IT support comes with unique challenges for manufacturers and distributors. It’s common to have limited IT staff—or none at all. If you have an MSP (managed IT service provider), they may operate in “react” mode rather than helping you make proactive decisions.
This leads to all kinds of problems. Outdated software, lack of responsiveness, and broken EDI solutions create serious waste—not to mention headaches.
But it doesn’t have to be this hard. Whether you’re a manufacturer or a distributor, here are 5 keys to getting better IT support.
1. Find an IT support partner who offers true EDI service
If you rely on EDI—and who doesn’t?—then you have extra challenges when it comes to IT support. Most MSPs don’t handle EDI at all, which means you need a separate service provider for this essential technology.
In the world of EDI, most providers are product companies first, with services added on to support customers. EDI technology providers care deeply about the implementation, but ongoing support may not get the same level of attention—especially for midmarket customers who don’t provide as much revenue as enterprise clients.
Unfortunately, this leaves many manufacturers and distributors in a tough spot with EDI. The technology is essential to operations, but your EDI provider leaves a lot to be desired—and your MSP can’t help.
The answer here is to find an MSP who covers EDI too.
These providers are rare, but they do exist! Here at Corsica Technologies, we handle EDI in addition to all standard technologies that fall under IT support.
Specifically, look for a provider who connects deep EDI expertise with the robust service delivery infrastructure of a world-class MSP. This ensures you get reliable attention to address things like exceptions, new fields, data mapping, and adding new trading partners.
2. Find an IT support partner who offers simple monthly pricing (and unlimited service touches)
Variable cost is one of the biggest pain points in IT support—especially for manufacturers and distributors. Whether your provider bills by ticket count, communication touches, or some other factor, it’s frustrating to get a surprisingly large bill. Why can’t your MSP act more like a true partner, taking ownership of your technology support while giving you a predictable bill?
Unfortunately, it’s tough to find an MSP who offers simple billing. The standard practice is to put a meter on everything and charge by units consumed—almost like an old-school phone plan that charged by the minute.
You wouldn’t accept a phone plan that wasn’t unlimited. Why not expect the same from your MSP?
If you’re looking for financial stability, consider finding an IT support provider who acts as a true partner and friend, giving you one simple monthly price with unlimited service touches.
3. Find an IT support partner who offers a service guarantee for cybersecurity incidents
This point is related to the question of billing. Unfortunately, it’s common for MSPs to bill separately for any services required to help you recover from a cybersecurity incident. This makes sense given the common practice of using metered billing—but it’s not very customer-friendly. When you’re recovering from an incident, the last thing you need is a big services bill for which you didn’t budget.
Look for an IT support partner who offers an incident response warranty. This type of policy provides guaranteed services to contain and clean up a cyber incident, at no additional cost to the client, with limitations. If an MSP offers this type of warranty, it’s also a strong signal that they stand by their security expertise.
4. Find an IT support partner who doesn’t charge extra for mobile device security
Manufacturers and distributors have unique requirements in IT support. Whether your employees are on the shop floor or on the road, they may need to access internal systems from a mobile device—either their own, or one supplied by the company.
Both cases present unique security problems that manufacturers and distributors must solve. Without best-practice controls for mobile security, lost or stolen devices can expose sensitive data and systems. To secure mobile devices, we recommend the following, managed in Microsoft Intune:
- MFA (multi-factor authentication), which requires users to authenticate by at least two methods to access email, Microsoft 365, and other internal applications.
- MAM (mobile application management), which allows companies to control only the data associated with internal applications accessed on an employee’s personal device. (Note: MAM does not allow companies to wipe personal data from employee devices, which is a great thing!)
- MDM (mobile device management), which allows companies to manage their owned devices remotely. For example, this critical software allows an admin to wipe a device that’s been lost, stolen, or compromised.
It’s quite common for MSPs to offer these services and controls as separate add-ons (for separate fees). However, mobile device security is so foundational, MSPs really should bundle it with the lowest service tier they offer. This means you get peace of mind as part of that predictable monthly bill.
5. Find an IT support partner who offers C-level guidance + IT roadmaps
It’s tough for midmarket companies to hire a C-level technology executive, whether CIO or a CISO (chief information security officer). Margins are tight, and there’s always a higher priority to cover first.
Yet this often leaves midmarket companies without a clear technology strategy. And when you don’t have a strategy, you can’t make proactive decisions—you can only react to emergencies. This creates the worst kind of surprises: cybersecurity incidents and large, unplanned technology expenditures.
The alternative is to choose an IT support partner who also offers expert, C-level guidance. This type of company will provide a vCIO (virtual CIO) and/or vCISO, depending on your needs, who provides consulting on a fractional-time basis. It’s a great choice for manufacturers and distributors who don’t have the support of a C-level IT leader.
Ideally, you should find a partner who also collaborates with you to create a 3-year technology roadmap. This way, you work proactively with your vCIO to plan essential technology initiatives that support the strategic direction of the business.
The takeaway: Don’t settle for average IT support
Manufacturers and distributors shouldn’t suffer from average IT support. Operations live and die by critical technologies like EDI—yet most MSPs don’t cover EDI. The answer? Find an IT support partner who acts like a true partner and covers your essential systems. Bonus points if your partner also handles cybersecurity, so you can rest well at night. That’s our passion here at Corsica Technologies. We handle cybersecurity, IT, digital transformation, data integration, and EDI—so manufacturers and distributors can focus on their core business.
Want to learn more about IT support that’s built for manufacturers?
Reach out to schedule a consultation with our technology specialists.
