What do you, your managed service provider (MSP), and your team have in common? Your IT. But that also means you have to figure out who’s in charge of what so things run smoothly.
If you don’t know your roles, you might feel a little like your friendly neighborhood superhero confronting an imposter, pointing at each other and playing the blame game. This article will help you define your responsibilities, compare IT solutions for small businesses, and know how to move forward!
The IT Responsibility Gap: A Common Problem
Every smoothly run business relies on people who understand their roles, have the right skills, and consistently fulfill them. Those who don’t? Well, it could look a lot like this:
- A crucial software update gets missed. Is it the MSP’s fault for not flagging it? The team’s fault for not reporting an issue? Or yours for not defining expectations?
- A security breach occurs. Was it because an employee fell for a phishing scam or because the MSP didn’t set up the right safeguards?
These blurred lines can lead to finger-pointing, miscommunication, and more IT problems than IT solutions for small businesses. But clearly defined roles can strengthen your company. In a recent study, an HR company found that among employees with high levels of role clarity:
- 86% reported high levels of effectiveness
- 84% reported a high desire to stay
- 75% reported being highly satisfied with leadership
The clarity your company needs starts with three key players.
Who Is Who In Your IT Success
Let’s get things straight. There are three main groups when it comes to your business IT success. The responsibilities listed below are general guidelines, and you should adjust them to whatever your company needs.
1. You (The Business Owner or Manager)
You’re the project manager of IT success. You set the goals, priorities, and budget for IT, plus, you’re the decision maker for any services or tools. That might also include defining policies and expectations, and organizing training opportunities.
2. Your Internal Team
This includes both the non-IT crew who use your technology and any internal IT team members. While your internal team can handle equipment setup, updates, and troubleshooting, the rest of your employees should comply with IT policies, report problems quickly, and stay up to date with training.
3. Your Managed Service Provider (MSP)
Your MSP provides both IT solutions for small businesses and a strategic partnership. They help with the heavy lifting when it comes to maintenance, security, and high-level support. Since MSPs are a veritable team of experts, they can handle proactive maintenance, intensive cybersecurity, IT planning and scaling, and provide tech support.
Common Overlap Situations: Whose Job Is It Anyway?
If you’re struggling to define IT roles for your company, imagining these common situations might help:
Cybersecurity
- You: Establish security policies, enforce compliance, and provide training resources.
- Internal Team: Follow best practices (including avoiding phishing links, using strong passwords, and staying up-to-date on cybersecurity training).
- MSP: Handle patching, firewalls, monitoring, and real-time threat detection.
Help Desk Support
- You: Define acceptable timelines for response and resolution and communicate expectations to the MSP and your staff.
- Internal Team: Initial troubleshooting, communicating issues internally.
- MSP: Resolve level 1 and level 2 IT issues to get your team back on track.
Software Management
- You: Make high-level decisions about what tools to use and make sure they align with business goals.
- Internal Team: Use the software as intended and report any issues that arise. Provide feedback to identify potential improvements.
- MSP: Keep software updated, licenses monitored, and integrations running smoothly. Manage vendor relationships for significant tools.
Major Red Flags: Time to Define the Relationship
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if your roles are well-defined or not. To keep your business safe, here are some signs your roles might need some clearing up:
- Repeated Issues: The same problems keep coming up because no one knows who’s responsible for fixing them.
- Blame Game: Employees, MSPs, or managers blame each other for late response or unresolved issues.
- Missed Updates: Critical updates don’t happen on time, leading to outages or vulnerabilities.
- Slow Responses: Issues take a long time to resolve because everyone assumes it’s someone else’s responsibility.
- Security Risks: Training is lacking or policies aren’t enforced.
If any of these sound familiar, it’s time to revisit roles and responsibilities with your team and your MSP.
Partnering with the Right MSP
When it comes to maintaining a proactive IT strategy, having a reliable MSP can make all the difference. A good MSP is invested in your success and provides real IT solutions for small businesses. Here’s how to know if you’ve got a keeper:
Proactive Communication
Your MSP should keep you informed about your systems, upcoming updates, and any potential issues. Look for partners who provide regular reports and check-ins.
Education
An MSP that cares about your success will help you learn how to handle support issues on your own. They still have the training and expertise for higher level issues, but they can help you and your team build tech-savvy skills.
Customized Support
A great MSP provides support that augments your internal team. If you already have a great IT employee in-house, they can leave the basic troubleshooting to them and instead focus on higher-level issues like firewalls and threat prevention.
Scalability
One of the hardest parts of growing your business is hiring. It takes time, money, and effort. When you have a strong MSP partner, you can scale knowing you have IT support that grows with you—without the hassle of hiring. Plus, they can help you onboard any new employees with cloud services and other processes.
Transparency & Accountability
The best MSPs are upfront and clear about their responsibilities in service level agreements (SLAs). They’ll also provide transparent reports that show what they’ve done to help your team. This accountability and trust is essential in a long-term partner.
Create a Stronger IT Team Today with RedNight
Clearly defined roles between you, your team, and your MSP are essential to your business running smoothly. When everyone understands their responsibilities, IT problems get solved faster, security is better, and your business is prepared for long-term success. Here at RedNight, we are committed to helping your business succeed.
Our IT solutions for small businesses are customizable, so you can get the support you actually need. If your current IT setup feels disorganized or if you’re ready to partner with an MSP that you can rely on, contact our team today.