Hiring a group to manage your information technology is not just about updating software, ridding your environment of viruses and making sure you have the right ink cartridges. Sure, these are services that are offered by IT professionals, but the real advantage of hiring a group is to find the right tools to make your company more productive.
"When you do not maintain your systems with the proper upgrades and patches from software providers you may end up spending many late hours trying to unravel problems. A good IT service provider will know how, when and where maintenance items need to be attended to," says, Larry Johnson, sr. vice president and CFO of Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.
In our world today, there are many resources that can help you get a handle on your information technology and computer care. If you happen to be a sole proprietor with only a few computers you might ask yourself, "Why do I need to use an IT service provider to maintain my computer?" Well, if you know where to find solutions, then you don't. Just like you probably don't need someone to fix your car, do your taxes or maintain your lawn. But, computer technology is a fast-paced and ever-changing area vital to your business. So, before you crack open "Computer Care for Dummies," you should know the information is most likely outdated by the time it is published.
One of the ways companies stay more productive is simply having more time to work in their business rather than fixing problems when they arise. This is one reason Sanders Financial Management has been using Rocket IT instead of hiring a single employee with that focus. Owen Malcolm, Senior VP, COO of Sandler Financial Management put it in black and white by saying, "It would be a poor allocation of resources and the cost of trying to keep someone up to date on all the changes and processes would be virtually impossible, and frankly we don't want to spend our time managing that person, so we hire an IT firm with an expertise we can't possibly duplicate for anywhere near the cost we pay."
Local IT service companies like Rocket IT and MIS Solutions help Gwinnett businesses every day keep up with the latest technologies from all over the world. "All entrepreneurs and CEOs strive for increased profits. The most successful ones have a team of strategic advisors including an IT advisor and that's how we help. Typically, CEOs share their business problems with us and we offer solutions to meet their needs. The way we do this is monthly Q&A calls for clients where they ask us about common business challenges and we advise and share how other companies resolved the issue," says, Jennifer Holmes, president of MIS Solutions, Inc.
More than preventive maintenance, a service IT company can help a business become more productive in the way it handles general business. When National Allergy Supply, Inc. began in 1992, they were making sales from printed catalog orders made over the phone. Now, the company does over 65 percent of its business online. "Technology changes. You go from copying a disc or running a tape to being able to see everything from your server. You go from taking individual orders over the phone, to having multiple orders come in at the same time online. Technology is just phenomenal, and you have to ask yourself, is it worth the risk? I think its important to know that you can weigh out your business as opposed to hoping nothing goes wrong," says, Kathryn Teague, operations manager, National Allergy Supply, Inc.
