Managed IT services from AT-NET typically cost $175–$225 per user per month for manufacturing companies. A Greenville manufacturer with 50 supported users could therefore use $8,750–$11,250 per month as an initial budgeting range.

PEOPLE: Who Needs IT Support and When?

User count establishes a useful starting point for managed IT services, but manufacturing employees do not all use technology the same way.

An engineer working from a high-performance workstation with specialized design software has different requirements from a production employee using a shared workstation. Administrative employees, supervisors, warehouse personnel, executives, sales teams, and remote employees can introduce additional technology requirements.

Manufacturers should identify who needs support and what each group depends on to perform its work.

Shift schedules are equally important. A Greenville manufacturer operating from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. has different support requirements from a plant running second and third shifts. Employees can experience account problems, application failures, connectivity issues, or other technical problems at any point during production.

AT-NET provides an internally staffed 24/7/365 help desk with less than 60-second response, allowing employees to reach technical support outside traditional business hours.

When evaluating an MSP, manufacturers should consider both how many people require support and when that support needs to be available.

TECHNOLOGY: What Does the Manufacturer Depend On?

Employee count does not measure the complexity of the technology environment.

Consider two Greenville manufacturers with 50 supported users. The first primarily uses Microsoft 365 and cloud applications, operates from one facility, and has relatively modern network infrastructure. The second has on-premises servers, engineering workstations, an ERP platform, multiple network closets, production-related systems, legacy equipment, and several outside vendors that remotely support machinery.

The employee counts are identical. The technical environments are not.

A manufacturing technology assessment should account for systems such as:

• Workstations and laptops
• Servers
• Firewalls
• Switches
• Wireless infrastructure
• Microsoft 365
• Cloud platforms
• ERP systems
• Engineering applications
• Backup infrastructure
• Network-connected equipment
• Multiple facilities
• Legacy technology

The age and condition of that equipment also matter. A server that is approaching end-of-life may still function today, but it creates a future replacement requirement. Aging firewalls, switches, wireless equipment, and workstations can create similar reliability and cybersecurity concerns.

An MSP should help identify these lifecycle issues before they become emergencies. AT-NET managed IT clients receive a dedicated Technical Alignment Manager (TAM) who works to keep the technology environment aligned with established technical standards and identifies areas requiring attention.

That creates a proactive process for finding infrastructure, configuration, documentation, lifecycle, and other technical concerns rather than relying entirely on support tickets to identify problems.

RISK: What Needs to Be Protected?

Cybersecurity has become part of the normal IT requirements of a manufacturer.

Manufacturing companies can hold engineering files, intellectual property, financial records, customer information, employee information, and other sensitive data. Their networks may also connect business applications with systems that support production.

A comprehensive cybersecurity strategy can involve:

• Multi-factor authentication
• Endpoint protection
• MDR/XDR
• Email security
• Microsoft 365 security
• Managed network security
• Vulnerability management
• Patch management
• Security monitoring
• Incident response
• Managed backups
• Immutable backup storage
• Disaster recovery planning

The exact requirements depend on the organization. A manufacturer serving commercial customers may have different obligations from a defense subcontractor working with controlled information.

Manufacturers in defense supply chains may also need to address requirements associated with NIST SP 800-171, CMMC, DFARS, or customer-specific cybersecurity standards. Those requirements can affect access controls, authentication, documentation, logging, vulnerability management, security monitoring, system boundaries, and other areas of the technology environment.

When comparing managed IT providers, manufacturers should therefore ask exactly which cybersecurity responsibilities are included in the agreement. A proposal that includes only basic IT support is not equivalent to one that includes a broader cybersecurity program.

OPERATIONS: How Does the Plant Actually Run?

Manufacturing IT cannot be managed independently from production requirements.

Technology maintenance may need to be scheduled around production. Equipment vendors may require remote access. A network change can affect connected systems. An aging workstation may control equipment that cannot simply be taken offline in the middle of a shift.

Operational factors can include:

• Number of facilities
• Number of shifts
• Production schedules
• IT/OT dependencies
• Warehouse connectivity
• Vendor remote access
• Legacy equipment
• Onsite support requirements
• Business continuity requirements
• Planned expansions

These details can significantly affect the managed IT scope. For example, a manufacturer with one office and one production facility has a different infrastructure footprint from a company with a headquarters, two plants, and a separate warehouse.

The MSP should understand where the technology is located, how the locations connect, which systems operations depend on, and what happens when onsite technical work is required.

What Should Be Included in Managed IT Services for a Manufacturer?

A per-user number is useful only when the services behind it are clear.

Depending on the agreement, a manufacturing managed IT relationship may include:

• Help Desk — User troubleshooting and technical assistance
• 24/7 Support — Assistance outside normal business hours
• Infrastructure Management — Servers, networks, firewalls and wireless
• Monitoring — Proactive monitoring of supported systems
• Patch Management — Updates for supported operating systems and applications
• Cybersecurity — Endpoint, identity, email and network protection
• Backup & Recovery — Backup management, protected storage and recovery
• Asset Management — Hardware, software and lifecycle tracking
• Vendor Management — Coordination with technology and application vendors
• Technical Alignment — Proactive review against technical standards
• Strategic Planning — Technology roadmaps, budgeting and risk planning

Manufacturers should ask each provider for a clear description of these responsibilities. This is especially important when comparing proposals because two companies can both call their offering fully managed IT while including very different services.

A Greenville Manufacturing Example

Think about an 80-user manufacturer in the Greenville area operating one production facility.

The company uses Microsoft 365 and an ERP platform. Its engineering department uses specialized workstations. The facility maintains on-premises infrastructure and has production equipment that outside vendors occasionally access for maintenance. The company also operates multiple shifts.

At AT-NET typical managed IT range, an 80-user environment would have an initial budget of approximately $14,000–$18,000 per month, or $168,000–$216,000 annually.

The assessment then needs to determine what that environment actually requires. For example, the MSP may need to support employees outside normal business hours, monitor servers and network infrastructure, coordinate with the ERP provider, manage cybersecurity controls, maintain backups, control vendor access, and plan replacement of aging equipment.

That is why the assessment of PEOPLE, TECHNOLOGY, RISK, and OPERATIONS matters more than simply multiplying an employee count by a rate.