Is your user-to-staff ratio at the average of 200:1? These days, the amount of IT services an organization’s IT manager needs to juggle is intimidating. Outsourcing those tasks to a managed IT service provider is becoming increasingly common.
If your IT staff gets a better ratio, that would help them do their job better. So, what kind of services are out there to reduce the workload without increasing the employee count? What will work best for your non-profit company?
We’re about to find out that and more. Are you ready to hit “refresh” your IT department?
Keep reading to find out.
What Kinds of IT Services Are There?
Managed IT service providers, or MSPs, do the work you can’t or don’t want to do in-house. There are dozens of managed IT services, such as:
- IT administration
- Security
- Managed cloud services
- Help desk services
- Data backup
- On-site staffing
- And more
Managed IT service providers can give security monitoring and training your staff to fight off phishing and social engineering attacks. Managed cloud services like Office 365, Google office, and more help keep your team connected.
On-site and off-site data storage and backup are crucial to keeping you moving, especially in case of a natural disaster in your area. On-site staffing keeps your staff lean and trim during normal times, but when you need to scale up temporarily an MSP can fill the staffing gap.
Different MSPs will offer different pricing and service models to suit your needs. These could range from monitoring only, which tells you if there’s a problem you need to overcome, to full service, handling any and everything under the sun.
Often there are tiered service models as well, like a basic, premium, and deluxe package.
You’ll have to discuss with the MSP what the best option and fit for your business is.
As Needed Basis: The Problems
This is like going to a mechanic when your car breaks down, you need an oil change, or brake pads switched out. You never know what the final bill will be when they get under the hood, and there will always be “one more thing” that needs to be fixed.
Pretty soon, you’re hooked on all these extras you might not really need. It’s much better to have someone on your side from the start, who isn’t getting paid for being slow. If you follow this “as needed” IT (un)solution you:
- Operate at a constant disadvantage
- Don’t benefit from constant IT monitoring
- No option during delays
- Never know what the price will be
Your downtime will increase, and that costs your nonprofit money. Don’t get stuck chasing symptoms of a bigger problem. Do your IT department a favor and give them an ally.
Managed IT Services That Are Right For You
All of these reasons and more are why managed IT services are a great idea for almost any non-profit. However, the level of service, and how managed, is still something you need to figure out.
At CIRIK, we specialize in advising on and providing IT services for non-profit organizations. Why not get in touch today and see what we can find out for you?