How Managed IT Services Prevent Costly Downtime

With many unknown and uncontrollable technological factors, you must leverage what you can and make proactive decisions. One thing you can control is your ability to be prepared. By staying prepared, businesses can make better choices, enhancing workflow and day-to-day operations. One way to prepare is through establishing a technology management plan. Having a robust management plan directly contributes to operational and financial success. Organizations that utilize managed IT services for efficient, proactive technology management can prevent costly downtime, ultimately contributing to the overall development and growth of the organization.  

Key Takeaways:  

• Without a strategized technology management plan, organizations are subject to a variety of challenges and risks.
• Organizations can experience increased downtime, leading to financial implications, operational challenges, and reputational damages.  
• Working with a managed service provider can implement proactive systems and processes that reduce downtime, prevent overhead costs, and increase productivity.

Understanding Technology Management 

Technology management refers to the proactive management of IT infrastructure. As businesses continue to move toward digital and even automated processes, monitoring and maintaining all systems is essential to make sure systems are on par with operational standards. To do this, there must be a strategy. Building an effective management strategy starts with open communication and internal evaluation. This way, IT administrators can best establish the right policies, processes, tools, and techniques for efficient performance, increased reliability, and maximized security.  

Without a strategized technology management plan, organizations are subject to specific challenges and risks, including:  

• Regulatory compliance issues  
• Higher operational costs  
• Compromised security  
• Limited scalability  
• Drained team resources 
• Increased downtime  

Impact of Downtime on a Business  

Downtime occurs when processes and systems are not running efficiently, causing a disruption. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as hardware failure, human error, outages, outdated software, bugs, configuration issues, or in the worst case, a security breach. Although sometimes downtime cannot be avoided, too much downtime could result in adverse financial, operational, and reputational effects on the business.  

Financial Implications  

When a business has too much downtime, it will likely have direct and indirect financial implications. The system issue could directly result in a loss of sales, regulatory fines, legal fees, staff overtime, or even consumer compensation for remediation. If the root cause of downtime is significant, there will probably be significant financial loss. However, suppose you have the right systems to effectively monitor and manage. You would catch errors faster, before they can cause financial damage.  

Operational Challenges 

Inefficiencies in technology create inefficiencies in the operation of a business. An organization with technology that is not consistently tuned and managed is not likely to operate at maximum capacity. Employees with too much downtime could be underperforming and not fully meeting their potential in their roles. This has a domino effect across all departments and could even be reflected poorly from a consumer perspective.  

Reputational Damages 

Employees that are using outdated or substandard technology tools can lead to a variety of internal and external reputation issues. User workstations that are old, slow, or not properly maintained can create frustration for the staff as well as an external client or customer. For instance, if a loyal consumer calls, and systems are slow or even down and unable to process requests, this will immediately cause someone to lose trust in your organization’s reputation as a trusted solution.  

How Managed Services Prevent Downtime  

Partnering with a managed services provider is pivotal to successful system and hardware operation and management. Managed IT partners have a deep understanding across industries to determine the best technology, tools, and processes for your organization. Their partnership allows organizations to reduce overhead costs, increase productivity, and prevent downtime. Managed service providers prevent downtime in various ways, including:  

• Proactive monitoring and maintenance  
• 24/7 help desk availability  
• Rapid response to IT issues  
• Cybersecurity protection  
• Data backup and disaster recovery  
• Regular software and hardware updates  
• Scalability and resource optimization  

Choosing the Right Managed IT Provider  

Managed IT partners have teams and resources to mitigate risks and challenges that cause downtime proactively. When evaluating your organization, finding a partner that matches or meets your outlined goals and IT objectives is important. When selecting a managed IT partner, make sure their industry experience aligns with your business. Also, evaluate whether they have a robust, dynamic team that covers various skills and if they have a strategy for proactive planning and monitoring protocols. 

At EisnerAmper, our dedicated Managed IT team has industry experience and knowledge. They have tried and true processes and resources that can limit downtime, enhance productivity, and reduce costs. Are you ready to cut costs and maximize capacity? Contact us below.