You may have read our recent article about “How to know if it’s the right time to outsource IT support.”
Perhaps you’ve realised that you have been struggling to manage your IT systems and you need additional IT support from a managed service provider. But you may be wondering how to choose the right IT company for your business.
You might head straight to Google to search for an “IT support near me.”
Or you might ask around for recommendations from your contacts.
But choosing an external IT support team is about more than just getting a contact name and number. You need to feel confident that any team you work with will understand your business and give you the support that you need.
Here is our advice for what you should be looking for when searching for an IT outsourcing company.
Do they understand your business sector?
The first question you should ask any IT outsourced services, is what experience they have in your sector.
You need your IT systems to align with your business. If you’re working in public sector roles, you will be reliant upon your outsourced IT services to design a system that meets stringent compliance processes. If your business relies on your customers being able to log in to their accounts, you’ll need a system that prioritises guest access and network security.
Don’t be afraid to ask to read any case studies or testimonials that outline any prior experience. You want to see that your managed service provider knows the intricacies of your sector, and how this could impact your IT needs.
Do they understand your current needs, and can they anticipate what you may need?
You may be focusing your thoughts on your current needs, but if you are investing in IT support to help you to manage your systems, then you need that investment to be long-lasting.
The last thing you want is to spend money on a system only to find that it doesn’t offer any scalability and it cannot adapt with your business.
At Lucid Systems, we believe that when you hire an IT support team, your chosen company should have a dual focus. The support should meet your immediate needs, but also give you the flexibility to change and evolve at the same pace as your business. We offer a variety of subscription-based services, from data backups to VoIP phone systems that can be scaled up or down with your business needs.
This means that our businesses like you can make the most of your IT budgets, by only paying for the services that you need.
Outsource your IT support to a team who can manage site visits
Luckily, remote technologies mean that we can manage a lot of our IT helpdesk support direct from our Ipswich head office. Our infrastructure allows us to be responsive to our client’s needs. It can save valuable time and fix any user issues quickly and easily.
But there are many times when we need to undertake site visits to physically assess your IT equipment. This is often true if you are planning a significant upgrade, or you may be considering relocating your office and you need advice on cabling or internet connections.
In these scenarios, you may benefit from working with a local IT support team.
Earlier this year, we relocated our head office to Hintlesham, on the outskirts of Ipswich. Our location makes us ideal to work with businesses like you across the A12/A14 corridor. Our talented team can be in Ipswich in less than fifteen minutes. We can also reach Colchester, Felixstowe or Stowmarket in less than 30 minutes, and even Bury St Edmunds in less than 40!
But we aren’t just limited to our neighbouring towns. We provide external IT support for clients in locations as far as Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and London.
How flexible are your IT outsourced services?
Investing in IT support is a big decision. You want to know that your chosen outsourcing company can offer you flexibility and scalability.
That’s why we’ll talk to you in detail about your current business plans, and also your future vision.
- Will your business change in the future?
- Are you planning on taking on new staff members or maintaining a remote or hybrid workforce?
- Is your business seasonal, and you know that there are key times of the year when you need to scale up (or down) your workforce?
Thinking about some of the answers to these questions may change the IT services that you need.
We believe in offering local businesses flexible support that can adapt with your needs. That’s why we offer affordable fixed-term solutions that give you a consistent IT budget, with no hidden costs or charges. Of course, there may be times where you need additional help and support with a particular project – in which case, we can offer comprehensive ad-hoc support to help you manage any peaks and troughs in your IT needs.
At Lucid Systems, we focus heavily on providing value for money for our clients. We know that budgets are tight, so we’ll always work with solutions that are affordable for you. IT support should be accessible to all businesses, and we can work with clients with five users, or clients with 500 users.
We’ll work with you to stretch your budget as far as possible – whether it’s by recommending to upgrade any subscriptions ahead of any price rises or suggesting alternative solutions that still meet your needs.
Do you need an IT team that works alongside your in-house staff or to manage your IT for you?
When choosing an outsourced IT helpdesk, you should always consider what you need their expertise for. Is it to manage your IT helpdesk requirements or is it to provide additional resourcing to work alongside your internal personnel? Do you need cybersecurity support or someone who can manage your IT procurement?
If you know from the outset what type of support you need, you can find it easier to find the right company to work with.
Our team of expert IT technicians can work in a variety of ways.
We are happy to proactively manage your entire IT infrastructure on your behalf, freeing up your time to focus on your day job.
But equally, we regularly work alongside in-house IT managers to offer additional resourcing or expertise. Many businesses in Ipswich choose to work with us because we can offer an independent perspective – we may be able to suggest technical suggestions for projects that your in-house team may not have considered.
What are their accreditations?
It’s a given that you want your outsourced IT support to be qualified and experienced in working with the latest tech. But have you considered if they have any accreditations that could benefit your business?
For example, at Lucid Systems we are ISO 27001 accredited. This is our guarantee that we take data protection extremely seriously and that we adhere to global practice. If you work in a highly compliant sector, then you will need to work with an external team who understand the importance of data security.
We are also a certified Microsoft Gold Partner and Cloud Solution Provider (CSP). This highlights our expertise in cloud-solutions and is an extremely difficult certification to achieve.
If you’re ready to talk to us about IT outsourcing support, please get in touch. In just a short conversation, we can discuss your technical needs and figure out how we can support you to maximise your IT infrastructure.
To get started, please phone us on 01473 355199.
