How you can choose your next Managed Service Provider?

How to choose your next Managed IT Service Provider?

The selection process for your next Managed Service Provider can be overwhelming, but don't worry - we are giving three crucial tips to help you out.

We will be focusing on Customer Experience, Business Outcomes and the typical Service Level Agreements.

We'll help you figure out what each means and how they can benefit your business. We'll also walk through the questions that should always be asked when reviewing an MSP.

Customer Experience

It is no surprise that customer service or experience is one of the most important aspects of any business partnership. Without customers, you have nothing to offer, and they will find their way around your competition by looking for answers on Google or catching rides with apps like Uber if it's more convenient than calling taxis. Your business relationships are no different. People want simplicity and convenience, so it's only natural that you would be interested in simplifying them for your customers.

Managed Service Providers are the IT equivalent of a doctor or lawyer. They make sure your company's computer is running smoothly by focusing on key performance indicators like uptime and downtime and their response time to clients' needs.

Many people don't understand the term "client experience." What does it mean for a business? 

The goal of any company is to make its customers happy. Your MSP should have metrics based on how their clients feel about the services they are being provided so that they can be improved upon for them not only to meet but exceed expectations.

When you're looking for an MSP, be sure to ask the below:

• What KPIs do you have around Client Experience?
• What is your average First Time Resolution on standard support requests?
• What is typical Customer Satisfaction Scoring for your service desk?
• Do you have a Net Promoter Score? If so, where do you stand in regards to the industry?

Business Outcomes

If you're looking for a Managed Service Provider, it's most likely because something isn't working with your current situation.

When you search for an IT service provider for outsourcing, the one who accepts your contract must be experienced and knowledgeable. A good MSP will wrap services around doing so - from managing servers to providing security solutions such as firewalls and VPNs (virtual private networks).

Your managed service provider should be more than just an IT department. They are your partner in meeting business needs, and they can help you avoid costly mistakes by proactively addressing issues. The first step to solving any problem, big or small, is figuring out what you as a business do poorly and developing an action plan with clear deadlines for resolving it.

It's essential to do your research when switching from one service provider like a Managed Service Provider (MSP). You need the following information for things to go smoothly:

• Does the MSP inherit the tools we have and manage them, or do they own?

If the MSP wants to inherit all your tools and current functions, you can expect to maintain some of your problems.

The MSP will ensure that your issues are addressed quickly and efficiently if they have a very intricate onboarding process.

 

• What is the scope of solutions your MSP provides for you?

 Whether these MSPs are getting into higher-level security solutions or just monitoring machines with basic anti-virus. 

 

• What is their project plan look like?

There's no situation like the present when you require an IT solution! In just 60 days (or less), you'll be able to tell if this MSP is right for your company and help make sure that they can solve all those pesky problems.

Ask the MSP for a 90-day project plan before signing an agreement. By making sure that the challenges you face are ones we can all relate to, it will be simpler for you and for MSP to come up with solutions. 

Service Level Agreements

It is essential to include a clear and concise Service Level Agreement (SLA) in your IT contract. These need to be simple enough for the average person to understand so that any lack of clarity is quickly resolved. 

These are the three most important things to have in an agreement: Resolution Target, Response Time and Plan for Remediation when something goes wrong.

It would help if you asked for:

•  copy of their Service Level Agreement
• The details of what will happen if the MSP fails to comply with their Service Level Agreement.
• It should be written in particular; the client can be let out of any term commitments if the SLA is not met.