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5 Signs That It’s Time to Partner with a Managed Service Provider

During the crucial growth stages of any business, it is an inevitable reality that internal team members will eventually start to feel the pressure of adapting to new processes that support the company’s ability to scale. For many departments, these feelings are short-lived. Other branches of the company may continue to struggle to meet the new demands of their organization.

So what is the first sign of growing pains that most companies experience?

Their IT team’s inability to keep up with the company’s changing infrastructure. Due to this fact, many organizations have explored hiring managed IT services to help design a more sustainable IT solution for their corporate growth strategy.

But how do you know if your business is ready to invest in a different IT solution?

Here are 5 signs to look for that might mean it’s time to partner with a managed service provider.

Your Network is Constantly Experiencing Downtime

One of the first signs to show that your IT department is falling behind is constant network downtime. This becomes extremely costly over time since a company’s revenue, and credibility are directly aligned with their ability to have fully operational systems in place.

That’s no longer the case when you partner with a managed service provider. Together with them, you’re able to drastically reduce your downtime by maintaining a proactive IT environment.

The Business is Looking for Better Cost Savings

Consistently relying on an in-house team to manage your IT support can be a costly venture. Companies may eventually find that pulling resources away from their core competencies is a wasteful and inefficient way to achieve their priorities.

Managed service providers employ a team of experienced IT professionals. These professionals know exactly how to develop the systems your company needs while reducing the costs for implementation.

In-house Teams are Understaffed

As businesses scale, it may be challenging to balance hiring budgets between multiple departments. This issue may cause in-house IT teams to become understaffed and incapable of working at full efficiency.

By using a managed service provider, you’ll have a sizeable on-demand group at your service for significantly lower costs than hiring dedicated bodies. These teams are available to help your team 24/7  and can address issues outside of your core operational hours.

You Need More Advanced Technology and Better Cloud Solutions

Outdated databases and inadequate software is the grim reality for companies that have outgrown their systems. Upgrading newer technology and migrating to cloud-based systems can prove to be overwhelming for understaffed IT departments. It’s where the help of managed services can shine.

Service providers can ensure your systems are always up-to-date and that large-scale digital transformations go off without a hitch for the organization.

You Need Better System Security

In today’s fast-changing digital landscape, more and more importance is being put on better system security to protect companies digital assets. Keeping up with the latest cybersecurity threats and system recovery methods can be overwhelming for many organizations looking to balance this importance.

This is where managed service providers can provide a tremendous benefit.

Professional IT teams are well-versed and up-to-date with the latest cyberthreats and security countermeasures. They help ensure your systems are protected around the clock. They also proactively prepare for data recovery solutions in the event of possible breaches and catastrophic outages.

 

Choosing to outsource your IT needs can provide many benefits for organizations looking to scale their operations. By partnering with a managed service provider when early signs of inefficiencies develop, your company can benefit from the cost savings and professional experience they provide while ensuring your systems are securely maintained for years to come.

 

The Difference Between Accounting Software And ERP Solutions

Businesses rely on accurate financial management and many describe finances as the very lifeblood of the company.  Many decisions are based on current financial figures, which is why reliable accounting software is such a necessity.  However, over time basic accounting software no longer fits the bill, so to speak, and an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution makes more sense.

Entry-level accounting software, such as QuickBooks, can work successfully for a time.  These solutions offer basic financial management activities such as monitoring income and expenses, populating bank statements, and paying bills.  You may be able to create invoices and print financial reports; however, there isn’t much more you can get out of entry-level accounting software.  A secondary problem often presents itself some time later – basic software can only handle a limited volume of data and a limited number of users.  With growth, your business generates more and more data that can quickly bog down the software, making it difficult to process data and reports.  Additional delays can occur as employees have to wait to enter or retrieve information needed to make important business decisions.  Before basic accounting software begins to stifle growth, make the change to a stronger business management solution.

You can manage all of your business operations with a modern ERP solution including financial transactions, supply chain and inventory, manufacturing and distribution operations, human resources and payroll activities, and other core business processes.  You can enter, access, and analyze data with greater efficiency when it’s located within a single, centralized solution.  In addition, data is seamlessly shared between processes. For example, you can create a proposal or contract for a customer and turn that data into a purchase order, and later, an invoice.  This and other time-saving automations reduces the time spent handling data and improves the productivity of your team.  Powerful ERP solutions also offer business intelligence and reporting features that make it easier to identify trends, uncover ways to control spending or reduce waste, and further improve business processes.
As your business grows, you need more than basic accounting software.  Choose a solution that can provide the insight you need to make data-driven decisions, improve productivity and profitability, and support superior customer service.

Contact AppSolute for more information about making the switch from entry-level accounting software to modern ERP.

By AppSolute Consulting Group, LLC, Microsoft, Accumatica and Sage Partner out of New York