in: Company News
To successfully manage manufacturing software, you need a reliable MSP
You probably run several manufacturing software packages to manage everything from accounting to fulfillment. Like many small businesses, you don’t have the bandwidth or the budget to hire a dedicated IT staff.
Enter the MSP, or managed service provider. It’s a term that’s used to described outsourced information technology services. A good MSP can be a lifesaver, helping you to manage the IT services throughout your company efficiently and effectively. A poor one can slow you down and even make it difficult for you to fulfill customer expectations.
If you’re wondering whether it’s time to move on from your current MSP, this list of determining factors between good and bad MSP may be helpful.
The Good, the Bad, and How to Spot the Difference
The Good: MSP alerts you to updates, downtime, and service outages.
The Bad: Frequent unexpected downtimes are common.
An MSP should alert you when the software or platform you use needs to be offline for a service upgrade or maintenance. They should also maintain your systems so that outages are infrequent. Many unexpected outages are a sign that something isn’t right.
The Good: The help desk is efficient and answers requests promptly.
The Bad: The help desk takes a long time to answer, has long periods when the help desk isn’t monitored, or the service is lacking.
You can tell a lot about your MSP through their helpdesk. A good helpdesk is responsive. They may not have the answer to your question immediately, but they at least let you know that someone is working on your question and will have a reply shortly.
A poorly managed help desk makes it feel as if you shouldn’t even have bothered asking for help. The long wait times for a support agent, poorly trained support agents, or long periods of time without coverage of the support desk all indicate a problematic MSP.
The Good: No-pressure sales environment. When you call with a question, there’s no pressure to up-sell.
The Bad: Every call to your MSP ends with a pitch for more products.
“Hi, Susan, this is Joe from XYZ Manufacturing. I’m calling about our invoice for your MSP service. Can you help me understand what this extra charge is on line seven?’
Good MSP says, “Sure, Joe, let me open up your account and let’s look at it together.”
Bad MSP says, “Sure, Joe, let me open your account up. While it’s loading, let me tell you about our special new package this week. It’s amazing and a great value.”
The Good MSP tries to be helpful and work through your question. They are at your service. The Bad MSP focuses on what THEY need, not what YOU need. The difference is the service and the focus. A good MSP wants what is best for you, not what will make them the most money—or they know that what is best for you will, in the long run, lead to customer satisfaction, which will make them more money.
Manufacturing Software and MSP: You’re Only as Productive as Your Platform
When it comes to manufacturing software and your MSP, you can only be as productive as your MSP is service-oriented. If you have a poor MSP behind your manufacturing software, you’ll end up with less than stellar response time, problematic software, and poor service that results in downtime for your business. That translates into reduced productivity, fewer revenues, and lost profits.
Mindover Software can help you choose manufacturing software and act as your MSP to ensure great service and the right fit for your business needs and the package that you’ve chosen. We offer Sage ERP products, Acumatica ERP manufacturing software, and other software packages to support your business goals.
Perhaps even more importantly, we work hard to offer terrific service and truly become partners with our clients. Contact us today for more information.
