Managed IT Services in Pittsburgh: 3 Best Practices for Leaders

Keeping pace with technology as it evolves can be challenging for busy business leaders. Especially as there are so many different considerations and solutions to consider. Some questions that may come to mind include:

• Can our current systems support new applications or technologies?
• Are cybersecurity systems able to detect and defend against new types of threats?
• How can I apply tech to help make my organization more competitive or stable?

In short, there are a lot of IT challenges facing organizations – but for many Pittsburgh leaders, it’s difficult to find time to address them. Often that’s because they need to focus on their core projects, rather than spend time separating technology fiction from fact.

With this in mind, a major benefit of partnering withPittsburgh managed IT service providers is that they do the heavy lifting. A partnership provides leaders with access to trusted IT expertise that they can call on – and much more! But what can leaders do to get the most out of their partnership with an IT MSP?

In this article, we walk you through some of the ways to engage with managed service providers (MSPs) to maximize the benefits for your company. These best practices apply whether you’re looking for a new MSP or want to improve your current relationship.

How are Local Pittsburgh Businesses Leveraging Technology?

Let’s first highlight some of the tech challenges businesses and organizations in Pittsburgh face. As people continue to leverage modern technology, organizations need to adapt and improve their digital experiences.

Source: McKinsey

But how can they do this? Earlier this year, we hosted afireside chat with several Pittsburgh business leaders. We talked about digital experiences and their impact on employees and customers. There were some interesting points that came out of the discussions, namely:

• How can technology support employees first? The employee experience is so important because engaged and happy employees in turn deliver better experiences to your customers.
• What role does technology play in retaining top employees? We’ve found that employees want to work with the latest technologies. They’re less likely to look for other opportunities if there are modern systems in place.
• Which technologies are influencing change in the marketplace? Business leaders are looking for technologies that can help them be more efficient. As part of this, cloud adoption continues to grow.
  

Listen to the recording: Hear Pittsburgh business leaders discuss challenges and opportunities with their digital experiences!

Pittsburgh-based managed IT services can support local businesses as they adapt to trends. There’s value in having a partner who understands the different technologies available – specifically which are suited to your different line of business applications.

How to Get the Most from Your Pittsburgh Managed IT Services

Partnering with a managed IT service provider can help business leaders drive success. But achieving this success requires effort on both sides. For the partnership to work, leaders need to be clear on what they want to achieve.

Below we touch on some of the best practices to ensure that your organization gets the most value from theirPittsburgh MSP.

Best Practice 1: Define Your Goals and Objectives

It’s vital for an MSP to understandwhat your organization wants to achieve and how your objectives rank in order of priority. Time frames for projects also need to be taken into consideration. These goals and objectives need to be clearly outlined and communicated. Also, be open to feedback as to whether the goals are realistically achievable in the desired time frame.

For example: Ifcybersecurity is a concern, theMSP will first want to do an audit of existing systems. This is to identify what technologies are in place, where vulnerabilities may exist, and where improvements could be made. This cannot be implemented overnight. Rather, it’ll be a systematic process that will involve working closelywith your IT team or office manager.

Depending on the systems, your organization’s size, and what needs to be upgraded, it could take a few days or weeks.

Best Practice 2: Establish Clear Communication Channels

Do you prefer bi-weekly or monthly updates? What format of updates works best for your team? Be clear at the start of your relationship with anyPittsburgh managed IT services provider you choose on how you want them to communicate.

In the beginning, it’s valuable to have on-site meetings. This is when you can introduce your team to the MSP contact so that they can put a face to the name. This helps fostergreater teamwork and understanding in your partnership.

A proactive MSP will use this as an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the business and make recommendations. The more insights you’re willing to share – including challenges you’re experiencing – the more they have to work with. Communication andcollaboration is key when working with partners to keep projects on track.

Best Practice 3: Embrace Flexibility

It’s difficult to predict the future of business. This iswhy systems need to be flexible. When opportunities arise, you want to be able to scale quickly. This means having the IT infrastructure in place to support this. Equally, when unforeseen circumstances occur, your organization may need to scale back, so that it’s not carrying unnecessary expenses.

An experienced MSP will be able to support you in establishing this IT infrastructure that is flexible and scalable. Based on the applications and technologies in use, they can recommend the best ways to structure the system so that it continues to adapt to changing business needs.

Are You Ready to Maximize Your IT Success?

There’s huge value in working with a Pittsburgh-local managedIT service provider. They not only understand technology, but also the local trends and have various connections. For leaders that want to take advantage of these experts, the key practices include:

1. Setting clear goals and objectives
2. Maintaining open and regular communication
3. Embracing flexibility

Not sure where to find the best IT MSP for your needs? Consider Ceeva, as we have been partnering with businesses in Pittsburgh for more than 30 years. Our experts create tailored solutions to meet your needs – and we likely work right down the street from you!

Learn more about our cloud-based andmanaged IT solutions, and how we can help solve your most pressing IT challenges.