The 5 Pillars of an Unbreakable IT Support Strategy

Introduction 

Whether your business is a brand-new start-up or a long-established SME, one thing is always true: reliable IT is an absolute essential.  

Without a solid IT strategy underpinning everything your business does – from managing a hybrid workforce to provisioning new hardware – becomes much harder than it needs to be. By the same token, a well thought-out IT support strategy can help your business tackle whatever life throws at it head-on.  

The common thread here? IT strategy.  

With that thought in mind, let’s take a look at how you can build an unbreakable IT support strategy for your business using 5 key pillars.  

Pillar #1: Reliable day-to-day IT support services 

No IT support strategy is complete without coverage for the absolute basics – and that’s your day-to-day support. The best hardware and software in the world won’t be any good if you haven’t got these fundamentals covered.  

When designing your IT strategy, consider the following aspects of everyday business life which may be impacted by your IT infrastructure: 

• How will you handle issues with on-site hardware: laptops, desktops, or server? Does your IT strategy include any element of on-site engineer support? 
• How will you cater for remote or hybrid staff members? Being able to deliver IT support remotely is now just as important as the in-person stuff, if not more so.  
• Do you have a level of ongoing monitoring for your IT systems? How will you know if something’s gone wrong? 
• When working with an IT support provider or Managed Service Provider like Get Support, how quickly can you get in touch with them?  

Pillar #2: Complete coverage for cyber security 

With the world now such digital place, it’s no exaggeration to say that your virtual security is just as important as your physical security. 

And, just as you wouldn’t leave your office open without locking and securing it, you likewise shouldn’t leave your company’s sensitive data or internal systems exposed to cyber threats.  

When planning your IT support strategy, be sure to factor in cyber security as a primary concern. Along with the essentials like Multi-Factor Authentication and data security best practices, you should consider options such as the UK government’s Cyber Essentials scheme to optimise your digital protection.  

Pillar #3: Budgeting and forecasting for IT provisioning 

Let’s talk numbers. 

When it comes to IT strategy, the budget is probably not the first thing you think of. Instead, you probably consider your hardware and software needs first. But, of course, these come at a cost.  

One of the benefits of working with an MSP like Get Support is that you can leverage the experience of the team to make more informed budgeting decisions. For example, let’s say you have an on-premises server that’s been running for several years. It’s all ticking along now, but what happens if it suddenly needs replacing? That’s a cost you have to account for – often with very little notice.  

This is why we recommend taking the time to plan your IT support budget based on a short and long-term forecast, with consideration to your current hardware setup. In this manner, you’ll avoid any nasty surprises and be able to better shoulder whatever comes your way.  

Pillar #4: Backup and disaster recovery 

Talking of being prepared, the next pillar of a solid IT support strategy we’d like to cover is all about backup and disaster recovery.  

We’ve covered this topic a couple of times here on the Get Support blog, so if you want to get into the weeds with the detail, please feel free. For the purposes of this article, let’s simply focus on why backup and disaster recovery is such an essential element of your IT support strategy: 

1. It gives you some reassurance about the extent of the risk you face should your systems be destroyed, fail, or be compromised.
2. It helps you create detailed plans for such scenarios, including deciding on Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and Recovery Time Objective (RTO) values which are acceptable to your business.  
3. It gives you the power to reassure your customers that their data is safe in your hands and that, should the worst happen, they’ll be protected.  

When you work with an IT support provider like Get Support, you’ll have the chance to create a Disaster Recovery Plan, which will become your go-to resource should anything happen.  

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it… trust us.  

Pillar #5: Rock-solid system administration  

Alongside the everyday things you should include as part of your IT support strategy – like errors, issues, and faults – you should also think about the ‘back room’ stuff. 

By this, we mean systems administration operations such as: 

• Setting up new user accounts 
• Provisioning and configuring new user hardware (laptops, etc.) 
• Management of user groups and policies  
• Setting up and monitoring data backups 
• Monitoring for potential cyber threats 

All of these elements (and more) require a bulletproof systems administration function, which is why it’s an essential pillar of any IT support strategy. If you’re not familiar with the administration of your IT infrastructure, feel free to ask a member of the Get Support team for a quick primer – it’ll be well worth your time.  

Don’t fancy the DIY? We’ll build it for you  

We understand that creating an entire IT support strategy from scratch is a big ask for any business. That’s why we’ve shared the fundamentals here in this quick guide – but the process is naturally a lot more involved.  

If you’re looking to streamline or optimise your technology infrastructure but you’re not sure where (or how) to start, the Get Support team is here to assist anytime.  

To speak to our team of IT support experts, just call today on 01865 594 000 or alternatively fill in the form below and we’ll get back to you.