From time to time, as an Managed IT Services Provider (commonly referred to as MSPs in our industry), we encounter into a prospective business partner who has hesitation with regards to paying for an up-front IT assessment. They may have had two other parties willing to do it for free, so why in the world would they pay for it? I’d like to take a few minutes to run through the nature of these assessments and the advantages you gain, whether you choose to continue business with us or not, as a result of an honest, quality appraisal of your networks, servers, and workstations.

 

Cheapest Isn’t Always Best

One principle that is pervasive in many industries is that the least expensive isn’t always the correct choice. Why bother going to a nice restaurant when fast food can be had for $2 a burger? Why buy quality fitted clothing when the thrift shop has something that will fit (more or less)?

We could extend this analogy but I belabor the point. Just because one thing covers a basic function doesn’t mean there isn’t reason to look for a better thing that will fulfill a role more completely or appropriately. In the world of IT, and indeed many other fields, quality is even more important in this respect.

When a business owner looks only at pricing with regards to their IT management, they are likely ignoring value—which is often a much better metric. Whatever MSP a business chooses, there’s always someone cheaper…so how far down the rabbit hole do we want to go until the house of cards falls? How much is the productivity of your staff worth? Do you want your employees frustrated with their working conditions?

 

Your Technology is a Poor Area to “Cheap Out”

You and your staff, indeed likely your entire business operation, relies on technology. While industries may vary in the level of technology involvement, generally speaking every single employee is affected, at least in some way, when systems go dark.

Computers are unwilling to be understanding when it comes to poor design or no-longer-current technology. It’s very simple: they will do a job, or they won’t. And when they don’t, it’s important to get back to full productivity very quickly. The least expensive IT support is often not positioned to help with this in an effective manner.

 

IT is MUCH Cheaper to Maintain Good Systems Than Constantly Chase Repairs

This can apply to system design or hardware, but the principle remains the same. A low-cost solution may simply lead to more issues down the road. This is commonly referred to as the “band-aid fix”. While I won’t expand too much on it in this article, malicious internet actors love finding band-aids.

 

Our Time Is Worth It To Us…And to YOU!

A high-quality assessment takes time and is a requirement for fully understanding an IT system. A free assessment is much more likely to be rushed and not done to as complete a level as is necessary to attain full understanding.

Additionally, an IT assessment is a very valuable tool! It gives a true view of what is working and, importantly, what isn’t. This allows both parties—the MSP and the supported business—to correctly plan and create best paths forward. Unsurprisingly, it serves both parties poorly to have a low-quality assessment. This results in budgeting and design decisions being made in the fog of ignorance and, just as unsurprising, a much higher chance of failure in the future.

 

Do you need some advice regarding YOUR SMB’s IT needs? GIVE US A CALL AT (443)283-0666 or CONTACT US!

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