With over 2M businesses in the United States that have more than one location, the need for a strong I.T. infrastructure is growing. These organizations will encounter a variety of complex issues, including cybersecurity and scaling challenges. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) such as Evolv I.T. are able to create one information technology umbrella that covers all locations, introducing consistency, uniting team members, and streamlining operations. Below, Evolv I.T. delves into the problems typically encountered by companies with multiple offices, including how IT can solve them.
Common Multi-Location Issues & Solutions
1. Employees struggle to connect with each other, partners, and customers.
In the age of the Internet, the ability for stakeholders to quickly and reliably connect online is key to a company’s success. However, operations can slow or even grind to a halt due to differences in connectivity or network designs.
Solution: Switch all locations to SD-WAN. Rather than rely on multiple providers, companies can consolidate all locations under just one provider. The result will be more flexibility, greater security, faster performance, and increased simplicity.
2. Companies are vulnerable to phishing, malware, and ransomware.
88% of data breaches are due to employee mistakes, and a company is vulnerable to threats if employees are tired, distracted, or simply unaware of the risk. Moreover, when a business has multiple locations, training employees and tracking progress can become difficult.
Solution: Implement an ongoing company-wide cybersecurity training. This will help ensure that all team members, whether on-site or remote, are fully aware of evolving threats, including the vital roles they play in addressing them. Evolv I.T. can assist with this strategy, as it offers continuous Employee Security Awareness Training in malware, malicious links and emails, and ransomware, leading to a stronger, safer organization overall.
3. The business is unable to rapidly troubleshoot problems and update all team members.
A company must have the ability to quickly receive, process, and resolve issues from its satellite locations as well as keep its employees up to date on news and policies.
Solution: A Managed Service Provider will leverage IT to find and eliminate the friction points in these processes, creating alignment between all locations. As a result, operations will become simplified, streamlined, and more efficient.
4. Scaling is hindered due to the varying technology needs of each location.
When it comes time to expand, all locations are impacted, yet because of their unique tech issues and requirements, each one will require its own plan. As a result, organizations can easily lose control of the overall expansion and struggle to make progress.
Solution: With the help of an MSP, like Evolv I.T., companies have the ability to scale their technology as their business needs change.
5. Data is handled and presented in different formats across locations.
Companies struggle with data that is preserved, presented, and accessed differently from location to location. Consequently, it is difficult to understand, inaccurate, or even lost completely.
Solution: Evolv I.T. can standardize the formatting of data and create one platform for its storage. It will also implement immediate backups so that it is always available, even in the event of a cyber attack. With Evolv I.T.’s 100% data backup guarantee, you can have peace of mind knowing your data is protected and preserved.
6. IT budgets are bloated.
Managing expenditures for IT infrastructures for multiple offices is complex. What does each one really need? Even with strong oversight, it is still challenging to accurately manage equipment, expert staff, updates to software, and other necessities.
Solution: Outsource IT needs to an MSP such as Evolv I.T. to help optimize IT budgets and help forecast equipment budgets. By doing so, organizations can save up to 30-40% off their information technology budgets compared to handling IT services in-house.
7. Regulatory requirement complexities.
While some regulations may be standard for all locations, others are specific to states. For example, a company’s headquarters may not be aware of the unique data privacy guidelines a satellite location must follow, leading to compliance infractions.
Solution: MSPs can help businesses achieve technology compliance.
MSPs, like Evolv I.T., are equipped to unite all locations under one strong IT umbrella.
Interested in streamlining all of your company's locations? Book a meeting with Evolv I.T. today to learn how we can transform your business’s productivity, scalability, and profitability. In this meeting, we’ll show you how you can increase your profits by at least 20%, simply by leveraging technology.