9 ways managed services deliver cost savings and increase efficiency

The antiquated days of break-fix IT are over. Today, modern businesses rely on managed services to provide their IT solutions. The MSP model of outsourced, always-on IT is more efficient and cost-effective. Below are nine reasons why.

1. Increased uptime

IT downtime can bring a business to its knees and make doing business difficult or impossible. In a break-fix model technicians can spend hours remedying the situation. MSPs on the other hand, are typically proactive in dealing with downtime. Their RMM technology will monitor a business’s systems and solve problems before they become problematic.

2. Proactive maintenance

MSP’s technicians have more time and focus to perform tasks such as updating systems, patching them when needed and monitoring network bandwidth. This means systems are more likely to function optimally and efficiently. Regular maintenance will also contribute to there being less downtime.

3. Making use of the cloud

Cloud solutions can help in a number of ways. However as a general point, cloud computing offers the kind of flexibility and scalability that on site technology can’t. MSPs serve as the perfect partner to cloud computing in their ability to eliminate the stress and lack of agility that comes with being tied 100% to traditional, on premise IT.

4. Providing access to specialised talent

An in house IT team is typically spread thinly over day to day tasks. It’s unlikely they’ll have the expertise, let alone the time, to spend on issues like cyber security. When you hire an MSP you sign up to work with a team of professionals each with their own dedicated skillset. These professionals prioritise their allocated tasks – e.g. overseeing security alerts – and they often receive ongoing training for their field of expertise.

5. Discounted IT supplies

A managed service provider usually has good relationships with technology vendors. With their broad client base, they’re also reselling IT at scale. Quite understandably, these vendors are happy for MSPs to negotiate a more competitive price than what they’d offer any old SME making smaller purchases. And this saving can be passed on to you, the business owner.

6. Improved security

As mentioned, a managed service provider’s specialisation ability lets them hone their cyber security offering. Security threats are both a financial and efficiency nightmare. Facing security breaches requires time and money. To save time and money, an MSP deals with these threats much better.

7. Smarter spending on technology investments

The experts working for managed service providers are constantly updated with technology trends. Certainly more up-to-date than the typical SME that battles with various other worries. This means an MSP can guide a business in making informed purchases. This can lead to purchasing higher functioning and more cost-effective technology that will likely hold its value over time.

8. Process optimisation

MSPs can access advanced tools and a suitable business management platform for handling IT infrastructure. This can help eliminate process inefficiencies and automate parts of your processes.

9. You can forget IT and focus on running your business

If your business is doing all the IT itself, outsourcing it to an external body can greatly relieve your resources. Whilst your MSP handles all the day-to-day legwork of keeping your IT ticking over, you and an in-house IT team can tackle more pressing issues. Equally, you and the in-house IT team can tackle bigger, more long-term goals such as growth strategies and optimising your processes.

One might say there’s a tenth way MSPs can help their customers. The above points can mesh together to create less stress for your business. Less overall stress can then have a knock-on effect on your efficiency and your bottom line.

Click here to see how OryxAlign can make your business more efficient, cost-effective and take another weight off your shoulders.