Finding a new managed IT service provider is a difficult and time consuming task. Can one company meet all security and network maintenance needs? It is possible, but as with decisions that affect almost all aspects of the business, it is important to be strategic. We have created a checklist of 10 items to help you navigate this process, evaluate your candidate provider thoroughly and ensure that all bases are covered.

1. Experience and achievements: not just resume

Experience is important. Not just the number of clients, but the track record of the business. Are there real success stories with companies like your company? Do you know how they have solved problems related to your business?

Questions to ask

• Can you tell us a successful example of a business like us?
• Do you have special qualifications to show that you are an expert in our field?

2. No long-term contracts

Some IT companies only offer three-year contracts. This is good for IT companies, but it's inconvenient for you. Think about other companies that make long-term contracts. Most people are not happy with cable TV or mobile phone providers. Would you like to have such an experience with an IT company when the server is down or you can't log into your computer?

You should be able to change or leave your contract sooner than three years if you are dissatisfied with the vendor (or if your business changes and you need to re-evaluate the vendor).

Find a company that has more flexible options with a termination clause. Most IT companies have recently moved to this model, but some have still adopted long-term contracts.

3. Proactive Management

Some IT companies only work on post-disaster service tickets, such as repairing broken printers and troubleshooting emails. No matter which IT company you choose and what tools you use, these tickets will account for a significant portion of your IT support needs.

However, a great IT company, proactively managing your network can reduce the amount of break/fix tickets you see first.

But proactive management is more than just monitoring. IT companies need to know your environment and industry, help your team choose tools to increase productivity and reduce downtime. The best IT companies will do this, meet regularly with you to discuss your business goals and develop a technical plan to achieve that goal.

5. Experience, qualification and continuous training

IT support companies must have a wealth of experience in supporting systems. A good way to know experience level is certification.

Most technology vendors, including Microsoft, offer certification programs to IT companies and other professionals who support their products. Since these are generally on a personal level, you will need to ask a candidate IT company what qualifications they have and how often they are updated.

Employees should have ongoing training to respond to the latest technologies. Is the budget for employee training secured (and is it used)? Are employees trained across different systems? All these questions must be addressed.

6. Clear response time

A contract with an IT company must clearly state a guaranteed response time (typically called a service level agreement or SLA). These should be mentioned in the contract (along with the correspondence if the SLA is not met for any reason). You won’t have to worry about when your problems will be solved.

Note that SLA usually means when to start dealing with a problem, and not necessarily when to solve it. If the SLA guarantees that the problem can be resolved within a period of time, it is a dangerous signal.

Unfortunately, solving IT problems can take time, especially if you interact with other vendors (such as Internet service providers) that are not bound by SLA. If an IT company promises to resolve any problem within a certain period of time, it may not address the cause of the problem. A band-aid quick fix is not a good solution.

7. Dedicated Onsite Support

Most companies cannot receive onsite support except in emergencies. Usually, even if you receive support, the replacement of the technician of the provider is intense. In other words, technicians do not know your business or security system. If a managed service provider is able to allocate resources for you, there is a synergy between support and your business. The person in charge can know your business and employees, understand how you operate, and adapt technology to your business goals to contribute to the advancement of technology.

8. Consistent account management

Managing your account is critical to your IT capabilities. Quarterly reviews and monthly reports are not enough. An account administrator must report to you like any other direct subordinate and provide feedback on a regular basis. Such meetings are also an opportunity to present new ideas on how to improve the latest budget, formal planning and IT capabilities.

9. Backup, disaster recovery plan, incident response

Security cannot be done without good backups and a healthy recovery plan that is tested regularly. You need a trusted provider in case your business stops or is at risk. Check what kind of products the provider sells and check them carefully. In the event of a failure, check the time required for the network to return online. All of this needs to be checked to ensure that managed service providers are able to help you recover after an incident.

10. Reputation

It is important to consider not only the number of years of service of partner candidates, but also the reputation of others. Not only current customers, but also former customers. Become acquainted with the employees of the company that you evaluate in order to know the amount of work and company style. It is the job of the sales representative to paint as clean a picture as possible, and it is your job to really know the company beyond the sales meeting. In a sense, this is the same as evaluating job seekers. Practice recruitment best practices and properly evaluate managed service provider candidates.

Importance of partnering with the right MSP

The digital transformation solution is becoming more and more important for companies that need to perform their operations with the highest efficiency and lack of resources and infrastructure.

By partnering with the right managed IT service providers like Consilien IT Company, you can save time and money.

Partnering with the Consilien managed IT service provider has several advantages: First, they can help you improve your business efficiency, which will help you to save time and money. They can also support various technical issues such as desktop and server management, cybersecurity and cloud services.

Finally, Managed IT Services Providers are experts in providing value-added services that help you improve your revenue. We also contribute to improving productivity by automating business processes and enhancing security.

If you are looking for a partner to help you achieve your technical goals, contact Consilien today. Their friendly team will explain their services in detail and answer your questions.