Are you the IT administrator of an SME facing a set of day to day challenges that can feel overwhelming?

Ensuring the security and reliability of your company’s technology infrastructure is critical to your organisation’s growth and success. However daily operations can become difficult to manage when budgets and time are tight. Lack of resources could result in suboptimal technology deployments or delays in critical upgrades.

We’ve identified 10 areas of an IT administrator’s remit where we think outsourcing would ease the overall IT burden, allowing you to get on with the aspects of the role which require company knowledge and expertise, from system and network integration to crisis management and incident response.

In addition, it’s worth mentioning that outsourcing specific IT operations will reduce overheads and provide flexibility for times when you need more or less support, resulting in more effective working, increased productivity and cost savings.

1. 9-5.30 Help Desk and Support Services
   Managing a help desk can be a challenge for SMEs with limited resources. Outsourcing this function ensures that employees have access to support requests, troubleshooting hardware/software issues, without overburdening internal staff. Slow response times and unresolved issues can lower employee productivity and employee satisfaction.
2. Network Monitoring and Maintenance
   Continuous monitoring of the company’s network for performance issues, outages, and security threats can be time-consuming and requires specialised tools and expertise. External IT providers can offer this service at scale, providing proactive support without diverting attention from core operations.
3. Cybersecurity and Threat Detection
   Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, and maintaining up-to-date knowledge of the latest risks and defensive measures is a full-time job. Outsourcing key cybersecurity functions, such as threat detection, firewall management, and vulnerability assessments ensures that your business has access to specialised expertise without needing to employ a full-time security team.
4. Cloud Infrastructure and Management
   Setting up, maintaining, and managing cloud services (such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud) can be complex. Outsourcing the setup, scaling, and ongoing management of cloud infrastructure can save time and ensure the business is utilising cloud resources efficiently.
5. Backup and Disaster Recovery
   Implementing and maintaining a reliable backup and disaster recovery plan requires specialised knowledge and resources. Ensuring that all data is properly backed up and can be recovered in the event of a system failure, cyberattack, or disaster is key. Inadequate backup and recovery plans can lead to significant data loss, downtime, and potentially irreparable damage to business operations.
6. IT Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
   Outsourcing the management of IT infrastructure, such as servers, data storage, and networking equipment, can reduce the burden on internal IT resources. Cloud providers can offer scalable solutions that meet the SME’s needs while minimising the complexity of maintaining physical infrastructure.
7. Vendor Management and Procurement
   Sourcing, managing, and negotiating with IT vendor is time-consuming. With numerous vendors providing software, hardware, and IT services, keeping track of contracts, negotiations, renewals, and performance can be complex. Poor vendor relationships can result in subpar service, missed opportunities for cost savings, or issues with system integration. External IT providers can ensure competitive pricing, excellent service levels, and compliance with contracts.
8. Compliance and Audits
   Staying compliant with regulations like GDPR, ISO 27001, or industry-specific requirements requires constant monitoring and updates. External IT providers can help conduct audits, implement best practices, and ensure the company is meeting all necessary legal and regulatory standards. Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines, reputational harm, and legal consequences.
9. Remote Work and Collaboration Tools Setup
   The shift towards remote or hybrid working models brings challenges in managing remote access, collaboration tools, and employee productivity. Ensuring secure remote connections, VPNs, and effective collaboration while maintaining data privacy is a challenge. Outsourcing the setup, support, and ongoing management of these tools can ensure seamless remote work while reducing internal IT workload.
10. System Updates and Patch Management
    Regularly updating software, operating systems, and applications to ensure security and performance can be time-consuming for an in-house team. External providers can manage patching processes and ensure that the business is protected from vulnerabilities.

How we can help at Comprendo

At Comprendo we are a Managed Service Provider, an IT Support team and offer bespoke, affordable IT solutions to all types of SMEs throughout Yorkshire and beyond. We appreciate that every business is unique – we provide tailored service and support packages so you know you have the right IT solution to protect and grow your business.

Whilst we are Microsoft specialists, we also operate across most platforms and technologies, with the knowledge to advise and guide your business, provide support when you need it and offer peace of mind.

We understand that when a system goes down, every minute counts, and our commitment is a 15 minute response time to any support ticket raised during working hours.

For an affordable and flexible solution, you can purchase a bank of ad-hoc support hours and use them as and when you need to, entitling you to our full Support Desk commitment. (Maintenance contracts and pay-as-you-go options are also available).

So, if you’d like to try us out, why not take advantage of a FREE 2-hour Consultation to discuss how we can improve your IT infrastructure, ease your IT headaches, and ultimately help you reach your business goals.

Tel 0345 527 4394 / email: info@comprendo.co.uk

At Comprendo, we provide customer-focused IT services, solutions and support to businesses throughout North and West Yorkshire, Lancashire and beyond, including Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate, York, Preston and Manchester. Looking to outsource your IT or review your cyber security? We look forward to hearing from you.