Written By: Frank Saulsbery
THE LATEST THOUGHTS FROM THE FOUNDER
A running column from Frank Saulsbery. Not a sales pitch, just the way he’d explain it if you pulled up a stool next to him. Meet Frank →
A SNEAK PEEK…
“Think about it like a spare tire in your vehicle.”
"If a piece of my technology fails tomorrow, does my IT company have the parts needed to get me back up and running?" Most business owners don't think about this until they're living through it.
Maybe the internet suddenly stops working because a firewall fails, a network switch dies in the middle of the day, a key employee's laptop won't turn on. Everything was working fine yesterday, and now half the office is standing around waiting.
If you've ever experienced something like that, you know how frustrating it can be. Every hour of downtime feels longer than it really is. Employees can't do their jobs, customers can't be served, and everyone keeps asking the same question, when will it be fixed?
Unfortunately, sometimes the answer is, as soon as the replacement part arrives. That's where I think a good managed service provider can make a real difference.
I've always believed that if an IT company agrees to serve as your technology department, they should act like one. They may not have an office inside your building, but they're still responsible for helping keep your business operating. Because of that, I believe managed service providers should maintain an inventory of common equipment and replacement parts whenever possible.
That doesn't mean they need a warehouse full of every piece of technology on the market. That's neither practical nor necessary. But having commonly needed items available can dramatically reduce downtime when something unexpected happens. Things like firewalls, network switches, memory upgrades, monitors, keyboards, laptops, desktop computers, and other frequently used equipment can often be the difference between a quick recovery and several days of waiting.
Here's how it typically works. Let's say a critical device fails. Rather than waiting for a new part to be ordered, shipped, and delivered, the IT provider may have a spare unit available. They can install that equipment temporarily, get the business operational again, and then take time to determine the best permanent solution.
In many cases, the temporary device is simply a loaner. The goal isn't to provide the perfect long-term answer immediately. The goal is to get people working again as quickly as possible. Once the immediate crisis is resolved, everyone can make thoughtful decisions about what should be purchased and installed permanently.
Think about it like a spare tire in your vehicle. You don't drive around on the spare forever. But when you get a flat tire, you're certainly glad it's there. It buys you time and prevents a minor problem from becoming a major disruption.
Now, to be fair, not every managed service provider operates this way. Many excellent providers don't stock replacement equipment, and most service agreements don't require them to provide loaner hardware and there is nothing inherently wrong with that approach.
Some providers choose to order parts as needed. Others may rely on manufacturer warranties or rapid shipping programs. Depending on the nature of your business, that may be completely acceptable.
For example, if your organization could comfortably tolerate a day or two of downtime for certain systems, maintaining spare equipment may not be a high priority. On the other hand, if every hour of downtime affects customers, employees, revenue, or operations, the conversation becomes much more important. The key is understanding what your provider's approach is before a problem occurs.
Ask them simple questions.
If a firewall fails, what happens next?
If a switch fails, do you have a replacement available?
Do you provide temporary equipment during major outages?
How do you help clients minimize downtime while waiting for permanent replacements?
These questions often reveal a lot about how a provider thinks about supporting its clients. At the end of the day, technology failures aren't a matter of if, they're a matter of when. Hardware eventually wears out, electronics fail, components stop working. That's simply part of owning and operating technology.
The real question is how prepared everyone is when that day arrives. So here's something worth thinking about, if a critical piece of equipment failed at your business this afternoon, would you be waiting on a shipping truck, or would there already be a plan in place to keep your team working?
It might be a worthwhile conversation to have with your IT provider before you ever need the answer. Sometimes the best way to avoid a stressful outage is to spend a few minutes asking what happens when things don't go according to plan.
That’s how I see it, anyway, and I’d enjoy hearing how you see it. None of this is a sales pitch. It’s just the kind of thing I’d talk through with you if we were sitting across the table. If it raised a question, or you think I have it wrong, I want to hear about it.
My door is always open. Whether you want to talk this through or just say hello, you can reach me anytime.
Network Solutions Unlimited is a generational managed IT services provider based in Decatur, Illinois, serving businesses and nonprofits with genuine support and decades of trusted relationships. Led by Baily Saulsbery and founded by her father Frank, we're not just your IT provider; we're your neighbors who happen to be really good at technology. Contact us today to experience IT support that actually cares.
