Three ways Managed Services help SMEs think big

Managed Services are rapidly growing in popularity across the IT sector, becoming fundamental for businesses to improve efficiency and infrastructure. With the rapid pace of technological advancements, internal IT teams aren’t equipped to meet the growing demands of the online world, meaning it is becoming increasingly beneficial for SMEs to outsource a reliable delivery of IT. 

However, in comparison to their larger counterparts, SMEs face tougher constraints. According to the World Economic Forum, 67% of small businesses are fighting for survival, and require diverse support mechanisms to stay competitive. Therefore, it remains unsurprising that over 85% of organisations recognise the importance of adopting new technologies to drive transformation and long-term growth. Managed Services offer a cost-effective solution, enabling SMEs to increase efficiency and business output, based on their demand. 

Enhanced Agility 

In simple terms, a Managed Service is a comprehensive IT support model, which handles all internal processes, infrastructures and applications to ensure consistent and reliable delivery of IT. However, with continued business growth, IT inefficiencies can quickly rise to the surface, which for SMEs with typically traditional, stretched resources can prove overwhelming. Utilising Managed Services creates automated improvements and frees up operational resources to focus on priorities and increase operational agility.  

For instance, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can implement and manage large volumes of infrastructure by applying the necessary tools to ensure a smooth running IT service. This is achieved via remote management and cloud-based services, eliminating downtime and freeing up internal resources, allowing SMEs to redirect their focus to their main priorities.

By adopting digital tools, SMEs can unlock their full business potential and enhance agility by exchanging resources spent on stretched IT infrastructure and implementing them elsewhere. Managed Services can also scale business support through upskilling professionals within specialised areas, reducing any existing skill gaps, and improving business operations.

Boosting Efficiency through Managed Services

In the turbulent landscape, SMEs need to remain as efficient as possible to ensure they maintain a competitive advantage, which is challenging with comparably less resources than bigger companies. Building an efficient system is imperative to SME's survival. Using new technology can propel the business to the next level, alongside the major competitors. The offer of flexible models through a Managed Service tailors the extent of collaboration necessary to support SME transformations, ensuring they remain as efficient as possible. 

Each model offers a wide range of involvement options, from a specialised service retained by the business, a co-managed service and a fully remotely Managed Service. This allows SMEs to tailor specific IT models appropriate for their individual needs. As a result, the service provider can build a fully customised solution for maintenance and support of outsourced processes. 

SMEs who have onboarded Managed Services have found an increase in production processes by 26% as a result of leveraging technology at scale. Using the service to transform long term digital roadmaps and infrastructure, can aid SMEs in meeting high-level objectives through increased productivity and efficiency.

Building Technology Resilience and Staying Current with IT trends 

It is becoming increasingly difficult for SMEs to keep up with emerging technologies, where approximately 25% of SMEs cite this as a top challenge impeding business growth. Managed Services, however, help SMEs build resilience by maintaining a competitive edge in the market, without stretching resources to sustain continued growth. 

Following the pandemic, a surge of digital security risks affected businesses, with increased opportunities for hackers to exploit SMEs' lack of appropriate security measures. This spike in cyber crimes calls for an increase in provisions, education and infrastructure for businesses, which can come at a large cost, not available at the disposal of SMEs without a competent and up-to-date service provider.

As we continue to embrace new technology, the next best is already taking over, making it impossible to maintain IT resilience, especially for SMEs who may be using outdated software. Businesses using outdated software are vulnerable to cyber attacks which negatively impact productivity, reduce compliance to industry regulations, and make it more difficult to scale and sustain the business.

A Managed Service is a cost-effective solution which enables SMEs to adopt the latest technology, improving their cybersecurity and providing added flexibility, through enabling businesses the freedom to purchase exactly what they need.

The Bottom Line

Onboarding a Managed Service removes several issues from the equation and is the simplest way to ensure all hardware and software is maintained at its highest running level. Working behind the scenes to ensure businesses are protected, SMEs have the confidence to transform - at a fraction of the cost. In addition, keeping on top of advancing technology is the key to enabling SMEs to compete with industry leaders, providing a future-proof platform with stronger resilience, strategic value, and competitive advantage.