If your company is like most, you probably have a few different IT vendors that you rely on to keep your systems up and running. While having experts in different areas is helpful, managing multiple vendors can be a huge headache. From coordinating schedules to dealing with conflicting invoices, there are a lot of potential problems that can arise. 

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the five most common problems with managing multiple IT vendors and how you can solve them. By consolidating your IT management under one roof, you can avoid all of these headaches and save time and money. 

1. Conflicting Schedules 

One of the biggest challenges of working with multiple IT vendors is trying to coordinate their schedules. When one vendor needs access to your systems, they may need to work around the schedule of another vendor who is already working on something else. This can lead to costly downtime and lost productivity. 

When you consolidate your IT management under one roof with MSG, you only have to coordinate the schedule of one vendor. This can save a lot of time and frustration. 

2. Conflicting Invoices 

Dealing with multiple invoices from different vendors can be a real pain. Not only do you have to keep track of what each vendor is charging for, but you also have to ensure that you’re paying each invoice on time. If you’re not careful, it’s easy to let invoices fall through the cracks and end up accruing late fees. 

With MSG, you only have to deal with one invoice each month. This can save a lot of time and hassle in the long run. 

3. Different Levels of Service 

If you’re working with multiple IT vendors, chances are they each have their own way of doing things. This can lead to inconsistency in the level of service that you receive. One vendor may be very responsive to your needs while another may take days or even weeks to get back to you. 

MSG can ensure that everyone is on the same page and provides the same level of service. This can save a lot of frustration down the line. 

4. Differing Philosophies 

When you’re working with multiple IT vendors, it’s likely that they each have their own philosophy about how things should be done. This can lead to conflict if two vendors are trying to implement different solutions for the same problem. 

5. Lack of Communication 

When you’re dealing with multiple IT vendors, it’s important to ensure that everyone is on the same page in terms of communication. Otherwise, it’s easy for things to fall through the cracks or get lost in translation. This can lead to costly mistakes being made or projects being delayed unnecessarily. 

With an MSP like Managed Services Group, there is only one point of contact for all communications related to your project. This helps ensure that nothing gets lost in translation and that everything runs smoothly from start to finish. 

Saving Time and Dollars With MSG

From the problems and solutions listed above, the difference between managing multiple vendors versus using one MSP provider should be clear. By consolidating your IT management under one vendor, you can avoid all these headaches and save both time and money in the process. 

Consolidating IT services under one contract provides benefits such as objective advice, a clear budget for the next year, and knowing exactly who to go to with questions rather than trying to track down help or information from multiple vendors. 

Other benefits of consolidation include:

• Consolidated reporting so it will be easy to see the positive impact of network up-time on your sales and bottom line
• Hours of time saved and less money spent on staff having to act as go-betweens or bridging gaps between different representatives
• Time saved by not needing staff to go through different invoices with different details and dates
• Multiple vendor services wrapped into one service on the macro level with predictable costs, built-in repairs and service in the contract, and easy access to expert knowledge across the organization

At Managed Services Group, we specialize in providing comprehensive IT management for small-to-medium businesses. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help streamline your IT operation.