IT provision can often be a source of frustration for time-poor businesses. In the fast-moving technology landscape, business IT infrastructure and supporting ecosystems need to continually evolve to keep up.
In a YouGov poll commissioned by M247, before the current pandemic, we asked business IT decision makers whether they would benefit from an outsourced IT service which acts as an extension of their own team. Almost half (42%) of respondents claimed they would find this beneficial, and a further 12% said they already have this relationship with an IT provider. Given the complexity and challenges presented over the last few unprecedented weeks and months, as business and economies deal with a global pandemic, its hard not to wonder how much these figures may have changed and whether more businesses would seek additional levels of support from their IT provider whilst navigating the unchartered waters we have all found ourselves within.
When IT problems do arise, they need to be addressed quickly and efficiently to minimise disruption and potential downtime. Technical issues can have a huge impact on business productivity and profitability. In fact, a survey by Tech HQ found that workers waste an average of 5% of their working day due to connection or technology related issues. This equates to 21 minutes of lost productivity per day, which accumulates to 12 days a year per person, and comes at a cost of approximately £3.4 billion to UK employers annually. Again, a figure which could be significantly greater as a result of migrating the workforce home as a response to COVID-19.
However, it’s not just the day-to-day glitches that can be disruptive to businesses. We find that customers commonly require support to navigate the complexity involved when dealing with third-party suppliers, as well as managing more complex changes in their IT infrastructure and migrations. Often, finding that customers are not sure whether a public, private or hybrid cloud solution is right for them. And many businesses struggle with limited internal IT resource.
As well as demonstrating that companies often require external support with their technology, our research also highlighted the need for a simpler IT model for businesses. When we asked our respondents about the benefits of working with a single IT provider over multiple, having one point of contact (46%), ease of doing business (38%) and cost efficiencies (38%) were identified as the top benefits of this approach. Service providers who are able to offer one point of contact, ongoing consultation, and managed service options, are often the preferred avenue for businesses, as it simplifies their supplier relationships and helps to fill gaps which potentially internal resource are unable to; as well as often bringing economies of scale.
Reducing complexity around IT management and working practices is key, especially when resource, skills and time are such precious commodities. Finding one supplier to take care of all your IT needs, with a solid service model is instrumental in overcoming this challenge. This allows the internal IT team to focus their efforts on further business process improvements while at the same time giving them the peace of mind that their IT infrastructure is in safe hands.
To read more on the themes discussed in this blog, view our M247 Trends infographic which explores the relationship between IT providers and end users in a little more detail. Or if you’d like to understand how M247 can help your business, get in touch.
