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Over 1300 managed services providers (MSPs) are based in Australia or New Zealand, with thousands of MSPs worldwide. There is great competition among MSPs these days, so finding the right one for your business can be challenging.
However, a single partner won’t be able to solve all of your issues. What happens when a long-term partnership goes in the wrong direction? Does it produce results that fall short of what each party had hoped for? There is no guarantee that this dire situation will be fixed without costing money, time, and opportunities and hurting relationships.
Nobody wants to be pressured into making expensive and frustrating errors. When choosing a managed services provider, it’s essential to know your business goals and how you’ll choose. It is vital to select a reliable managed services provider early on if you want your partnership to work.
Customer’s guide to MSPs
Prevention is always better than cure, as the saying goes. Here are some insider hints to assist you in selecting the ideal MSP for your business.
- Understand that not every MSP is the same. Some MSPs are more qualified or equipped for your specific industry than others. MSPs that have successfully formed alliances with businesses comparable to yours in size, industry, and line of business should consider it. If you need technical support onsite, you should look into well-known MSPs in your area.
- Utilising industry standards is a quick way to evaluate the skills of MSPs.
- There is a tried-and-tested method for creating your MSP shortlist and selecting the best providers for your business.
The most critical questions from the MSP selection manual are in the next section.
Following are some considerations (in order of importance):
You can use these questions to determine whether a managed service provider is qualified, committed, and skilled enough to work with your business. Positive responses to these real-world screening questions reflect favourably on the service provider. You can find the in-depth, question-based guide here.
It is extremely important
1. Do they care about your company and how it runs? Can they use this knowledge to create a solution specifically for you? Takeaway: They won’t listen if they concentrate more on what they have to offer than on what you have to say, preventing them from developing a unique solution specifically for your company’s requirements.
2. Can they make a minor first engagement suggestion? Takeaway: During the getting-to-know-you phase, you can determine whether the provider is a good long-term partner. If you feel uneasy about a brief engagement, you can also avoid making a long-term commitment.
3. Can You trust them? Takeaway: Pick service providers whose clientele includes numerous well-known companies and corporate titans. It is worthwhile to check out customer reviews and independent review websites.
4. Are they prepared to send their support staff to a location other than their residence? (Key Takeaway) Quicker resolutions result from local engineers’ improved linguistic proficiency.
5. Do they put their efforts into resolving issues or take a proactive approach to the system? Key takeaway: To maintain an issue-free system for a reasonable time, look for providers who can proactively and effectively address recurring issues.
6. Do they understand the problem, and are they prepared to spend the time explaining it? (Key Takeaway: Great providers actively lower their clients’ exposure to niche and mainstream risks that might jeopardize productivity or business continuity.
7. Will they permit you to tour their facilities? Conclusion: Select service providers who can demonstrate their entire team and business philosophy. You can get a behind-the-scenes look and form your own opinion.
8. Can they get to your location quickly, if needed? Takeaway: It is always preferable to have a quick ground agent available at all times.
9. How would you describe their security posture? The goal of every MSP is to guarantee that their clients’ IT infrastructures are secure. They take vulnerability testing, whitelisting security audits, patches, and security audits very seriously. A business can suffer significantly from laxity.
10. They can work together with the local staff. Conclusion: Not all MSPs are capable of doing this. It enables them to provide a more adaptable and sophisticated service, allowing you to make the most of your onsite and remote support teams.
Moderately important
1. Do they intend to confront you? ( Conclusion: Providers who can question your presumptions and offer better-than-expected solutions should be at the top of your list.)
2. Can they build positive relationships with the appropriate individuals (accredited or resellers)? Takeaway: A top MSP will have numerous approved alliances with leading third-party vendors and products. You won’t have to settle for just one answer.
3. How does a monthly report work? What is it? Conclusion: The best providers go above and beyond the minimum standards of monthly reporting. To boost profits, they discuss ways to raise your company’s expertise, effectiveness, and productivity.
4. Do they have industry knowledge? You must look for companies within your industry, size range, and sector.
5. What are their strengths? Conclusion: A variety of skills, including ICT Consulting, Service Desk, Cyber Security, and ICT Consulting, can be used to purchase software and hardware. You require a service provider who can handle them under one roof.
6. Do they have the ability to guarantee their services? ( Conclusion: A good MSP guarantees the quality of their services without binding you to a lengthy agreement that could subject you to harsh penalties for terminating early.
It’s less important
How much do managed services cost? In summary: Much like utilities, managed services are now essential business services. Price is less critical when things need to be dependable and being consistent than quality and reliability requirements. An MSP rarely provides excellent services at reasonable prices. These are the rare outliers.
Final Takeaways: Qualities that Matter
A partnership with a managed services provider is a significant business achievement. It has the potential to either significantly improve the productivity or profitability of your business or to abandon you completely. Your choice of managed provider will substantially impact all areas of your company that use information technology. This choice is not overstated when we say it is “important.”
- Avoid forming a sinister alliance. A person can immediately recognize these characteristics.
- High net promoter score combined with an impressive client list (NPS).
- numerous third-party certifications and accreditations,
- service selection and industry coverage
- Safe procedures
- Adaptability,flexibility, strategic thinking, and cost-effectiveness are proven attributes of a professional.
Last but not least, always test the water before diving in. Search for companies that provide a free trial period. Good MSPs won’t pressure you into agreeing to a lengthy contract you don’t want to sign. A great MSP will entice you to return for more.
