The decision to select an IT service or support provider near me is a difficult one. It’s difficult to choose from so many providers in this market. The guide below will assist you in identifying the factors most crucial to your decision when it comes to selecting a provider of IT services and support.

Business and Focus

The most important thing to consider is this. Does this IT services and support provider seem to understand your business well? Are they familiar with your work processes, customers’ needs and the ways you serve them? Has your team really mastered the processes within?

Talking to an IT service and support provider is best done in business-related terms. If you don’t want to use software or hardware to describe your problems or goals, then you can explain them in business terms. Your IT support and service partner should be capable of bridging the gap between your stated needs and technical details in their solution and explaining their proposal to you.

Cultural fit

It’s not just about the nitty-gritty of operations. It’s important to consider cultural aspects as well. What is the cultural fit of this IT service provider?

This IT service and Support team is likely to visit your offices, deal with your staff, and train them how to utilize new software and equipment. The introduction of new IT system brings about changes. For many people, change can be difficult. Your team’s technical knowledge is not important. You need people to be able provide a level of IT support that is tactful and patient.

Qualitative proposals

In order to determine whether you should invest in IT and/or sign a long-term contract for IT support, it’s important that your potential IT providers submit a formal proposal outlining their recommended strategy. When you go through it, there are a few questions that should be asked.

* Can I read it? Is the proposal written in plain English to make it easier for you as an ordinary business person to understand? Technical terms have been clarified, and can you ask the supplier for clarification?

Do the prices appear to be clear? Can you be sure that the quoted price is what you’ll actually pay for the IT support you need?

* Can you compare? Is it possible to compare prices?

* Is it reassuring that the proposals include third-party brands? Do they offer you well-known and leading brands of IT or do they propose proprietary solutions?

* Is it tailored? Are you able to tell if the provider has tried to tailor a solution to the specific IT support and service needs of your company, or merely trying to promote their preferred products?

Cost and Value

Aspects such as price are important when selecting an IT partner. Do not hesitate to get quotes and then compare. Just make sure the comparisons are similar. Check the details of what you are being offered if there is a difference in price. If prices differ, look at what is being offered.

The old saying is: ‘buy for price, and you’ll buy again’. In the IT sector, this is more important than anywhere else. A solution that fails to meet needs or doesn’t have a futureproof design can cost you significantly in the end.