Choosing the right Managed Service Provider
Tag: azure MSP
Publish Date
09/01/2024
Categories
Blogs
Whichever study you choose to pay attention to, the number of companies moving their IT operations, either fully or partially, to managed service providers exceeds 80%. I remember reading a Jump Factor report from 2021 which mentioned that 90% of IT and Business leaders were making this choice. More recent research suggests that little has changed, and I think we can all agree that’s a huge majority!
The benefits extend far beyond just addressing skills gaps and saving costs. It’s about concentrating your resources, becoming faster, fostering innovation, accelerating transformation, and gaining that competitive edge.
In a recent study by PwC, I found that among the top 20% of high-performing companies, all of them were turning to MSPs, or at least to some extent.
The real question
So, as an MSP, convincing businesses to engage with one is often pushing on an open door. The question shifts from “should I be engaging with an MSP?” to “which one?”. Seeing as there are 150,000 MSPs globally, it’s safe to assume there is a wide choice! The difficulty is knowing which MSP fits your business best.
How to find the right MSP
Partnering with the right Managed Service Provider can significantly enhance your organisation’s success, not only in the IT department but throughout the entire business, so it’s vital you choose the right one for you:
- Define your objectives: Start by outlining your IT needs and objectives. Identify your pain points and improvement goals. If unsure, most reputable service providers offer consultancy and assessment services to help you get started and you shouldn’t be pushed into buying a service straight away – in fact a credible MSP won’t want to do that. They will need to understand your direction and outline this journey.
- Evaluate expertise and experience: With numerous MSPs available, their size, skill, and experience vary widely. Inquire about their track record in assisting organisations similar to yours.
- Seek comprehensive offerings: A quality MSP should provide a holistic approach to IT Management, including Proactive Monitoring, Security Solutions, help desk, Cloud Services, Backup/Disaster Recovery, and more. However, comprehensive offerings does not mean a ‘jack of all trades’. Rather, you should make sure they cover a suite of services which cover your needs.
- Consider scalability: On the assumption that your business will grow and change, your MSP should be flexible to be able to meet these changes. How do they adapt to new technologies? How do they adjust their service levels and offerings not just to meet the changing nature of your business but the wider IT and IT Security world?
- Evaluate availability: Do you need a 24/7 offering and if so, do they offer that? Asking about their average response and resolutions times is a good idea.
- Prioritise security: Cyber threats are a major concern for any organisation today, large or small. News of attacks go way beyond just IT press and are a serious threat to your company’s credibility and very existence. Ask how they intend to strengthen your own security protocols and ask about their own security practices – Do they practice what they preach? A robust security should absolutely be your top priority – and theirs.
- Emphasise communication: It’s very easy to engage with an MSP and sign a contract, but a good MSP will offer timely and transparent reporting and regular updates on the status of the infrastructure they manage. So ask yourself, are their channels of communication open and clear?
- Demand personalisation: All businesses are different, and as such, a good MSP should be able to demonstrate how they are able to tailor their service to your needs. IT Managed Services are not a one size fits all and are not an all or nothing.
- Check references: Ask them for testimonials and references from companies similar to yours. Most providers will present and measure customer satisfaction, the good ones will compensate their staff on those metrics. So, ask to see them.
- Evaluate cost and ROI: While cost matters, it shouldn’t be the sole deciding factor. Consider how the MSP’s services will contribute to your ROI by saving time, resource optimisation, and other areas. Assuming they seem proficient enough in getting to this point, they should be able to offer you some valuable guidance here.
- Review SLA/Contract: Obviously, the points on which you have agreed with the MSP should reflect in the Service Level Agreement and specific delivery points should be in the contract document. Read it carefully. Remind yourself of what you were looking to achieve and make sure this aligns.
In conclusion, your agreement with an MSP forms the foundation of a strong partnership. Choosing the right MSP should be a strategic decision that impacts your business’s efficiency, security, and growth. With multiple options available, following these guidelines and conducting your own research will help you find the right fit. I sometimes talk about the utopian objective finding excellence in IT, the right MSP should help you towards that.
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