Why your engineering firm needs managed IT
Your engineering firm has a lot on its plate. You’ve got to meet with clients. You’ve got to
design equipment and tools which suit their needs and their budget. You need to make sure
your designs are compliant with standards and building codes. You’ve got to account for
contingencies, such as when objectives change in the middle of a project. You need to make
sure that everyone on your team is working productively both on their own and in meetings.
Engineers need their space to focus on their work. Meetings need to focus on outcomes.
One key to running a successful business that’s often overlooked is the importance of
knowing when and how to delegate. People take on more work than they can manage.
People take on responsibilities that are outside of their areas of expertise. Imagine the chaos
that would occur if your engineers had to be accountants, lawyers, plumbers, or electricians.
Engineering firms benefit from measurably improved productivity when they delegate their IT
functions to a competent managed services provider (MSP). Here’s why.
- Some MSPs have a lot of experience providing IT services to engineering firms. They
have experience managing many of the same applications and Software-as-a-Service
(SaaS), from AutoCAD to MATLAB. They also have a lot of experience in supporting
and administrating applications that are shared by many different industries, such as
Microsoft 365. When an MSP solves a problem for one engineering firm client, they
learn from that experience to better support their other engineering firm clients. - MSPs are the most convenient and effective way for small and medium sized
businesses to implement cloud services and infrastructure. Whether your firm just
needs some SaaS, or you need a sophisticated multi-cloud network that integrates
multiple cloud platforms (such as AWS, Azure, and GCP) with dedicated Infrastructure-
as-a-Service, you need cloud-specific expertise. As engineers, you can appreciate that
specialized technology is more complicated than laypeople think it is. Many MSPs
employ professionals whose work is dedicated to deploying cloud services effectively.
We’ve designed cloud networks to custom fit the everyday needs of engineering firms.
Each firm’s particular needs are unique. We can also be your agent when you need
help from Microsoft, Amazon, and other cloud vendors.
- We monitor your computer networks 24/7, both in the cloud and on your premises. If a
server or firewall is overwhelmed at 3am on a Sunday, we’re on the issue ASAP so
your firm can benefit from maximum uptime. - There are a lot of regulations in Canada that pertain to data privacy and cybersecurity.
PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act) applies to a
lot of Canadian businesses that handle personal data. But then Alberta, British
Columbia, and Quebec have their own data privacy legislation that’s used in lieu of
PIPEDA. Some other provinces like Ontario have some other laws that may overlap
with PIPEDA. Also, Canadian businesses still need to be compliant with the GDPR if
they handle data pertaining to EU citizens, and the CCPA is they handle data
pertaining to Californians. If your business also processes credit card payments, you
need to be compliant with the PCI DSS. And so on, and so forth. One of the benefits
many MSPs can offer is called Compliance-as-a-Service. We can make sure your
company’s data systems are regulatory compliant as your business needs and
demands change from day to day. - Businesses are frequently subject to cyber attacks, both minor and major. Are your
engineers tired of spam and phishing in your email inboxes? We can filter that out. If a
cyber criminal tries to infect your computers with malware, we have the expertise to
stop it. We can protect your data. We can take the burden of cybersecurity off of your
shoulders so you can focus on your business objectives uninterrupted.
- We can help your firm with the procurement and deployment of all kinds of computer
technology and software. We have good relationships with technology vendors. We
know what’s out there and what they offer. We help your business to figure out your IT
budget. You can tell us what kinds of specialized software applications, networking
infrastructure, and cloud services you need and we can make recommendations.
When you need to set up a new computer network or system, or need to make
changes to what you already have, we’re ready to be your first point of contact and
handle all of your IT logistics. - We can offer your engineers tech support for all of the computer technology they use,
and whenever they need the help. Your firm will never have to waste hours getting a
printer to work, or AutoCAD to work properly, or deal with issues with Windows
Updates, or routers that won’t work, or any of those related pain points.
An MSP can help your engineering firm greatly improve your productivity in multiple ways.
There are lots of tedious technological concerns that can occur over the course of each week
of business. We not only provide tech support, we can also design, implement, and deploy
better computer networks for your firm so you have much fewer tech problems in the first
place.
Your engineering firm may already deal with bureaucratic headaches when you have to
complete projects for your clients. IT, data privacy, and cybersecurity regulations also come
with lots of bureaucratic red tape. You don’t need to have to worry about any more of it.
Managed IT will give your firm peace of mind. Imagine a technological utopia where
everything “just works.” There’s really no such thing as utopia, but we can offer your firm as
close to a technological utopia as possible. Because we have specific expertise to procure
and deploy computing and cloud technology, design computer networks that operate reliably
and efficiently, get your PC and mobile endpoints working smoothly, and fix your IT problems
before you even notice them.
We would be happy to talk to your firm and start a wonderful business relationship with you.
