When choosing a Managed Service Provider (“MSP”), there are lots of things to consider.
Whether it is your first one, or if you’re trying to find a better fit, you need to make sure the relationship is correct. You need to trust them and rely on their expertise to make sure your business is safe and secure. How in the world are you supposed to determine who will be best for your business in a quick chat? Here are ten questions to ask a potential MSP.
- Do you have experience serving clients like us?
Having an MSP that has experience in your industry or with a business the same size as you can benefit you in many ways. If you see growing pains, they instinctively know how to help you (technology wise). If they have other customers in the same industry, they already know what key areas of your business need protection. Having a partner on your side who has already seen the problems only benefit you.
- Are your technicians and engineers certified?
Having a certified staff means that they are familiar with the equipment that you are using. Familiarity means less time to fix issues that come up and leads to less money spent and less downtime for you and your staff.
- What is your availability outside of business hours?
If your company’s information is crucial to be available at all hours of the day and night, you want a partner who can solve any problems all hours of the day and night. Make sure your MSP offers services that are compatible with your timeline and needs.
- Do you have accurate and complete records?
Let’s face it. You are never going to remember what routers, firewall, and service issues happened. Let alone, when that was, or the specific resolutions to them. Make sure your MSP keeps accurate records, so they know if something failed in the past when it was, and what the fix was. It will save time for your business going forward.
- How will managed services enable us to stay ahead of the competition?
Sure! Managed services sound like a great option from a financial standpoint. You know what your bill will be each month, and you can now plan for all your future expenses. But what does this mean regarding keeping your business at the forefront of competition? Whatever services you decide on, they should make it easier for you to focus on business and future growth.
- How will managed services create a partnership with our companies?
When you pick an MSP, they are your partner. You must be able to trust them with all of your sensitive data and information. You rely on their counsel to guide your decision-making process to make sure you are moving your technology in the right direction. If you don’t think your MSP will be a trusted partner in it for the long run, they might not be the one for you.
- How do you know what services we need?
Make sure your MSP asks questions about your business. These should include, what do you do, how do you use technology, what is your budget, and anything else that gives them a clear indication of where you place importance on specific items. Once the MSP has a good understanding of what you’re looking for, they will be able to suggest services that fill those holes within the budget you’ve specified. Be sure to listen to their additional suggestions and reasoning behind them. You’ll be able to get an excellent understanding if they were listening to your needs or not.
- Do you have testimonials or referrals?
You want to have a good relationship with your MSP, so they should have current customers with that same connection willing to give referrals and testimonials. If your MSP doesn’t have any to offer, you might re-think your choice.
- How proactive is your organization within the tech industry?
If you want the MSP to keep your business ahead of the game technology-wise, they should also be at the forefront of advances in their fields. It might be groups they are involved in, certifications their employees have, or just a general knowledge base of what is coming in the future, but your MSP should live for the future.
- What other services can you offer our organization?
Having a company you can rely on for services is fantastic! But what about employee training? Consultation for an IT budget or a technology upgrade plan? Hardware purchasing? Video Surveillance? Wiring and cabling? These things are needs you might face as a business. Make sure your MSP can offer these items, so you don’t have to deal with the hassle of finding someone else to trust.
Being the largest IT company on the Western Slope of Colorado means that we’ve got you covered in all of these areas. We service many different sized clients, in a variety of industries. Our techs and engineers have a broad skill base. Our large staff means we can repair your organization’s technology whenever you need us. We are part of a global group of other technology firms that gives us the access to better vendor deals, more proactive information, and solutions for your business. Our first step is always to listen to our customers to create a customized solution for their business. We can offer more than Managed Services, just give us a call to see how we make IT simple.