Managed IT services promise savings and simplicity, but not every provider delivers. A poor fit can lead to new problems, more downtime, and stress.

With 77% of SMBs reporting rising IT complexity (Enterprise Strategy Group), the need for a reliable, strategic managed services has never been greater. From strained teams to eroding customer trust, bad support costs more than money.

As Chris Stocker, Chief Information Security Officer at Compass Computer Group, says, “Great IT support should reduce problems. Technology should empower your business every day.”

In this blog, a reliable MSP in Akron explores common IT managed services challenges and provides guidance on selecting support that best suits your business needs.

Unresponsive Support Slows Business Down

Unanswered calls and delayed fixes are more than daily headaches. They directly affect productivity, damage staff morale, and risk client relationships. Businesses lose time, revenue, and confidence when an IT issue lingers.

Unresponsive support usually traces back to:

• Inadequate staffing: Some providers stretch small teams across too many clients, leading to long waits and half-finished solutions. Your urgent issues often become tickets in a queue.
• Unclear escalation processes: Without a defined path to handle complex problems, issues get bounced between technicians, leaving you waiting for updates.
• Missing documentation: When your IT environment isn’t well-documented, each fix takes longer, as technicians waste time gathering basic details they should already have.

ITIC’s 2024 Report shows that 93% of mid-to-large enterprises risk $300,000+ in downtime costs per hour. Live, first-call resolution support protects your operations and reputation.

Reactive Support Creates Long-term Problems

Fixing problems only after they break feels simple. In reality, it locks your business into repeat disruptions and hidden costs that add up over time.

Reactive support often causes:

• Frequent downtime: When providers only patch what’s broken, they miss root causes, so problems keep recurring.
  Frustrated teams: Employees lose trust in IT when the same issues return, leading to lost productivity and rising stress.
  Higher total cost: Emergency fixes cost more than preventing problems in the first place.

A proactive approach monitors systems, installs updates before gaps appear, and audits your environment to prevent repeat failures. Preventing problems saves money, time, and user trust.

Vague SLAs and Undefined Processes

Your Service Level Agreement (SLA) should outline response times, ownership, and reporting. Without clear SLAs, you face confusion that damages productivity and accountability.

Vague SLAs lead to:

• No accountability: You can’t confirm your provider’s performance without specific metrics.
• Unclear ownership: Problems remain unresolved as teams debate who should take action.
• Missed improvements: Service never evolves with your business needs without review meetings.

A detailed SLA sets expectations, defines escalation steps, and requires regular reporting. It’s not just paperwork. It keeps IT services measurable and aligned with your business goals.

Security Weaknesses From the Inside

Many IT managed services provider challenges aren’t technical alone. They start inside, with weak policies, outdated tools, or missed training.

According to IBM, human mistakes trigger most cyber incidents. Meanwhile, according to a 2024 report by Fortinet, 70% say there is a cybersecurity skills gap, increasing organizational risk.

Common internal gaps include:

• Weak or shared passwords: Easy to guess, easy to exploit.
• Misconfigured firewalls: Small changes or missed updates can leave entire networks exposed.
• Missing training: Staff unaware of phishing tactics become easy targets for attackers.

A reliable provider documents and audits security, trains staff, and adjusts policies as your environment changes. Security must be continuous, not occasional.

Overreliance on One Vendor Limits Flexibility

Depending too heavily on a single vendor feels simple until that vendor raises prices, drops support, or falls behind on innovation.

Risks from vendor lock-in include:

• Limited choice: Your business can’t switch to better tools without large costs or data migrations.
• Higher pricing power: Vendors know you can’t easily leave, so costs creep upward.
• Innovation gaps: Locked environments struggle to adopt new solutions or cloud services.

Diversifying vendors keeps IT flexible, lowers risk, and lets you take advantage of better pricing and new technologies as they appear.

Rising Costs Without Clear ROI

Managed services promise predictable costs. Ideally, managed services reduce IT costs by 25% and boost efficiency by 50%. Yet many clients discover invoices bloated with unexpected charges and hidden fees that don’t translate to business value.

Hidden cost drivers often include:

• Extra hourly work: Outside the contract scope but billed at premium rates.
• Licensing surprises: New tools that seemed included but add monthly fees.
• Unplanned upgrades: Systems left to age suddenly need major replacements.

Transparent providers explain invoices, share regular usage reports, and meet to review ROI. IT spend must show clear value, not just cost.

Providers Who Can’t Scale with You

Your business changes, adding staff, new locations, and new tools. Some managed services providers’ challenges only show when they can’t keep up.

Warning signs of poor scalability:

• Legacy platforms: Tools that can’t handle cloud or mobile users.
• Small teams: Slower response as demand grows.
• Rigid contracts: Packages that fit yesterday’s size, not today’s or tomorrow’s.

A forward-looking provider offers flexible packages, invests in modern tools, and plans growth alongside you.

Communication Gaps Kill Trust

Even great technical support fails when communication is poor. Updates, reports, and direct contact build trust and keep teams working together.

Without communication, you face:

• Missed updates: You chase answers instead of receiving them.
• No strategy sessions: IT drifts off course without regular check-ins.
• Limited visibility: You can’t see performance, spend, or improvements.

A strong provider assigns a dedicated contact, schedules regular review meetings, and shares clear documentation. Clear communication makes IT predictable and business-focused.

Key Signs Your IT Partner Might Hold You Back

Sometimes the signs aren’t obvious until you compare what you have with what you need. Below is a quick view to help spot gaps:

• No regular reports: You can’t measure performance or spending.
• Reopened tickets: Fixes don’t address root causes.
• No strategic roadmap: IT decisions won’t support your business growth.
• Inflexible packages: You pay for what you don’t need, or miss what you do.

Spotting these signs early helps you change course before problems grow.

Proactive vs Reactive Managed Services

Proactive IT support fixes issues before they hurt productivity. Reactive support waits for failure. Here’s how they compare.

Eliminate IT Roadblocks with Proven Solutions from Akron’s Leading MSP

Managed IT services challenges hurt business security, finances, and trust. From reactive fixes to unclear SLAs and rising fees, each issue distracts your team from growth.

Compass Computer Group prevents these problems. We average a 99.3% CSAT rating by answering every call live, resolving issues quickly, and aligning IT services to your strategy. Partner with a trusted managed services provider in Akron today to gain reliable support, eliminate recurring IT challenges, and keep your business moving forward with confidence.