Skeptical about Managed IT Services? Why Some Practices Ignore MSP’s

I’ve recently noticed a change within the medical IT ecosystem. It seems mid-sized practices are a little skeptical of managed IT service companies like Systeem Medical.

I’ve read online articles about why companies choose in-house IT solutions instead. And I also hear of practices that have been using a managed services company and experienced lackluster results. Some have decided to pull back, terminate contracts and instead hire someone internal to handle their IT needs.

As with most things, deciding which route to take — in-house or outsource — is situational and based on the specific needs of the practice. However, I think it’s important to share the strengths and benefits of working with a company like Systeem, including the unique services we provide to support an in-house IT Manager.

1. Managed IT services can save costs and add value. 
While practices considering the choice between an in-house staff person and and an MSP certainly need to compare hard costs between the two scenarios, the comparison is often apples to oranges. Even when considering the fully burdened in-house employee complete with benefits and laptop, the managed service provider (MSP) brings a considerable amount of pre-configured and highly efficient tools and procedures ready to be utilized for your practice. These tools can be expensive but certainly worthwhile to practices that do not want to reinvent the wheel. And when you marry MSP services with an in-house IT staffer, it can yield a powerful combination of IT strategy, projects, and support services.

2. Managed IT services can fill critical gaps in proactive monitoring and disaster management.
As markets grow and technology allows businesses to become more efficient, specialization and consolidation occur to provide effective services. This is exactly what has happened with the IT services landscape over the past 10 years. With the advent of remote management and monitoring software, MSP’s have been able to specialize and make these services available to the healthcare market. If you don’t use an MSP, someone needs to be providing proactive monitoring for your practice to mitigate any downtime. Otherwise, you’re leaving revenue on the table in the form of reactive troubleshooting and downtime. Managed IT services prevents these, regardless of the contract nature of the employees doing the job. Additionally, an in-house IT staffer is just ONE person. Imagine the workload a single person would have in managing multiple projects, providing all support, and doing these things without the proper tools. And what happens in the event of a disaster? If a major problem were to occur, it is advantageous to have a flexible staffing option as you will gain with a MSP; and especially one who knows the intricacies of your workflow and network. 

3. Maintain control of your IT. Date before entering into a long-term MSP contract.
Considering an MSP and its services requires a significant level of trust between your practice and the MSP. In fact, I liken these types of relationships to dating. And in that world, we know that a fair share of creepers and terrible suitors exist. Practices who are considering their IT options should date an MSP to see what would work best for the practice. Even if you have a current in-house staffer, provide a project or service outage to a MSP as a test. In fact, you might even test the waters for months before deciding to move forward. Understanding that this is a long-term partnership and knowing that the MSP in question has your best interests in mind is important. However, you shouldn’t be weary of losing control entirely. Good MSP’s exist, even if you’ve been in a bad relationship before. In addition, if an in-house IT staffer is a part of your overall plan, it should be the MSP’s job to ensure that person is successful! When the in-house employee does well, the MSP does well; and ultimately, the client enjoys solid service with appropriate IT planning that is in line with the practice’s goals.

At Systeem, we’ve worked with all sorts of practices and successful staffing options. If you’re considering an either/or scenario, you might think twice in regard to what those resources can provide. Every day we do our best to help our in-house counterparts become the rock stars they are. Because when we help our clients meet their goals, our success is inevitable.

If you are interested in learning more about how Systeem could help your practice, please contact our sales department at 940.484.0850 or send us an e-mail.