IT Support: Reactive Vs Proactive

There’s no way around it: IT support, also known as technical or tech support, is a necessary service for virtually every organization and department in the modern world. When the time comes, there are endless ways that organizations go about handling their IT support services. Luckily for business owners, all processes can usually be categorized as being part of either reactive or proactive models. We’ll be taking a look at what makes these approaches to IT support different and the pros and cons of each.

Reactive Support

As the name implies, reactive IT support is reactionary. When something breaks or otherwise goes wrong, the IT professionals are called, which is why the approach is sometimes referred to as the break-fix model. Unfortunately, there tends to be more weaknesses than strengths with this model, but that isn’t to say that there isn’t any reason to take this approach.

Pros

The advantage of utilizing a reactive support strategy is that you only pay for IT support when you know you absolutely need them. Is it broken? Yes? Fix it! No. Don’t fix it! This can often end up saving companies money in the short term.

Cons

The list of downsides when utilizing a reactive support approach are lengthy. Although you may only pay for service when you absolutely need it, if you end up needing more assistance than you initially thought, this can result in quite a bit of downtime and service charges. Calling for support in a reactionary manner also results in technicians with limited availability or lacking familiarity with an organization. The resulting wait time often can lead to expensive downtime. Not good. In short, utilizing a reactive IT support model often winds up being costly in regards to both service and downtime over the long haul.

Proactive Support

Proactive IT support, also known as the managed services model, is the opposite of the reactive model. With a proactive IT support strategy, an organization takes steps ahead of time in anticipation of issues. This mostly sees IT teams constantly monitoring system health to catch issues before they seriously disrupt or damage operations. This model isn’t unlike exercising to ward off disease and illness or help us recover faster when we do get sick.

Pros

With so many strengths, there is a reason why businesses today favor a more proactive approach. Managed services providers are constantly monitoring client’s system health; it’s their job. When an issue presents itself, they can immediately start working to resolve the issue. This responsiveness reduces downtime and prevents larger, more costly issues down the line. These same managed service providers also provide fixed or flat-rate services, so costs are predictable throughout the year. Annually, the International Data Corporation (IDC) found that for every 100 users, $400,000 could be saved by using managed services!

Cons

A proactive IT support model doesn’t have nearly as many downsides as its reactive counterpart. However, some periods may be more costly if service isn’t required in the short term. This is a result of managed service providers tendency to favor fixed-rate pricing options. Added uncertainty can be added when an organization may not want to commit to a long-term contract with an IT support provider they are not familiar with.

What’s Best For Your Company?

Given that IT issues are bound to pop up, we recommend a proactive IT support model. Being prepared simply saves time and money. In fact, according to B2B service provider Clutch, 59% of IT services have now transitioned to the newer managed services model.

If you or your business have yet to implement an IT support plan or are planning to move to a more proactive plan, we can help! After 15 years of providing proactive IT managed services, we know more than a thing or two about proactive solutions. We understand that every business has different needs, and we would love to learn more about your IT support needs! Get in touch with us