How to Judge the Quality of an IT Provider’s Services

It’s a safe assumption that your business relies on some technology in order to operate (after all, you are reading a blog on the Internet). As a result, it is likely that you will require some level of IT support at some point. While this may sound like something simple enough to find, you need to keep in mind that not all IT service providers will necessarily provide the same quality of service.

Naturally, as an IT company ourselves, we have a horse in this race, but the point still stands: when selecting a provider of technology services, you need to go in with certain demands of your options so that you get the best services available.

That’s why we’re going to provide you with some of the standards that you should expect from anyone you consider to attend to your IT needs.

What You Should Expect of Your IT Provider

One of the most important metrics for any business to consider is the return on investment for any investments made--and these returns might not always be financial. This is why it is crucial that you consider how well the provider you select measures up to the following standards:

Minimizing Total Cost of Ownership

The goal of IT services is now more than just fixing a malfunctioning computer. It now also encapsulates the more advisory side of technology, figuring out the right solutions for your needs, and preventing you from wasting money on more than you need. For instance, while sufficient storage is important to have, your provider should be able to estimate your needs and recommend the correct amount for you.

Certain service models, like cloud solutions, even allow you to optimize how much you’re investing in your IT services based on how much you actually use, allowing you to invest precisely as much as you should be.

Measurable Impact to Productivity and ROI

It isn’t as though you invest in IT infrastructure and pay your employees for their time on a whim… each of these dollars is an investment into your business. Therefore, if your technology isn’t allowing your crucial processes to be completed efficiently and accurately, or if it is creating roadblocks for your users, you need to reconsider how your IT is being taken care of.

Not only do certain providers recommend better solutions, they will work with you to ensure they are working as is needed to support your operations, while others will only install it before they make themselves scarce. By calculating how much more productive your staff and solutions are, you can ascertain if the investment into your provider was worth it.

High Performance and Satisfaction Standards

This one is pretty straightforward, and relies greatly on the other benchmarks you calculate: is your provider actually fulfilling the demands of your business and the industry, meeting the standards placed by you and the greater industry? Does their calculated ROI come out to more than 100 percent? Are you generally pleased with the results of their services? There you have it.

At Directive, we prioritize meeting (and exceeding, whenever we can) these very benchmarks, in order to provide your business with support services of the highest quality. Learn how we can help you by exploring our website, or by calling us directly at 607.433.2200.