragedies doesn’t always happen.

Finally, revisit business goals and determine the following:

  • Are you looking to hire new team members?
  • Do you require additional devices?
  • Is there potential for a second location?
  • Is server space an issue?

Again, once you have the answers, they can be relayed to IT professionals who will take this into consideration when creating the best solutions.

What does the SLA Look Like?

The importance of a Service Level Agreement should never be overlooked. You need to know exactly where you stand with IT Support and specifically the level of service to expect. Having thought about goals and what you’d like the company to achieve you’ll already have a good idea of direction of travel. Whilst an ‘all inclusive’ support package may suit your needs, it might not be specific to aims. Prior to any agreement it’s important to be fully aware of any ‘extras’ that may warrant additional bills.

How do you approach IT Security?

Similarly to most of the questions posed so far, this is one for you and a potential IT company. By this point you should already be aware of how secure you are. Ask your potential partner how they cover themselves in terms of security? Not only responsible for you, a company needs to prove their own levels. Hackers enjoy a challenge and unfortunately this adds IT Support providers to their lists. Understanding their approach will show you how seriously they take security matters.