When Is It Time to Switch IT Companies?

When Is It Time to Switch IT Companies?

When should you change your IT support firm? The answer is as simple as — whenever you feel the service provider cannot meet your IT needs. For practicality, let’s say ‘when you are ready to switch.’

This leads us to the question, “when do you know that you are ready to switch?”

The Dilemma Of Switching IT Companies

You did not open a business to stress about IT, that much you are sure. So, what happens if you find yourself worried about your network’s performance everyday all-day? Like any other concerned executive, you will be convinced that the problem is your service provider.

Almost immediately, three main worries emerge:

• What if the problem is not the IT company? How do I ascertain this?
• Do I have valid reasons to support the necessity to transition?
• Isn’t the whole switching process dangerous? How do I ensure my networks are up and running even as I transition?

These three concerns have forced very many business leaders and owners to survive with unsatisfactory IT services. Ideally, they will always be the main determinants of when you should switch IT companies.

Addressing the three worries will not only help you know if it’s time to switch; they will also guide you on issues readiness.

Why Do You Want To Change IT Support Firms?

Did you find a better offer somewhere else? Have you outgrown your service provider?

Whatever the reasons you have, always trust your guts. You can forgive anything but not mistrust between you and the support company. In any case, why did you contract them? Because you trusted them to deliver quality IT support and to protect the integrity of your data. If somewhere along the way your confidence in their capacity to meet these expectations was dented, it’s only safe that you seek alternatives as soon as it is convenient.

We are insisting on guts because for far too long executives have been convinced that IT is about service delivery, not emotions. Do not work with an IT supplier that you don’t trust.

The other significant red flags you should be on the lookout for include:

• You Are Experiencing Similar IT Issues Daily: If your computers crash once in a year, it’s understandable. What you should not condone is having to withstand related system crashes every Friday. Can you remember the last time you went for a whole month without downtime — or if it’s not this Tuesday, then you brace yourself for slow browsers next Monday? What does this tell you about the IT company? They are only fixing problems that come their way, and not making even the least effort to prevent them. Unless you have set aside $1.67 million to mitigate the next cyberattack, it’s high time you thought of switching.
• You Are Not Consulted in Decisions Concerning Your Networks: There is a breed of IT service providers cropping up; they have fixed tiered solutions for all their customers. They draw inspiration from standard managed IT journals that encourage them to predesign solutions and fit clients in them.

Are you still wondering why they didn’t consult you before installing that software that doesn’t fit with your business framework? They already have it all figured out; your solutions were designed even before you signed the contract. Are all IT needs the same? No. Are they going to consider the suggestions you forwarded to them? Most likely, No. Is there any danger to this? Yes, you are not deriving the maximum business value from your IT investments.

• You Are Performing Most of the Tasks: If you did not sign for purely remote support, you are entitled to technicians physically reviewing your networks once in a while. There is a difference between the service provider sending experts on-site, and when they just remotely guide you through fixing issues. You didn’t hire a consultancy firm; you hired an IT support team to help you handle what you don’t have expertise and time for.
• You Are Tired of Continuous Service Fee Increments: You must have heard of how outsourcing IT support helps you save on cost. For you, it’s the exact opposite. Your service provider is notorious for unexplained hikes in monthly service bills and doesn’t even bother to give prior notice. One out of three of your conversations is sending an inflated invoice or you complaining why they offered a service you didn’t ask for. Actually, this is one of the main reasons why organizations change IT companies.
• Your Concerns Are Not Addressed as Fast as You Want Them to Be: Even the worst IT supplier will try and respond to your queries in time. At no given moment should it appear that you are a bother to the service provider. You pay them to manage your systems, and so they should be ready to promptly answer any questions you have on your networks.
• Your Staff, Customers, and Management Is Decrying Poor Services: Usually, when your users start complaining, the blame is not directed to the service provider. It’s you who is responsible; you will have to shoulder the burden for their ineptitude. I am not sure any executive would love to go that route any longer.

You have all the reasons, but there is no evidence directly connecting the poor network performance with your IT company? To be sure, it’s only right that you conduct an audit

Can Assessment Of Your Systems Help You Know If It’s Time To Switch?

Absolutely, yes. The only way to ascertain your worries is by extensively assessing your networks. In some cases, the audit will show you that the problem lies with your employees. A complete assessment focuses on IT infrastructure, management, and security. From these, you can deduce the performance and the pain-point.

Even after you obtain surefire evidence that it is your IT supplier that is incompetent, there is still the issue of how risky a switch can be. How high are the stakes — is it that risky? Check out our step-by-step guide on switching IT companies, and you’ll be surprised how smooth a transition can be.

Do you have any questions regarding the switching of IT companies? Atlantic-IT.net is here to help you out.

Contact us now.