IT Support Services for B2B
B2B companies face a number of challenges that consumer-facing businesses are removed from. Given that the customer/client base is smaller (even if more lucrative) a B2B cannot afford any hiccups in operations. A breakdown in communications, productivity, or in the supply chain (as applicable) can lead to a loss of a very important customer or contract. It is not uncommon for a single customer or client to account for more than 20 percent of a B2B’s total revenue, so losing one is simply not an option. The more specialized the service the more this is true.
In 2021 (and beyond) one of the biggest threats to customer/client acquisition and retention is a lack of proper IT infrastructure. To turn this threat into an opportunity, outside IT support is required. Here’s why your B2B should seek IT services today.
5 Reasons Why B2B Companies Must Invest in Outside IT Support
1. Introduce Better Collaboration and Productivity Tools for Staff and Clients
Effective communication and collaboration in the B2B environment is often more important to client acquisition and retention than it is for most B2Cs.
It’s a given that your management and staff needs to be able to correspond with clients in a more efficient manner. There is no room for no errors in meeting scheduling, and your reps must be able to keep track of all prior client conversations that lead up to the next. But smooth collaboration on internal team projects is equally critical, especially if your company depends upon remote staff and/or contractors.
When you partner with an IT support services firm you will gain access to superior Software as a Service (SaaS) subscriptions such as MS Office 365, or you will learn how to better leverage the software that you currently depend on. Ultimately IT support will show your human resources how to better collaborate with clients and amongst one another. As a result, you’ll experience a lift in productivity and revenue.
2. Enhances Supply Chain Management
Supply chain management (SCM) for the B2B sector refers to the handling of all operations that relate to building a product and getting it to the right customers/clients as quickly and efficiently as possible. Effective SCM is of particular importance in B2B relationships such the one that exists between a wholesaler and retailer. In 2020-21 IT support became an essential service for SCM. View our guide to how IT support enhances supply chain management.
3. Backup and Recovery for B2B Data
You simply cannot afford to loose access to customer/client contracts, reports, documents, files, and other forms of important data. Losing this access for even one hour of your business day can result in a lost client. Murphy’s Law dictates that they will indeed come calling at the worst possible time, and a weather event, citywide power outage, or system error is not their problem.
An IT support provider will migrate your data to a safe, secure, and always-accessible cloud. This will ensure that you have backups in place should it need to be recovered on demand. Learn more about how to secure and access your crucial data during any disaster with the SAV cloud servers, and gain peace of mind with our data backup and disaster recovery services for your B2B.
4. Cyber Threat Protection (for all involved)
B2Bs are especially vulnerable to cyber crime, namely ransomeware. Hackers know that you store sensitive data for other businesses and organizations. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone, or more aptly, hacking a dozen businesses with one single compromised password. If your client’s data (in your possession) is compromised and they are a B2C, the implications grow exponentially. For example, if a B2B services a financial services institution you can only imagine what would happen if you were the weak link that afforded hackers access to not only the client, but all of their own customers. The public relations and punitive backlash along with liability claims would be ruinous. By securing the services of a B2B IT support firm with expertise in cybercrime prevention you protect your data assets, and subsequently that of your customers/clients.
5. Helps You Scale
Customer/client relationships in the B2B sector require a LOT more maintenance than B2C. For this reason B2Bs are finding it hard to scale operations, and therefore are not able to capitalize on growth opportunities. By having outside IT support outfit your organization with the same cloud-based SaaS tools addressed above you can streamline workloads to more efficiently manage customer/client relationships. This allows you to maintain existing relationships, and secure new contracts in the process, without having to worry about how much you can take on. You may need to bring in a few new hires, but they will be stepping into a scalable operation, one that they can help grow even further. Who knows, you may be able to turn your B2B into a franchise with better IT support.
Ready to update your IT infrastructure for sustainable success in 2021 and beyond? Contact SAV Technology today to schedule a consultation.