Find out all you need to know about MSP, or Managed Service Providers, and how they can improve your business.
Create more time to focus on growing your company, save money by outsourcing, and eliminate the need to hire an in-house tech support team.
When you sign up for managed services, you can focus on more important things and never worry if your software system is falling through the cracks.
Managed Service Providers
What is MSP? Let’s break it down:
What is a Managed Service Provider?
When you are spending too much time on payroll software, record management, and technical difficulties in the office, call on a managed service provider.
In addition, if you need to escalate your Microsoft support tickets, a managed service provider can help.
What is MSP?
Forbes answers, “An organization responsible for managing and delivering services to another organization as per their requirement is called a managed service provider (MSP).
The services provided by an MSP typically are ongoing and remote. Traditionally, an MSP was used to manage or deliver information technology (IT) services like infrastructure, security, networking and applications.”
What does a managed service provider do?
A MSP can take a load off your shoulders by maximizing Microsoft software implementations and troubleshooting technical issues that arise.
A managed service provider will urgently respond to system blackouts, knowing that each moment counts to get your system back up and running.
Withum describes one vital role of a MSP: “By partnering with a Managed Service Provider to implement security features, you get access to experts who are familiar with Microsoft’s current security capabilities, new features coming out, and how to stay compliant with industry requirements.”
You can confidently protect your client information by partnering with a MSP who understands the ins and outs of your software’s security features.
MSP Benefits
As you learn more about what a MSP is, you will discover the many benefits available to your company.
Expert Care
Instead of spending hours trying to understand your software, let the experts take care of it for you.
By hiring a MSP, you get the benefits of working with industry experts who will help you maximize your organization and technical processes.
Managed services cost money, but hiring this type of expert care as an in-house employee will cost you much more.
Increased Efficiency
Put down the manuals and training materials and leave it all to the experts to attend to your management software needs.
Then you can allow your employees to focus on their tasks without having to decipher software that is unfamiliar to them.
Proactive Approach
When you partner with a MSP, you will have access to the latest software and technology available to manage your business.
You can stay competitive in the industry when you know you have a managed service provider who always has your best interest in mind.
Save Money and Resources
Hiring an in-house technical team can add up when it comes to training, yearly salaries, and employee turnovers.
Instead, get consistent, quality service from your reliable MSP.
Burwood Consulting details, “A trusted managed services partner can ensure coverage while your employees carry a balanced workload. Reducing stress and opening up opportunities for more strategic work translates directly into cost savings in the form of improved employee engagement and retention.”
Finding the answer to “What is MSP?” will bring you more benefits than you can imagine..
Choosing a Managed Service Provider
Now that we’ve thoroughly discussed what a MSP is, how do you find a quality provider that you can trust?
Network-Specific Service
First, you will find a variety of services offered by each MSP.
For example, a managed service provider can offer solutions for IT infrastructure and software management services.
Other MSP companies will go even further and offer weekly consultation meetings, business health checks, and future planning.
What is a MSP according to each company, and what type of services do you need in your business?
Expertise and Experience
Take a look at the company’s experience. Are they well-versed with the software and applications you use?
Do they work with a variety of industries, or do they have niche experience that does not apply to your company?
Look into certifications and years of experience within the company. Ask for examples of successful projects.
Microsoft Solutions Partners
A big part of understanding MSPs is knowing if your managed service provider will be familiar with Microsoft applications and software programs.
Finding a company that is a Microsoft Solutions Partner will guarantee that your MSP services will be successful in supporting the solutions you use daily..
A Microsoft Solutions Partner has the power to escalate your Microsoft support tickets to minimize the impact on your company’s infrastructure.
They also will have specialized knowledge to ensure you get the maximum ROI for your Microsoft software investment.
Boyer has demonstrated continued consistency in several areas to earn the status of a Microsoft Solutions Partner.
Trustworthy and Secure
Keep your information secure with a trusted MSP.
An experienced MSP should know all about cybersecurity and locking down client information when it matters most.
What kind of MSP is right for my business?
As you explore the different kinds of MSP, narrow down the services that will bring your company the most value.
Understand the Offerings
Decipher what a company offers by the wording on their website.
Will they troubleshoot issues that come up along the way when dealing with Microsoft software? Or are you left to deal with that on your own?
Part of understanding “What is MSP?” includes spelling out each company’s subscription offerings.
From Business News Daily: “Businesses need managed service providers because they negate risks. Instead of outsourcing IT when a problem occurs, managed services allow consistent network monitoring.
Also, a managed service provider handles all updating and maintenance tasks. This allows managers to focus on their businesses instead of worrying about the company’s IT functionality.
A prospective managed service provider should also evaluate current and future IT needs. The MSP advises on what products and services a business should implement over the next year.”
If you like the sound of using MSP to fix technical issues before they negatively affect your business, make sure you choose a company that offers troubleshooting services.
Get Clear on Expectations
Bring up past management issues that have occurred and ask how the company would handle the situation.
Read case studies from companies in your industry, like Boyer’s success in implementing Microsoft cloud for nonprofits for Napa Valley Vintners.
When your prospective MSP gives transparent answers to your questions and offers past experience to back them up, you can move forward with clear expectations.
Managed Service and Support Plans
Managed services are offered on a subscription basis. Boyer offers a tiered system of managed services and support plans.
What is MSP support? MSP offers managed services with ongoing support if an issue arises. At Boyer that looks like this:
Foundation Plan
Start with basic support that covers software support, managing and escalating Microsoft support tickets, and live troubleshooting.
This plan includes an annual health check on your business.
Foundation Plus Plan
Foundation plus is the most popular offering from Boyer.
Meet with a Microsoft advisor regularly to discuss your priorities in software improvements. The consultants will work to implement the improvements.
The dedicated Boyer team will evaluate the efficiency of your current processes and work on fine-tuning them to maximize your benefits.
You will also receive ongoing education on the latest upgrades, best practices, and expert tips on how to navigate your software to its full potential.
Advisors Plan
This version off subscription services allows you to take ownership of your software implementation project.
Meet with a Boyer adviser regularly to glean experienced advice, ask questions, and come up with a plan for future implementations.
What are your future goals? We can discuss the best tools to get you started.
Why Should I Work with a MSP?
Have confidence in the direction your company is heading when you have a trusted MSP by your side.
Learn about mistakes before they negatively affect your company.
Get the most out of your Microsoft software investments.
What Is a Managed Support Plan?
Your workflow can come to a complete halt when you are in the middle of a flow and your software shuts down.
With a managed support plan, get immediate solutions to your technical problems.
Basic Break-Fix Software Support
The attentive Boyer team is on standby to find a solution to any software issue that arises.
Our Microsoft expertise is comprehensive. When you are at a loss on what to do, our team has frequently seen it before and knows how to address the problem.
Live Troubleshooting
We will troubleshoot all possible solutions until the problem is resolved.
Count on our expert team to come to the rescue when you need it most.
Escalation of Microsoft Support Tickets
We use our leverage as a Microsoft Solutions Partner to prioritize your support tickets.
The issue will be addressed quickly, all while we work with Microsoft support and save you the headache.
Annual Health Check
What is the state of your business? Let our experts examine your business plan and make suggestions for future improvements.
We compare your business to similar businesses in the industry to see where you stand. How can you be more competitive going forward?
Managed Services and Support
What is MSP without a support plan? It’s one thing to hire managed service providers for your software management.
Many of the benefits come when you can also access live support representatives to help you through a problem.
MSSP
Work with a team that knows exactly how to troubleshoot a common issue with the software.
Even though it’s not familiar to you, it will be to your experienced MSP.
Why Have Both Service and Support?
If MSP saves you time and money, you want to get the maximum benefit from the services.
Why pay for MSP if you still get bogged down by a technical support issue? Call on the dedicated Boyer representatives to take care of it all.
The Benefits of Staying One Step Ahead
A delay in your CRM or ERP software can put you behind on all aspects of your business.
Rely on your MSP to offer support for urgent and non-urgent requests so that you can stay one step ahead.
They also stay up to date with the latest features and offerings that will benefit your business management solutions.
MSP Roles and Responsibilities
What can you expect from your MSP? Let’s take a closer look.
A Proactive Approach
An experienced MSP will anticipate a problem before it occurs.
If they recognize inefficiencies in your processes, they will train you on how to streamline and use the software to the best of its ability.
Systems Made Easy
Microsoft business applications software is designed to facilitate automated services and make your business more efficient.
Instead of spending time on manual accounting, payroll, and IT services, let the software take it from here.
An expert MSP will teach you how to maximize the implementation of the software for the greatest gain.
Focus on Serving
What is MSP without prioritizing client services?
At Boyer, we are invested in each client’s success as they navigate business solutions.
We stand by our mission to provide services on time and on budget. The client comes first in all we do.
How Much Do Managed Services Cost?
You will find a wide variety of managed service subscriptions that can fit each company’s needs.
When it comes to cost analysis, consider the expense of hiring, training, and retaining an IT specialist that may or may not have industry expertise with Microsoft software solutions.
Something for Everyone
What is MSP and the subscription offerings? It all comes down to the size of your company, consultation services, and live troubleshooting needs.
Choose Your Services
Each company will have levels of MSP support offerings. What makes the most sense for your company?
You can start with a basic plan and upgrade as you realize all possible benefits and savings associated with working with a MSP.
A Good Estimate
Basic support plans through Boyer start at $500 per month.
As you progress with more individualized and proactive services, your plan can increase to start at $3,000 per month, depending on the size of your company.
We also make it convenient to add or reduce services based on your needs.
Finding a MSP
Now that you know what MSP is and all the benefits, where do you start when it comes to finding a trusted company?
MSPs are part of a booming industry. Join in the business benefits by aligning with a growing MSP firm you can trust..
Trust Customer Feedback
What is a trustworthy MSP without customer reviews and feedback to learn about specific success stories?
You should always have access to current and past customer feedback when researching a MSP.
Take advice from this LinkedIn article: “How do you know that your MSP will put in the research to get you exactly what you need?
Ask for some case studies from clients in similar industries. Ideally, multiple different vendors are used across clients according to client needs. A solid MSP might tell you that ‘company X benefitted from this solution, but at company Y, some parameter was different, so we found this other solution that worked better.’ Ask for client references and really dig into satisfaction in areas that are key to your business.”
Boyer offers case studies spanning a variety of industries so that you can learn about the solutions we’ve provided to our clients over the years.
Read about our success in healthcare with Zing Health as we found fast solutions to their managed services issues.
Ask All the Questions
Make a list of your needs when navigating a new Microsoft software solution.
What can a MSP offer that you cannot do yourself? Let the team answer that question and display their expertise.
What to Expect From a MSP
It’s no secret that MSPs are an asset to your organization. Let the experts guide you through software implementations that will set your business on an upward trajectory.
Live Troubleshooting
Forget about pulling out your hair over a software hiccup that throws your business through a loop.
With live troubleshooting services, you should expect to hear from your MSP immediately for urgent requests.
If your request is non-urgent, your MSP can address your concern within one business day and make sure your software is up and running smoothly.
Ongoing Software Support
When a question comes up about software capabilities or implementations that will make your life easier, you should expect your MSP to know the answer.
Call on their expertise so that you can focus on flourishing in your area of expertise.
Master Managed Service Providers
Expert MSPs will not only set your business up for success, but they will also train you to work well without them.
Learn about the best way a MSP can benefit your business. Are you ready to maximize your ROI from your Microsoft software?
A master MSP can help you do so!
Start With What You Need
The first step in working with a master MSP is finding a solution to your problem.
You seek managed service providers for a reason. You need help.
Whether you need to identify the best software to run your business or have the software and do not know how to use it, your master MSP has your back.
Once you have worked with a MSP to streamline and maximize your business management solutions, you can take a proactive approach.
What is next for your business? Will the same software sustain your growth? What do you need to be prepared for the next step in your business plan?
Focus on Moving Forward
Along with an annual health check, you can sign up for a plan that will provide consultation on the future steps for your business management.
When you have a master MSP at your beck and call, you will learn about the newest features and automation that will bring simplicity and efficiency to your business.
Discuss the future and learn about what your trusted MSP has to offer.
Find a MSP to Support You
You can spend all day learning in about MSPs in general, but what can a MSP do specifically for your business?
Whether you work in healthcare, nonprofits, or retail, a managed service provider will support the software solutions you have.
Let your trusted MSP advocate for your business and draw up the best plan for your management solutions.
You’ll never regret finding an expert to ease your stress as you balance the many aspects of running a business.
Put Your Attention Back On What Matters
Is your business suffering because you are caught up in areas outside of your expertise?
If all of your time is tied up in security, IT bugs, management software troubles, and lack of automation, it’s time to ask for help.
Managed service providers are ready to help you streamline your business practices and get the most out of your Microsoft software solutions.
Then you can get back to client satisfaction, employee retention, and growing your business.
Read our case study about Owl’s Head Alloys and its success in working with Boyer.
