6 reasons not to change IT provider

Whether your contract is almost up with your current IT provider or you’re just looking at different options, switching IT companies will have its challenges. Often, the obstacles you face during the switchover outweigh the benefits of doing so.

Unless you currently have a broken relationship with your IT provider, think carefully before considering a change. Here are six reasons why you shouldn’t change IT provider.

1. The hassle

To start with, you will have to research and vet all of the candidates for your new IT provider. Finding the right company to work with is crucial so you will need to invest time into this process.

2. The switchover

Once you have whittled your shortlist down to one, there is the switchover to deal with. You have to introduce the new provider to the key people in your business and your way of working. Again, this is time-consuming, especially if you have to make these changes repeatedly and don’t stay with one provider long enough for them to get to know you properly.

3. Your provider is invested

Any good, honest IT providers will invest themself in your business. Granted, you are not their only client, but when you sign a contract it is a promise from them to do right by your business to the best of their ability. As such, they get to know your systems, the glitches that crop up, and that means they can keep things running efficiently. Quite often you won’t realise how reliant you are on this familiarity until you don’t have it anymore.

4. They think ahead for you

The rate at which technology adapts today guarantees that you will have to make upgrades to your systems regularly. You’re outsourcing your IT services to another company because you don’t have the resources in house to monitor and manage them effectively. You probably don’t have time to look for new technology and IT improvements on a regular basis.

Your IT provider does that for you. They not only know your systems, but they understand your business and what it needs to compete. A good IT provider will have their finger on the pulse of new tech innovations and they will identify the right upgrades for your business as it grows.

5. Cheap isn’t always cheerful

You may decide to change IT provider because there is someone else who offers a cheaper service. Naturally, keeping your overheads down is a high priority, but cheaper doesn’t always mean better. IT is more than a cost to the business; it’s an investment in productivity, teamwork, security and innovation.

In fact, your IT department is one of the last places you want to skimp. In most cases, your entire business infrastructure relies on having solid, reliable IT services. It is usually better value to pay a little more for a provider you trust and respect than to go for someone less reliable with a cheaper bill. After all, nobody chooses the cheapest brain surgeon.

6. You have a lasting relationship

Finally, and perhaps most important, you must build a relationship with your IT provider. Even if they are perfect in every other way, you have to feel comfortable communicating with them. As well as asking for what you want out of their services, this also means the IT provider will be honest rather than telling you what you want to hear.

Building this kind of relationship takes time and trust. The best teams work well together when they identify the communication problems at the start and come to a compromise that suits all. Without this commitment on both sides, you will never get the most out of the partnership.

Here at The Final Step, we believe in building lasting, trusted relationships with our customers. If that’s what you need and you’re ready to change IT provider – despite the difficulties outlined in this article, we’d love to talk.