Break-fix or Proactive Care: What will it be? To make it easier, we have provided you with all the information on why it is important to choose managed IT services and drop the break-fix approach.
The simplest way to explain break-fix IT is that it is a classic approach to IT support. Companies are called to get a fix only when something really goes wrong. The transactional process leaves businesses with a lot of downtime, contrary to proactive managed IT services, which represent a standard shift. Above the support, managed IT services monitor, maintain, and secure your IT side of the company with their proactive efforts to avoid issues before they intervene between your business operations.
Analysing Cost
When comparing proactive and break-fix approaches, it’s obvious that the latter is cheaper, as invoices are based on the used hours. The former has a fixed monthly rate, promises predictability, and creates a budget-friendly model.
The Efficiency and Security Level
In managed services, problems are found early, and the system is constantly improving, which is huge. Businesses that wait for things to break till the end are usually exposed. On the other hand, proactive systems work quietly in the background, keeping all the operations running smoothly and updating security if there is a sign of threats.
Choosing Proactive Approach and their Benefits
Remote-managed IT services aren’t just for big companies. They do offer a significant list of benefits for both startups and small businesses, helping them grow and compete.
- Added Security and Protection of Data: In a world of cyber threats, having a team of remote professionals your business 24/7. This includes getting regular updates, monitoring advanced networks, quick responses to any security alerts, and ensuring your data stays safe.
- Managing budget and predicting monthly costs: With managed IT services, you pay a fixed amount every month, no matter how much support your business requires. This makes it easier to budget your IT costs and avoid anything unexpected so that you can manage your finances.
- Employee productivity and avoiding business downtime: Proactive monitoring reduces the downtime of the business, which means that employees are much more productive. This means the operations are going well, and even the customers are happy. Reliability improves your business’s reputation and your service because it is consistent and dependable.
- Access to the latest technology and IT experts: MSPs stay current with the latest technology and follow the best practices. This means your business can access different IT solutions that may have been unreachable. You also get advice that’s best suited to the needs of your work.
What Should Small Business Owners and Startups Consider?
We understand that switching from the break-fix model to managed services is a major step. It’s best to begin with an in-depth evaluation of your current IT needs and challenges. Understand the patterns in the issues that have been arising and the potential cost of business downtime.
When choosing an MSP, it’s important for you to keep in mind that the right decision can positively impact your business. Look for professionals who offer the right type of technical expertise that also aligns with your company and values. Ask for referrals and do in-depth research to know you have made the right choice. The planning and implementation of the transition of managed services should aim to minimise the disruptions of a business. You might step into different parts of the managed services for your infrastructure or choose an MSP known for a smooth process.
What is The Break Fix Approach?
Businesses use a break-fix approach to dealing with IT support. Different companies wait until they have issues or something massive happens before they contact IT support to resolve their problems. The reactive method led to unplanned business downtime, which was quite costly and interrupted operations. Additionally, businesses also needed help understanding when a potential problem could take a rise, which resulted in sky-high IT expenses and added stress for all the employees and the business owners. To summarise, the break-fix approach was a last-minute band-aid solution through which IT support was gained, and a short-term solution was provided for a long-term issue.
The Elements in Proactive Approaches
In the current times, technology has become the backbone of every business, which is why it is important to implement a proactive approach. Here are some key elements of a proactive IT support strategy:
- Continuous monitoring: It is important to constantly monitor the business IT system and network to ensure smooth operations. By identifying and fixing potential problems early on, issues are prevented from becoming bigger and disrupting the entire business.
- Maintenance: Instead of waiting for something to break, it is important to perform routine maintenance tasks such as hardware checks, conducting routine checks, software patch management, software updates, and optimising the system. This also keeps computers and different systems running very effectively and seamlessly.
- Cybersecurity measures: Strong cybersecurity means you react to more than just the threats. By following security protocols such as firewalls, antivirus software, EDR systems, and controlling access, businesses can be protected against cyber threats. Taking these measures means you prevent the leakage of sensitive information from being accessed by cybercriminals. With the rising number of cyber threats, it is important to invest in a proactive security approach to protect the reputation of your company.
The Change of Trends in Managed IT Service
Investing in modern tools and systems is crucial for results, but MSPs ensure these investments are effective and timely. As companies rethink their build vs. buy decisions, they turn to Managed Service Providers to keep up with the changes. MSPs provide the right skills, in-depth knowledge of the industry, and technological expertise, all while ensuring operational cost savings.
Conventionally, MSPs offer staff and support augmentation, but they also fill gaps, assist with different strategies, and adapt the technology to customers’ needs. They can also handle more responsibilities, from business functions to basic IT support, and focus on the outcomes rather than just being cost-efficient. Some key factors that drive the growth of MSPs for IT support services include all of the following:
- Using real-time data to make strategic decisions.
- The rise in demand for digital changes, cybersecurity, and cloud services.
- It is effective client relationship management and proactive risk management.
Different companies are increasingly partnering with other MSPs to manage risk, evolve in IT, and establish regular business benchmarks. Adopting managed services can cut costs and improve your business’s operational efficiency, allowing you to focus on enhancing your market performance and other goals.
Why Should Modern Businesses Choose Managed IT Services
Managed IT services are crucial for the following three reasons:
- 24/7 Support and Monitoring: Currently, the economy is globally connected, which means downtime can impact different things and ultimately be quite costly. Gone are the days of working traditionally from 9 to 5; now, MSPs provide round-the-clock support to prevent any disruptions and threats.
- Supporting the Growth of Businesses: By handling the IT side of operations, remote managed service allows the in-house to focus on building innovation and much more important tasks. The shift will enable businesses to flourish as they thrive.
- Increasing the system difficulty: As businesses expand, the IT infrastructure becomes more complex. It adds new technologies, different software, and platforms, which can be quite challenging. Remote-managed IT services make these simple and carry them out seamlessly as they integrate different IT components.
Choosing Ashton Solutions As Your Managed IT Services
Companies that partner with MSPs do not consider cost the main driving force. It is important to uphold industry knowledge, keep data safe, and align with MSPs for long-term growth. To have a successful partnership, MSPs must show that they have proven their history in the field. When choosing your MSP, it’s best to speak to the professionals at Ashton Solutions to learn more about what we can do to help you get bigger and better.
Keep in mind that finding the right partner is very important. Your goals should include boosting employees’ productivity, meeting customer satisfaction, and having an MSP who also meets all your requirements. Planning to improve your IT infrastructure and want to explore managed IT services? Check out Ashton Solutions who can help your company move towards success by providing the right means and resources for the job!
