At one point in every business owner’s day, they come to the realization that their communications needs have changed. Maybe the company has grown so fast that their IT services were not able to keep up. Maybe the company that started with two guys, two desks and one phone line has grown to encompass an entire floor of a big building, but you are still working with limited communication power. If anyone at your company has ever had to wait for someone else to get off the line to complete a call, there is a problem and it needs to be addressed right away.

Even as some companies are growing in terms of services and revenue, they may be downsizing the actual, physical staff that is in the building. There are possibly desks that are empty, computers that are sitting idle and phone lines that are no longer needed. Regardless of whether you need more or less of any one aspect of the communication system, it is important to discuss your needs with professional managed service providers. This should be done at least yearly, however there should be additional reviews done, especially for the following situations:

• Any time that staffing levels change by more than five percent, in either direction.
• Any time that there is a possible change in gross revenue, equal to five percent or more
• Any time a contract for local or long distance phone service or internet services is about to expire (ideally, three months or more in advance)

 There are three reasons that these reviews should be completed in a timely manner by managed service providers:

1. To make sure that the communications needs are appropriate and adequate, whether the company has grown or gone through a downsizing
2. To take advantage of new technology types that have been introduced or have changed since the last managed services review
3. To take advantage of the lowered rates and better service offered by companies who are more aggressively pursuing business customers

Companies that are dealing in smaller, more rural areas may have had to wait for some of the technologies that were already being fully realized in bigger cities, including VOIP, SIP and MPLS.

 In some areas, high speed internet was not as readily available making many of these companies’ prisoners to landlines and slower internet speeds. However, if you do not have frequent reviews, you could be missing out on new options for your company that could speed up not only your communication capabilities, but your entire business as well.

Professional managed service providers will come in and look at the set up that is in place, in relation to the actual number of staff that are onsite, plus call volume in and out and will make recommendations.

 These recommendations will be designed to streamline operations, save time, money and resources and eliminate redundant or outdated equipment. Upgrading lines and installing better systems will cut down on maintenance and the need to continually call in the “IT guy”, this will also save time and money.

By Eric Brooker