Managed IT Services > Break-Fix IT Strategy

Business leaders and decision makers have a lot to deal with… and that’s before factoring in all the problems and obstacles that arise over the course of their normal operations, especially when it comes to the technology their businesses rely on.

Of course, a smart business owner would want their technology to be as reliable as possible, available without requiring conscious effort. As it happens, one of the modern options for IT support enables circumstances to be as close to this ideal as possible… but the other predominant option ultimately gives you more to worry about.

Why is Break-Fix IT a Bad Fit for Future-Focused and Success-Driven Businesses?

Break-fix IT is a strategy that addresses technology problems after they arise and impact operations. It is based on repair over prevention, and as such, has some critical shortcomings:

• Financial issues - There are several contributing factors that make break-fix IT a less ideal option financially. Not only are your costs unpredictable, as there is no way to anticipate issues and errors, but the provider is also not motivated to prevent trouble from affecting your IT. After all, they make money by solving your problems, so preventing them actively hurts the break-fix provider’s business model.
• Operational disruption - Break-fix is also very reliant on the “break” part, as in, the repair process only begins once something has actively broken and work has stopped. This downtime brings with it numerous issues, from revenue loss, wage loss, will hurt your business’ reputation, and ultimately leads to missed deadlines.
• No strategic value - The nature of break-fix services is inherently transactional. There is little to no consideration of long-term goals, from technology planning to strategy building, or any other guidance.

What Makes Managed Services a Good Choice for the Modern Business?

Comparatively, managed services focus on preventative maintenance and technology optimization. As a result, it is a partnership between the business and the provider, and brings its own features:

• Preventative measures - Managed services are inherently preventative, focusing on maintenance and IT optimization. As such, errors and issues are anticipated by design, and since the provider’s goal is to minimize as much downtime as possible, they are motivated to mitigate as many as they possibly can.
• Financial predictability - As managed services are built around the subscription model, support is always available in exchange for a predictable operating expense. Resultantly, budgeting is far simpler and more stable. Additionally, this motivates us to prevent your problems, as that is what you are paying us to do, to some degree.
• Enhanced uptime - Via enhanced monitoring tools, we can detect and diagnose issues, all while ensuring all of your maintenance needs—from security patches, updates, and health checks—are handled in a way that doesn’t impact your operations… effectively invisibly.
• Strategic expertise - As a partner, we provide our guidance freely to our clients, enabling them to grow more successfully. In doing so, we effectively offer an entire department of experts in all things IT.

Find Out More About the Strategic Benefits of Managed Services

Your IT doesn’t have to be a significant focus in your business… in fact, with the right IT at your disposal, it can be effectively invisible. The right IT management model, managed services, allows you to enjoy these benefits.

Macro Systems is here to provide the businesses of the Metro Washington, DC area with these services. Reach out to us at 703-359-9211 to learn more.