How To Know When It’s Time To Switch IT Companies
The fact that you got this far with your current supplier means that they were not this bad before, maybe even not bad at all. So, where did things start going southwards?
The answer could be as simple as your business outgrowing the IT support firm, or failure on your side to conduct an extensive background check before engagement.
How Difficult Is it to Switch IT Support Companies?
Regardless of where the rain started beating you, it is evident that you are in a crisis or at the brink of one. You are most definitely considering switching IT companies. So, what is holding you back? You feel that you do not have enough substantial reasons. Perhaps you are scared the process may end up being chaotic.
What causes these undue fears is the lack of adequate information on switching of IT companies. Is it that hard? Isn’t it risky? How do I know this is the right time? This article seeks to bridge this information gap and guide you into making informed decisions.
Transitioning from one service provider to another can be full of challenges, but the process can be more straightforward with proper guidance.
What Are the Signs That It’s Time to Switch IT Companies?
Chronic Network Disruptions
Issues such as slow browser speeds, crashing computers, pixelated videos, poor quality of audios, and virus infections can be overlooked if the IT partner resolves them once and for all. What happens when they keep on coming, and you can almost predict the next one?
Then, you have a big problem – the primary responsibility of any IT supplier is to prevent those attacks in the first place. If the breaches bypass your gateways, then at least the service provider should manifest the ability to mitigate them and prevent similar future attacks.
Lack of Proper Communication on the Status of Your Networks
The modern-day executive is quite different from the old caliber who used to follow instructions from IT specialists blindly. You have the right to ask and to be served with information concerning the situation of your systems and how the IT supplier plans to improve them. You must be informed in case of any data breach and fully be involved in the mitigation process.
Established IT service providers will regularly update you on these issues and seek your opinion out of their initiative. If there is miscommunication between you and your supplier, the chances are that they are hiding something. Who knows – it may be a cover-up for ineptitude.
The IT Company Always Blames You in Case of Any Mishaps
It is characteristic of incompetent IT service providers to always blame glitches on their partners. You will hear them say that your staff lacks the requisite cybersecurity awareness skills, the same staff that they promised to train.
Anytime you ask why your computers are constantly crashing, they serve you with an upsell quotation. Experienced IT support companies know that IT investments only yield substantial ROI if they are strategically made. Instead of blaming your in-office factors, they should be keen to improve their service delivery.
An IT Company That Nickels and Dimes You
Does your service provider constantly perform functions that you did not ask them to and then proceed to demand payments? Do not agree to work with a supplier who only seeks to swindle money from you and not help your enterprise grow. Hidden charges and bashing service fee increments limit your ability to create predictable budgets and efficiently monitor your growth.
If Your Service Provider Operates as a Separate Entity from the Business
You outsourced IT support to augment your business and not the vice versa. Are you confident that the support team you have understands and identifies with your firm’s objectives? Do they regularly meet you to realign their solutions to your frameworks? Or is it the all too common ineffective fixed solutions and ‘one-shoe-fits-all’ approach? If you are not convinced that your IT supplier is not part and parcel of the big picture, it’s high time you sought a better partner.
To be on the safe side, always trust your guts. For any successful partnership, there must be mutual trust between you and your IT support company.
How To Switch IT Companies
Given the importance of IT in your business operations, consider observing the following steps when switching IT companies to minimize interference:
- Do Not Make Any Moves Until You Have Found a Suitable Replacement: Draw some lessons from your previous engagement and seek an IT service provider with a proven track record. They should have handled such migration cases before.
- Ensure You Have Full Admin Access to All of Your Networks: Don’t underestimate the risk of a disappointed IT supplier, as your current one is now that you are shifting to their competitors. With all the login credentials, you can monitor whatever transactions they carry out on your networks as you are transitioning.
- Let Your New IT Company Scan for Potential Threats: Just to be sure, the new partner should comprehensively scrutinize your systems for any threats. They should especially be on the lookout for any backdoors and conduct instant patches.
- Have a Backup of Your Data Just in Case: The other equally essential precaution is having an offline backup of the most critical data and files. This may come in handy in the case of any inadvertent deletions as you are migrating.
- Keep Your Team Informed of the Changes: Always keep your staff in the know throughout the switching process.
- Update Your Passwords: After completing the migration process, modify all the logins that were used by your former service provider.
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