Construction companies have specific IT requirements. Time is money in any business, but that’s especially true in the construction industry. You need excellent communication and coordination between management and workers and the ability to oversee contractors and order materials quickly. For that, you need top construction planning software and your company needs a comprehensive IT strategy. Just as you subcontract out certain work in your construction projects because it’s more efficient, your IT needs are usually better served by those who can deliver at less cost and more efficacy.
State-of-the-Art Technology
A managed service provider (MSP) offers clients access to state-of-the-art technology. There is no need for constant tech upgrading and the additional cost on the part of your company when you use managed IT. When your company goes the managed IT route, you also won’t experience any unpleasant surprises when it comes to charges. You pay a fixed fee every month, according to your contract. You can also design the right type of IT management for your construction company, as the MSP does not deal with companies on a one-size-fits-all basis when it comes to IT.
State-of-the-Art Skills
When hiring an MSP, you are hiring expertise. You know that, but you may not realize that circumstances may arise in which your business requires an IT specialist in a particular field. If you rely on an in-house team in which no one has this specific skill, you must either pay for training or hire an expert for this certain task. That’s not an issue with managed IT, as you are dealing with a team with state-of-the-art skills that can deal with your company’s problems as needed. Managed IT offers advantages not only over the costs of an in-house team but means you don’t have to outsource to another entity when problems arise.
Security Issues
Your construction company needs top IT support for security. It’s likely that you have an in-house team – especially one consisting of just a few employees – that does not have the expertise to deal with the latest threats. That means your company’s computer systems are far more vulnerable than you might think. Just as your construction business involves core competencies, security is a core competency of any managed IT company.
How an Outside IT Firm Saves Money
It makes no sense for a smaller construction company to hire an in-house IT expert, but it really does not make sense for most larger construction companies, either. When you have in-house IT professionals, you must pay salaries and benefits. When you hire an outside IT firm to provide services, those items are not your concern. A third party IT provider is probably more aware of the latest viruses, malware, cyber threats and other factors that can harm your system than an in-house team. For those providers, staying abreast of current threats is a vital part of their business. If your system is hacked or otherwise compromised, the outside firm is available 24/7. That means reduced downtime when a problem arises.
Even if you do have an in-house IT tech team, a third-party IT provider is not working on the same projects, and this frees up your employees to focus on your business needs and your bottom line rather than dealing with typical IT administrative tasks or outages. A third-party IT provider deals with troubleshooting, upgrades and new tech implementation, allowing your IT employees to concentrate on your construction projects.
With the money saved by outsourcing your IT requirements, you can direct those funds toward areas most needed by your company.
Company Expansion
Managed IT allows for easier company expansion, especially across state lines or nationally. Managed IT with a cloud strategy avoids many of the difficulties construction companies face if relying on their own technology when expanding. You no longer have to worry about primary office connectivity and loss of productivity due to a local power outage.
Peace of Mind
All sorts of factors affect your construction business and your bottom line. Whether it is a common situation such as materials delivery, the weather, permit delays or equipment failure, or the more exotic, such as discovering human remains or artifacts during digging, you know that complications occur on projects. With all that you must deal with on a daily basis, using a managed IT service for your construction company gives you peace of mind for that crucial aspect of your business.