Business continuity refers to an organization's ability to maintain critical functions after a disruption or emergency. These events include security breaches, natural disasters, power outages, equipment failures, or sudden staff resignations and can have devastating consequences for businesses of all sizes. To ensure business continuity and protect private information, many organizations are enlisting managed IT services.
In this blog, we’ll explore why business continuity matters, how managed IT service providers in Chicago like Prescient can help, and important tips for selecting the right IT provider. By following the guidelines outlined in this blog, your business can mitigate online risks and recover quickly from emergencies.
Why Business Continuity Matters
The ability to maintain your business operations after an emergency or outage can often mean the difference between business success or failure. In fact, 40 to 60 percent of small business owners do not reopen after a natural disaster, according to FEMA. If the company does not reopen within five days, that number rises to 90 percent. According to Statista, the average cost of a data breach in the United States was $9.48 million in 2023. These statistics are just a few reasons why business continuity planning is essential for long-term business success.
Business continuity plans encompasses a variety of proactive measures, including 24/7 monitoring, data backups, redundant storage methods, and other disaster recovery strategies. These measures help prevent a number of online threats. If a disaster or data breach occurs, they help businesses minimize downtime and quickly recover data to maintain important business operations.
How Managed Services Can Improve Business Continuity
To keep up with today’s evolving tech landscape and ensure business continuity, many companies are turning to managed services. These services can address a variety of IT concerns, from network management and cybersecurity to data resilience and beyond. In the sections below, we’ll go over the top benefits of partnering with a managed IT service provider.
Data Backup and Recovery
Data is paramount to several business functions today. If your data is lost or corrupted, the consequences can be devastating. Managed IT service providers offer a number of services to secure data and ensure its availability. These services may include regular data backups, redundant storage solutions, automated backup processes, data encryption, disaster recovery planning, and more.
At Prescient Solutions, we prioritize data security with all our clients. Our team takes a proactive approach to data protection, using the latest technologies and best practices to safeguard your valuable information and minimize downtime in the event of a disaster.
Proactive Monitoring
The best way to avoid costly downtime and data loss is to prevent it or catch it immediately. One way managed services can ensure this is through proactive monitoring. Proactive monitoring constantly assesses your network for vulnerabilities, suspicious activity, or performance issues so you can identify IT problems quickly and fix them before they escalate into major disruptions.
At Prescient, we monitor your IT systems around the clock. By teaming up with our experts, you can gain peace of mind knowing that IT issues are identified and addressed quickly.
24/7 IT Support
Security incidents and disasters can happen at all hours of the day. If a data breach occurs over the weekend and you don’t have access to IT support, your issue won’t be resolved until Monday morning. This can lead to longer periods of vulnerability and a greater risk of data loss and operational downtime. Many managed IT providers, however, offer 24/7 IT support. This around-the-clock IT support helps businesses react quickly to IT problems and keeps their operations running smoothly.
At Prescient, our IT specialists are available 24/7 to provide immediate assistance for any security incidents or disasters, ensuring that your business remains protected at all times.
Disaster Recovery Planning
Not sure where to begin when it comes to protecting your business from online threats and natural disasters? Managed service providers can help you take the guesswork out of business continuity planning and help you develop comprehensive disaster recovery plans to protect your business. Knowledgeable about the latest online threats and disaster recovery practices, they can help you identify weaknesses, implement proactive measures, and create effective protocols for responding to incidents.
With over 27 years of experience serving the Chicago and Milwaukee areas, Prescient is a leader in disaster recovery planning. We offer cutting-edge technology, rapid response times, and continuous optimization to keep your business running smoothly.
7 Tips for Selecting a Managed Service Provider
If managed IT services are right for your business, it's important to choose a good provider who aligns with your business needs and has a track record of success. In the following sections, we’ll cover seven important factors to consider when searching for managed IT services in Chicago.
1. Assess Your Business Needs and Goals
The first step in choosing a managed service provider is to outline your business needs and goals. Identify your current IT challenges, such as a slow network, poor customer service, inefficient workflows, or compliance issues. Set measurable goals for each objective and identify gaps where you need support. Outlining these priorities and objectives can help set clear criteria for evaluating potential managed service providers.
2. Review Their Services
Managed service providers offer several IT services to support businesses, but not all providers are created equal. After pinpointing your business needs and goals, outline the services required to fill in the gaps.
If your business handles sensitive data, cybersecurity and data backups may be a top priority. If your business does not have an onsite IT team, you may need a provider who offers network management. Assistance with IT planning may also be necessary if your business is planning to scale its operations. Make sure you carefully review all the managed service provider’s services and ensure they align with your specific needs and goals.
3. Inquire About Their Experience
Experience in the IT industry can provide a strong foundation in working with established systems, processes, and technologies. It can also expose providers to a wide range of industries, allowing for a broad understanding of IT needs and solutions.
When selecting a managed service provider, evaluate their experience. How long have they been in business? Which industries have they worked with? Which operating systems do they work with? Do they have any certifications and partnerships with other companies? Asking these questions can help you learn about their past experience and whether they can meet your business needs.
4. Ask About Response Times
Every minute your business is down can lead to lost revenue and frustrated customers. That’s why having reliable and fast IT support is absolutely essential.
When interviewing managed service providers, ask how long it takes to respond to support requests and how long issues can be resolved. Make sure their response times are aligned with your allowable downtime. If technology is heavily used in your business operations, it’s important to choose a provider that can react quickly and ensure business continuity.
5. Check References and Reviews
Positive reviews and references indicate a strong track record of client success. Check to see if they have references from other businesses in your industry or businesses that have similar pain points to yours. Ask them how long they worked with the IT provider and if they would recommend them to other businesses. Ask them about the IT provider's responsiveness and the type of services they offer.
Checking the managed service provider’s reviews on popular online platforms like Google and Yelp can also give you a feel for their performance.
6. Understand the Contract Terms
A reputable IT provider should draw up a contract that reflects their professionalism, transparency, and client satisfaction. Make sure you thoroughly review their contract and understand all the terms and conditions.
Evaluate the pricing structure. Do they charge a flat fee, go by your usage, or follow a different model? Another important aspect to review is their service-level agreement. This outlines their responsibilities, response times, performance targets, and other important factors. Make sure these commitments are aligned with your business needs and expectations. Last but not least, make sure the contract spells out how you can end the agreement if you need to. You don't want any surprises if you decide to part ways.
7. Evaluate Their Communication
Every good business relationship requires effective communication. Good communication ensures mutual understanding and allows for an easy exchange of ideas, concerns, and expectations. It also promotes transparency, enabling open and honest communication.
When interviewing potential IT providers, make sure they have multiple methods to get in touch, including email, phone, and online chat platforms. Check their availability. Do they offer 24/7 IT support, or do they only operate during normal business hours? Finally, check to see if they offer regular updates or performance reports. These factors indicate their responsiveness, reliability, and willingness to keep you informed throughout your partnership.
Conclusion
From regular data backups and 24/7 support to robust data storage and proactive monitoring, managed services can help protect your business and secure important data. At Prescient Solutions, we go beyond basic managed IT services. We work closely with your business to develop robust business continuity plans that ensure their operations remain resilient in the face of any challenge.
Get in touch with us to learn more!
