5 Questions to Ask When Onboarding With Managed IT Services
For businesses looking to get started with a managed service provider for the first time, the onboarding process can appear to be a big question mark. What does transitioning to an MSP involve? How long will the process take? How much input will be needed from your team? And will it impact the company’s day-to-day operations?
Onboarding is a critical phase of the MSP relationship. During the onboarding process, goals will be aligned and foundations created, allowing you to drive better IT outcomes. Here are the most important questions you should be asking during the onboarding process. They will provide you with common ground on which to start.
1. How will you learn about our business and what makes our needs unique?
During the onboarding process, you need to know what is expected of you. Your MSP can tell you what information it’s going to need from you to best learn about your company and your company’s needs. From there, you can consider the best strategy for collecting that data.
2. How does your IT service customize its approach to meet our needs?
You don’t want a one-size-fits-all approach to your managed IT service; you want an approach that is tailored to your organization. The answer to this question will reveal how devoted your MSP is to identifying and meeting your organization’s core needs. It will also tell you how you can best express your company’s unique needs to your MSP.
3. What is your approach to reporting — and can you track the KPIs we want to track?
Reporting gives you the information that your organization needs to improve. It’s vital that your MSP be able to give you access to the key performance indicators that your business needs to complete its own data analysis. Otherwise, you may not be able to move ahead with your own company’s strategies, as you won’t have the information available to do so.
4. What will you do to optimize our infrastructure (instead of just fixing what’s broken)?
An MSP isn’t just about maintenance; it’s also about improving, optimizing, and streamlining your infrastructure. To that end, it’s important to find out how your MSP intends to improve upon your company’s infrastructure once your partnership begins. A conscientious MSP should be able to identify pain points that exist currently within your organization and develop a strategy to manage it.
5. How will you go about modernizing our IT?
Modernization is critical for businesses that want to remain competitive. Not only is it essential to regularly update your technology, but you also need an update strategy that isn’t going to be disruptive to your business. Your MSP should be able to create a modernization strategy and timeline for your organization that will keep the latest technologies available to your company.
The answers to these questions will tell you more about how your MSP operates and how you can expect your relationship with them to develop moving into the future. If you’re ready to transition to working with a managed services partner, the time is now. Enjoy easy onboarding with Red River — Contact Red River today.
