Effective Communication Strategies: 7 Ways to Improve with Managed IT Services

There is no denying how important communication is for businesses. It boosts teamwork inside the workplace, it promotes better collaboration among peers and it ensures that everyone is working on the same page. Thus, companies are investing time, energy and resources to be able to deliver communication lines for their employees. One of these investments is through IT services.

Successful businesses are usually made up of a team of highly engaged professionals. And what is the best way to keep them engaged? It is through constant communication. But how can one improve communication with the use of the current technologies of today? Improved employee communication with Managed IT services is your best solution.

The Trouble with Unmanaged IT Services

In an unmanaged IT service setup, employees establish their own IT infrastructure.  Setting up tools and equipment and handling data, including security measures is within the responsibility of the inhouse IT team and its employees. There is no third-party involved in such circumstances in your workplace.

Although companies have absolute control over their data and the technology their team will use, overseeing the work in a close manner is required. Customizing data and network systems can be done at will, as you please. However, even with this benefit, there are more downsides with unmanaged IT services compared to managed IT services.

Unmanaged IT services are more expensive. It will require you to hire full-time experts to focus on the job. The basic cost for hiring an information technology specialist starts at $65,525 annually and can go as high as $138,494 depending on the state that you are in.

Additionally, having choosing to get your IT services inhouse can cause you to spend more time on non-business related issues. Network downtimes, security attaches and other glitches that affect the daily activities in the workplace can consume more  than you think it would. The stress in dealing with this issue can also add up with other work and business related issues that you currently have.

And lastly, unmanaged It services can compromise the efficiency and security of communication with clients and among employees. But how does one take advantage of managed IT services to be able to improve employee communication? Here are some tips you can follow.

How To Improve Employee Communication With Managed IT Servers

Managed IT services can help improve communication with employees because it will be much easier for them to reach the IT department’s people. Most IT services offer 24/7 availability and commit to attend to IT issues with a sense of urgency. Employees can also benefit from being able to have hold of all their company’s data at any time most especially with a reliable IT provider to rely with.

Employees are happy with this type of service because it provides them with a sense of security and certainty about their company’s data. They are also able to save time on not having to wait for someone in the IT department. The stress that comes with having to deal with these IT issues are also lifted with help from managed IT services.

7 Ways to Improve Employee Communication with Managed IT Servers

Upgrading communication tools through the use of technology would be best optimized with the help of IT managed solutions. Adopting current technologies helps make employees become more engaged and involved as part of the team.

Mobile telecommunication

Although mobile devices were treated as a risk for one’s productivity at work, today’s workplace is already hybrid. It is highly dependent on different mobile devices offering mobility and  accessibility to the workforce.

Flexibility in schedules, especially during extra work during the weekends and being able to carry work in our pockets. This makes it easier to attend to critical business activities and issues anytime, anywhere.

Promote cloud-based collaboration

Cloud computing and cloud services are becoming more popular for businesses and companies.  It is efficient, secure, and affordable at the same time. However, some companies may fail to take advantage of the opportunities available in using the cloud without an expert IT professional to guide them through the process.

Cloud services like Google Docs and Microsoft Teams are quite manageable on a company’s end. However, more complicated cloud services and networks or one used in a huge company setting requires the expertise and efficiency of a trained IT professional. Cloud collaboration can be highly optimized with the help of managed IT services.

Creating and managing channel-based messaging platforms for organized group conversations

Almost half of Fortune 100 companies pay for a Slack subscription. This is enough proof on how messaging applications are crucial for companies. The capability to separate conversations into different channels promotes asynchronous and instant communication within the same thread.

Discussions are also done publicly making information accessible for the whole team, instantly available when they need them. A managed IT service provider helps create a more agile and robust communication pipeline for businesses and organizations.

Stimulating face-to-face communication and global reach

Face-to-face communication is still one of the most reliable forms of conversation there is. Body language and facial expressions can convey a lot of information. However, in today’s current situation, personal meetings are limited and videoconferencing is mostly preferred among teammates, customers, and business owners.

Communication is not limited to information delivered alone. Conveying the message to your audience, the way you want to convey them is more efficient with videoconferencing. Additionally, more people tend to open up and co-create in a workplace as they engage better with colleagues and clients through video calls.

Collecting bulk data and making it available in a single and secure library.

One of the common causes of miscommunication among employees is the lack of a single resource when they can access information when one teammate is unavailable to provide such required information.  Employees may also need feedback from employers and vice versa. The same applies to companies seeking testimonials from their clients.

A managed IT service can help organize such needs, collecting data and making it easily accessible to employees and employers in and outside the workplace.  They make handling of data secure and efficient. Such services can also help companies collect ideas from their teams and clients. Work requests can be easily monitored, alongside applicant screenings, webinar registrations and other online forms and surveys that help gather data in and out of the workplace.

Using project management tools

Managing projects can be achieved more efficiently with the use of project management applications. IT services can aid businesses in creating and managing a central hub for projects and other daily activities in an organization. Tracking projects becomes easier making it easier to address issues that may come along the way.

But where do IT managed services come in when it comes to these project management applications? Such service providers can easily personalize such applications and software into functionalities that perfectly suits the needs of the company. IT professionals can easily train employees to use these tools efficiently.

Encouraging connection and engagement among employees

Teamwork is developed when employees communicate with each other. Improving communications lines between employees increases opportunities for engagement as they try to resolve current issues in the company or as they complete projects.

As more companies lean into a more hybrid work setup, with remote work as a common preference nowadays, robust communications lines through IT services and technology. The convenience of being able to hop on a video conference call decreases the chances of miscommunication when dealing with tight deadlines. It reduces errors, thus reducing costs too. In larger organizations, the use of the right technology helps their employees connect more effectively at the right times when they need to.

How Can You Benefit from a Workplace with Managed IT Servers?

Again, the emphasis on the importance of having managed services is undeniable. It plays a very significant role in managing business data that aids in the success of businesses. It is an investment that translates into cost savings for your organization. Listed below are a few of the reasons why managed IT is a must for companies and businesses.

User Productivity

Technology is here to enhance the way we do our daily tasks at work. It generally improves and promotes productivity in the workplace. If you are investing in technology and yet your organization is losing money, there is something wrong with how you are managing your business data.

Unexpected downtimes in a system network can cause a company at least $58,000 for every 100 users. Implementing managed IT services cuts down this downtime, if completely eliminating it is not possible. Interestingly, it will not cost you as much as $58,000 a year to have your IT needs outsourced for your company.

Reduces Infrastructure Expenses

A managed IT provider can help an organization reduce infrastructure costs. Outsourcing your IT services lifts the responsibility of having to control your infrastructure. The responsibility is now under your IR provider. With this, you can easily downsize the amount of infrastructure that you have on-site. Instead, you will be using one of the data centers provided by your IT solutions provider. The cost of maintaining these infrastructures are also removed from your responsibility.

Other costs such as licensing, consulting, and training will be under the responsibility of your IT partner. All these costs plus the access to a seasoned professional to take care of your IT needs are all covered by a single monthly investment.

Economy of Scale

As your business grows, your data infrastructures should grow too. The best way to keep up with the demand is through the use of a managed IT service provider. Scaling your business more efficiently and cost-effectively is quite easier with an outsourced IT support group rather than an inhouse one.

Although you can hire more employees to keep up with the growth, you might need 10 or more employees to do so, thus adding operational costs on your end. Additionally, if you are not familiar with the new technologies that will emerge in the market, you  might just end up wasting time and resources investing in programs that you know little about. You maximize your brand’s potential by seeking help with partner professionals you can trust.

Focused and Productive IT Staff

The difference of having your IT solutions outsourced is that your in-house IT staff focus on resolving other internal issues in the workplace. They can spend time fixing malfunctioning equipment as well as dealing with their core tasks and other responsibilities.

Outsourcing the management of your IT environment with a managed service provider can help your staff focus on more important priorities. The need for additional staff to take care of IT issues in the company are decreased, sometimes eliminated, translating into significant savings for the organization.

Immediate Professional and Expert Support

Time is money. The longer downtime your company experiences, the more it will cost you. IT problems can stall projects and disrupt daily activities. Using managed IT services will not require your company to wait for someone to figure out the technical issues that you are having. A dedicated and expert IT solutions provider can get you up and running in no time.

And the best thing about it, you will be paying for the same amount regardless of how much support or downtime emergencies you have in a month. You’ll know exactly the budget that you need for the service that you will receive from your IT solutions provider. Keeping an eye on your costs becomes more manageable.

Overall, utilizing the help of managed IT services improves the overall business productivity. It also creates an IT environment that is more reliable, well-supported and scalable. They offer flexibility giving businesses free time to expand and deal with other areas of the business. Significant growth can be also observed with the help of a trusted and reliable IT solutions provider. However, it is still important to look into the benefits of managed IT services that are personalized and designed solely for your business. The benefits should align with your business goals and objectives that will take you to the next level.