One of the main roles of an MSP (Managed Service Provider) is to provide its customers with an IT infrastructure that can meet their demands regarding data storage, technology, tools, and solutions.
In this sense, the role of IT within organizations has evolved and is no longer a supporting role. In the midst of digital and information transformation, companies are becoming dependent on technology to exist and function.
Business models are changing and we are already seeing companies emerging based almost exclusively on their IT infrastructure to carry out all activities, such as Uber and Airbnb. In this post, we’re going to talk a little more about how to deliver what customers are looking for in technology today. Check out!
What is an IT Infrastructure
Before even talking about how to offer this service with quality, it is necessary to highlight what an IT infrastructure is and what it encompasses. After all, as much as the term is worn out due to its generic use, many professionals do not fully understand the concept.
We can highlight the IT infrastructure as the entire technological framework used by a company to carry out its business and administrative activities. As part of this concept:
- operational systems;
- Hardware;
- Communication platforms and networks;
- Software and applications ;
- Integrated services;
- Data management and storage;
- Internet platforms.
A service delivery managed by quality IT can improve the efficiency of all the items mentioned above. In this way, ensure that your customers can keep their processes running correctly, enjoying all the benefits of technology, such as speed and automation.
In addition, customers can also minimize their operating costs, as fewer errors will occur, and ensure a prompt response to any changes in the environment. Thus, adapting to the market. This search for results makes customers attach greater importance to hiring a good IT service provider.
How to achieve a good level of availability on the MSP
A good IT infrastructure is not just about tools and solutions. The success of this technological framework involves management and monitoring, two essential points of the work of an MSP.
It is necessary to understand what the customer’s demands are and what technologies can meet these needs. In this sense, generating value for the customer, while optimizing your business.
We’ve separated some basic tips to ensure your customers’ satisfaction and the availability of your IT infrastructure.
Look for trusted suppliers
Purchasing hardware and software just for price or convenience is a common mistake made by many service providers. This is due to the saturation of the market with various solutions.
Because of this, the ideal, to avoid unpleasant surprises, is to invest in the selection of a group of reliable suppliers. In this way, minimizing the risks of failure in implementation and ensuring the satisfaction of its customers.
Remember that not all that glitters is gold. Therefore, some tools may seem very functional at first, but generate a series of problems after their implementation.
Find correct solutions
Each customer has unique demands. Because of this, generic solutions will not always be able to be applied. In most cases, your team will already find a ready-made IT infrastructure for the customer and will have to adapt it in the best way.
In this way, your current options may not fit, and it is necessary to look for new options that can solve the difficulties faced by the client.
The best thing, in this case, is not to go out in search of magical solutions, but to carry out a complete survey with your client, verifying all the points and processes that must be addressed by the tool.
With this information in hand, it will be much simpler to find a solution that fits the customer’s current infrastructure and that can meet their current demand.
Always simplify
As needs grow and new tools are added, the trend is for technology to become more complex, which can be difficult to keep up with, jeopardizing IT monitoring and control.
There is no need to make things more complex from a technical point of view. The more complicated an infrastructure, the greater the care it will require, generating more operational costs to keep it active and functional.
In other words, as the number of your customer’s increases, in a short time, your company will end up plunging into chaos, as the service delivery functions will be much larger than the human resources available.
Because of this, the ideal is to always seek simplicity, both within the deployments and in the management of the entire infrastructure, establishing clear and lean work processes.
Learn more about N-able RMM, which simplifies monitoring your customers’ IT infrastructure, and makes it possible!
Create flexible processes
Another fundamental point for the management and availability of an IT infrastructure is the flexibility of the processes, which can be fitted or shaped according to the need of the moment, whether to work with a new technology or for a change of activity.
In addition, documenting all service delivery processes is also essential so that problems such as the departure of an employee who had more experience, for example, do not occur.
By documenting the standards used, knowledge and reasons for using certain technologies or making certain decisions are preserved, ensuring that more assertive changes can be made in the future.
Think scalable infrastructures
Finally, we want to highlight the scalability of the IT infrastructure, due to the possibility of customer growth, which may demand different resources or on a larger scale.
When we think about StartUps, companies that tend to grow quickly, we can get an idea of how scalability within the IT infrastructure is important, because if it is limited, the company’s actions will also be and the business will be harmed.
Whenever you and your team are working on an IT infrastructure deployment, it is critical to think long-term and what the future behaviors of the technology used will be.
Why Use an MSP Template
The MSP (Managed Service Provider) model is focused on proactive actions. In other words, they are at the forefront of problems with the main function of monitoring, supervising, and assuring technological processes, providing support for other companies.
More and more organizations are looking for MSP companies, due to their superiority in efficiency compared to the break-fix model, in which the service provider only acted after a problem occurred, simply putting out fires.
As the MSP is always monitoring possible failures and taking corrective actions before the client has any problems, it has gradually gained the market and stood out from the rest.
This model has been sought after by small and medium-sized companies, which do not have a complete team in their IT sector, thus seeking technical and consulting support.
MSPs can charge fixed amounts per month for certain services, or act as the need arises and charge by hours worked. It is still common for these companies to hire outsourced workers to work directly with their clients.
