5 Things Manufacturers Need To Know Before Hiring A Local IT Company

5 Things Manufacturers Need To Know Before Hiring A Local IT Company

Are you looking for a local cybersecurity firm to manage your IT this year? As a local IT company, we understand with each passing year, your industrial IT security changes. It gets a little smarter and quicker to ensure your facility stays secure.

But what are some of the things you need to know before hiring a local IT company? What do manufacturing decision-makers wish they’d known before signing a contract?

In this article, we’ll review five things that manufacturers wish they knew before they hired an IT firm to help you decide if the choice you’re making is right for your company.

Local IT Companies Target Specific Industries

As technology evolves, it becomes more industry-specific. What your manufacturing facility needs is not the same security measures a local retail store requires. What a bank needs, a residence doesn’t. And it goes without saying what one local cybersecurity company knows about industry 4.0; another provider has little or no knowledge on the topic.

To guarantee you’re getting technology services and support from a team of experts, you’ll want to know if they target manufacturing companies. Suppose they are not explicitly managing IT for your industry. In that case, they will not fully understand how you use big data, analytics, IoT as you use it, and the industry-specific software your operation uses.

Local IT Firms Approach Cybersecurity Differently

According to a report at Cybercrime magazine, manufacturing remains one of the top 5 most cyber-attacked industries. It’s understandable because manufacturers get tasked with keeping patents, trademarks, and other forms of client intellectual property secured and protected.

Inquiring how the local IT firm approaches cybersecurity gives you an idea of what they know and do. For example, most manufacturers have multiple entry points into their network. You’ll want to see the provider’s multi-layered approach and whether or not they will train your staff.

What Does The Local IT Provider Know About Manufacturing Software?

As you well know, the manufacturing industry uses only industry-specific software. The specially designed software considers your tight deadlines, scheduling, forecasted completion dates, etc., not commonly found in other sectors. Here are just a few that are used in your industry.

• PDP – product development process software
• PDM – product data management software
• PLM – product  lifecycle management software
• ERP – enterprise resource planning software
• CAD – computer-aided design software
• CAM – computer-aided manufacturing software

You want to ask the local IT representative what experience they have with any or all of these software pieces. If they target manufacturers, they will have plenty of experience to address your concerns.

Does The IT Firm Know How To Adjust To On and Off-Season Production?

Depending on the time of year, or client production demand, your infrastructure has to be flexible at all times. When you get busier, you have to add more users. When peak production season ends, the production line slows down, and users are removed from your system.

In your facility, this form of scaling up or down is expected, and the need to do it rapidly is required. However, not every IT company can address this type of scaling. When inquiring, ask the technology provider how they handle scalability and their action steps.

Can The Local IT Firm Address Outdated Manufacturer Hardware?

You’re awfully familiar when manufacturing equipment stops working. It is a common occurrence, especially when the hardware is no longer supported or outdated. It affects your employees negatively because they lost a day of work when the production line went down.

When this happens, projects slow, productivity drops off, and the cost to repair outdated or unsupported equipment soars. A highly skilled, locally managed IT provider is proactive and helps manufacturers purchase and upgrade their technologies to avoid these shutdowns.

Colorado Computer Support Has Managed IT Solutions For Manufacturers

With manufacturing being in the top 5 most cyberattacked industries, having a local and knowledgeable managed IT provider can help you immediately. Partnering with Colorado Computer Support, we can help you make decisions that keep your facility running smoothly and secure.

For more information, or you’d like to speak to one of our consultants, click here to get started or call us at (719) 310-3035.