A current challenge small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face is maintaining a consistent technology environment. Inconsistencies range from outdated systems to fragmented IT infrastructure and can impact daily operations, productivity, and the growth of the business. Additionally, having a consistent technology environment is crucial for enhancing security and improving overall efficiency. Here we will explore the importance of consistent technology for an SMB and how utilizing a managed service provider (MSP) can help with achieving and maintaining that consistency.

Understanding Technology Consistency

A consistent technology environment means having a standardized set of hardware, software, security, and data management in an organization. By having consistent technology in your organization, you can capitalize on a few different benefits:

1. Improved Efficiency: Standardized systems can reduce complexity. When your technical tools are consistent, things move smoothly.
2. Reduced Downtime: When there is a consistent technology environment, system failures are often easier to diagnose and potentially fix, limiting downtime.
3. Enhanced Security: A uniform technology environment can often be sealed up a bit tighter when it comes to cybersecurity because a consistent solution can be used rather than several solutions to address variations in technology present.
4. Better User Experience: Employees know what tools are available and can work more efficiently when not needing to learn different pieces of technology.

Challenges Faced by SMBs

When your organization does not have consistent technology in place, there are several challenges that can occur. These challenges lead to increased downtime, security vulnerabilities, and reduced productivity. Here are a few of those challenges.

• Fragmented IT Infrastructure: A lack of standardization can lead to a disjointed technology environment. When there is no consistency, it can be difficult to manage and maintain. Sometimes that means legacy systems that are outdated are no longer supported and therefore vulnerable to attack.
• Lack of Expertise: When there is no consistent technology environment in your organization, there is also often limited expertise. You might have a subject matter expert on your staff, or several for different pieces of technology, but having inconsistency in knowledge is difficult to manage.
• Budget Constraints: Consistent technology can also save your organization money. Having a variety of technical tools can be more costly to maintain and less budget-friendly.

So what is an organization to do? One solution is to work with an MSP to implement and support a consistent technology environment in your organization.

Role of MSPs in Ensuring a Consistent Technology Environment

Managed service providers offer a range of services all with the goal of supporting SMBs in achieving their mission. Let’s explore a few ways an MSP can support your organization’s technology.

• Standardization: MSPs have industry expertise regarding various pieces of technology and what verticals they best support. An MSP can implement a standard of hardware and software solutions that best fit your organization.
• Proactive Monitoring and Maintenance: MSPs offer monitoring services that allow for regular updates and maintenance to happen. By doing this regularly, an organization is more likely to be up-to-date on cybersecurity measures and also potentially minimize costs by making small adjustments rather than organization-wide overhauls.
• Security Management: In addition to the monitoring and maintenance, an MSP can manage your organization’s cybersecurity across the whole spectrum. By managing the whole setup, an MSP can enhance security by creating a consistent technology environment designed to work together.
• Data Backup and Recovery: Consistent technology makes the data backup and recovery process more cohesive for an organization.
• Scalability: When an organization has consistent technology, an MSP is able to scale the organization up quickly and easily as the business grows.

Next Steps

Ready to improve the consistency of your organization’s technology? Let’s go through some next steps you and your organization can take with an MSP.

1. Initial Assessment: You will need to have an MSP evaluate your current technology environment. This will help identify areas for improvement.
2. Customized IT Strategy: After the assessment, the MSP will come up with a strategy that is customized to your current technology and your organization’s goals. The strategy should enhance security, improve efficiency, and support your organization’s goals.
3. Implementation: After the assessment and design phases, you and your MSP will need to work on implementation.
4. Ongoing Support: Part of the strategy from step two should include what ongoing monitoring and maintenance look like. Now that you have an MSP, this should be handled by them with your feedback and input.

Conclusion

Having consistent technology across your organization is crucial for thriving in today’s technical and business landscape. The best way to ensure that happens is to partner with a solid MSP that can utilize its expertise to help your technology work for your organization’s goals. Doing so can limit downtime, enhance security, and improve efficiency, which will create an overall better experience for you, your staff, and those your organization serves.

As always, we are here to help.