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How to Increase Productivity in the Workplace

By February 20, 2024IT Insight
Group of women working at a table on their laptops.

Photo Source: Unsplash

Managed IT services provide ongoing management, maintenance, and support for a company’s IT infrastructure and systems. The goal of managed services is to increase productivity and efficiency by allowing companies to focus on their core business functions rather than IT management. MSPs take care of tasks like monitoring, maintenance, troubleshooting, and security so the client can devote resources to growth and innovation.

Companies choose managed IT services to benefit from:

  • Access to enterprise-level technology and expertise without the overhead of hiring expert staff
  • Predictable monthly costs instead of variable IT expenses 
  • Scalable solutions that can expand and adapt with the business
  • 24/7 monitoring and support for minimized downtime
  • Data protection and optimized security protocols
  • Regular maintenance, patching, and updates to avoid issues
  • Strategic technology planning aligned with business goals

Overall, managed IT services aim to drive employee productivity by ensuring systems run smoothly and securely without diverting attention and resources away from revenue-generating activity. The right MSP partner provides the technical capabilities to enable organizations to work smarter.

Reduced Downtime

IT downtime can seriously hinder employee productivity. When the network goes down, applications crash, or other IT issues emerge, employees are often left unable to work. This wasted time adds up, impacting project timelines and company profits.

With a managed IT services provider, downtime is greatly reduced through proactive monitoring, maintenance, and support. Potential issues are often identified and addressed before they cause outages. The managed service provider also offers robust remote troubleshooting and on-site support to quickly resolve any problems that do occur. Instead of losing hours or days of productivity, employees can get back to work promptly.

Managed IT services maximize uptime and ensure technology consistently performs how it should. Employees can stay on task without disruptions from technological failures. This stability and reliability empowers them to be more productive.

Faster Issue Resolution

When employees experience technology issues like network outages or computer crashes, it can grind productivity to a halt. With managed IT services, many problems can be prevented through proactive monitoring and maintenance. But when inevitable issues do occur, managed service providers have the systems in place to identify and troubleshoot problems quickly.

Remote monitoring software allows managed services providers to keep tabs on the health of clients’ IT systems 24/7. Automated alerts notify them at the first sign of trouble, meaning no downtime for employees while waiting for an issue to be detected. Technicians can start troubleshooting immediately to diagnose the problem and implement a solution.

With around-the-clock remote access to client networks and computer systems, technicians don’t need to wait to get on-site to start fixing most problems. Cloud-based remote control tools allow them to access devices remotely and work efficiently. Direct access to critical systems gets issues resolved faster than waiting for an appointment.

Managed service providers also utilize advanced automation tools and AI-enabled diagnostics to speed up response and repair times. Technicians have access to detailed analytics and dashboards to quickly identify root causes. Resolution is faster when providers leverage the in-depth knowledge gained from managing many environments. Instead of hours or days of downtime, issues can often be fixed in minutes with managed IT services.

Latest Technology

Managed IT services help companies stay up to date with the latest technology to maximize productivity. With a managed services provider, businesses can continuously upgrade their hardware, software, and other IT infrastructure.

The managed service provider handles technology refresh projects to swap out aging PCs, servers, and other devices on a regular basis. They also ensure critical software is kept updated with the newest features, security patches, and performance enhancements through centralized patch management.

Having the latest technology creates a better employee experience. Workers can utilize the newest hardware with faster performance. They gain access to software with new capabilities that streamline workflows. Outdated technology is often slow, prone to crashing, and lacks features that employees need.

The managed service provider also monitors trends and emerging technologies that could provide strategic advantages. They can pilot and vet new solutions before rolling them out company-wide. This allows businesses to innovate and leverage cutting-edge tech to get ahead of competitors.

Overall, leveraging managed IT services to keep technology updated eliminates headaches for employees. It provides them with the optimal tools and environment to maximize productivity and focus on business objectives. The managed service provider handles technology refresh projects seamlessly in the background.

Enhanced Security

Managed IT services significantly enhance a company’s cybersecurity and defenses against cyber-attacks and data breaches. Rather than relying on limited in-house expertise, managed service providers leverage advanced security software, threat monitoring, and up-to-date protocols to protect devices and networks.

With round-the-clock monitoring, managed IT providers can rapidly detect and respond to suspicious activity and security events. They act as an additional layer of protection by identifying and stopping attacks before they infiltrate systems and cause damage. This prevents costly downtime and disruption from malware, network intrusions, data loss, and other security incidents.

In addition, managed service providers keep security software patched, devices properly configured, and defenses optimized. This removes security holes that attackers look to exploit. Company employees also receive security awareness training to learn best practices and avoid behaviors that put data at risk.

By taking on the burden of security upkeep, managed IT services empower companies to enhance their cybersecurity. This prevents breaches that could lead to irrevocable data loss, compliance violations, lawsuits, reputational damage, and loss of consumer trust. With strong defenses in place, companies can operate with confidence knowing their systems and data are secure.

Better Collaboration

Managed IT services enable improved collaboration by providing access to cloud-based productivity and communication tools. With managed services, businesses can take advantage of solutions like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, and more. These tools make it easy for employees to communicate and collaborate from any location, on any device.

File sharing in the cloud allows workers to access the latest documents and materials in real-time. Messaging apps like Slack facilitate instant communication between individuals and teams. Video conferencing solutions empower teams to meet face-to-face without costly business travel.

Overall, managed services give employees the latest collaborative technologies to communicate, share ideas, and work together more effectively. This leads to improved productivity as workers can quickly exchange information and make decisions across multiple locations. Managed services providers handle the deployment, integration, training, and support of collaboration systems so businesses can maximize their value.

Mobile Device Management

Managed IT services provide mobile device management (MDM) to help connect mobile workers with the rest of the company. MDM gives IT visibility and control over company-issued mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. This allows employees to securely access company data and apps from anywhere.

With MDM, IT can remotely lock or wipe lost or stolen devices to protect sensitive data. MDM also helps enforce security policies like password requirements and encryption on mobile devices. Employees can conveniently access email, calendars, documents, and custom mobile apps for their job.

IT can push vital apps, updates, and configuration changes to mobile devices managed through an MDM solution. This ensures employees have the latest tools and security patches promptly. MDM helps establish digital workspaces for mobile employees, keeping them connected and productive on the go.

Managed IT services offer strategic MDM platforms to balance productivity, security, and cost-savings across mobile fleets. MDM through managed services provides the expertise to roll out mobile access at scale while optimizing costs. This keeps mobile workers seamlessly connected without straining IT resources.

Strategic IT Planning

A managed IT services provider works as an extension of your team to develop and implement strategic technology plans that align with your business goals. Rather than just reacting to IT issues as they arise, proactive management and planning ensure technology supports your organization’s changing needs.

The IT provider gains an in-depth understanding of your business objectives, challenges, and opportunities. With this insight, they can make informed recommendations on optimizing your technology moving forward. This may involve evaluating new solutions, upgrading infrastructure, streamlining processes, or adjusting IT budgets.

Long-term strategic alignment eliminates the frustrations of a reactive break-fix approach. Your managed services partner keeps a pulse on emerging technologies and market trends to identify innovations that may benefit your operations. This proactive mindset and expert guidance enable you to leverage technology to its fullest in reaching your goals.

Rather than getting left behind, your organization implements technology on your terms and timeline. A managed IT services provider works closely with your team as an integrated partner dedicated to your success. Their strategic vision and expertise lead to technology recommendations tailored specifically to move your business forward.

Improved Compliance

Regulatory requirements like CMMC, PCI DSS, and SOX mandate stringent data security and privacy standards. Keeping up with constantly evolving compliance regulations is a monumental task for any business. Managed IT services ensure your systems and data management protocols adhere to the latest mandated standards. This protects your organization from potentially massive fines for non-compliance.

Managed service providers stay on top of emerging regulations and update your systems accordingly. They implement advanced security controls, access management, encryption, and data backup procedures to safeguard sensitive information. Audits and assessments are conducted regularly to identify any gaps that could result in compliance violations. By leveraging managed IT services, you can rest assured your organization meets all data security and privacy regulations.

Increase Productivity

Managed IT services can greatly improve employee productivity in a number of ways. By reducing downtime through proactive maintenance and monitoring, employees experience fewer disruptions. Issues are also resolved faster with 24/7 remote monitoring and support. Managed services provide access to the latest technology and tools that employees need to maximize efficiency.

Enhanced security measures like firewalls, malware protection, and patch management ensure employees can work without data breaches or viruses slowing them down. Collaboration is made easier through cloud-based tools that enable remote teams to communicate and share files seamlessly. Mobile device management keeps employees connected and productive when working outside the office.

Strategic IT planning aligns technology solutions with business goals and prevents productivity roadblocks. Compliance with regulations like HIPAA is improved through comprehensive policies, procedures, and documentation. Overall, managed IT services create the ideal technology environment for employees to thrive and focus on their core responsibilities. By partnering with a managed services provider, organizations can empower their workforce with the IT support and infrastructure they need to work smarter.