Switching Your MSP Could Be a Mistake

Switching Managed Service Providers (MSP) can be a challenging endeavor and the decision to do so should not be taken lightly. Besides, a level of optimism existed at one time – both parties believed its counterpart would be helpful and provide measurable value.

Important - If significant improvement can be made quickly with the current MSP, and maintained indefinitely, would confidence be restored and would your team value the relationship again?

Your Current Role and Position

Maybe you were there from the beginning or just inherited the relationship from your predecessor. Direct evidence, employee perception, or a combination of the two have weakened confidence in the MSP relationship and you carry some level of responsibility to cure the problem.

You likely participate with managing the MSP or the people responsible for doing so report to you. Service erosion over a long period of time or even a sharp triggering event is making you seriously consider switching providers.

Should You Breakup?

A meaningful business relationship is one that starts off great and delivers long term. Both sides (or all sides) are in it because they are happier and stronger when working together – they know it when they meet, they grow together, and they help each other achieve the business outcomes necessary for measurable success. Each party should be saying, “I just don’t see how or why we would want to do business without them”.

Important - Each party should be saying, “I just don’t see how or why we would want to do business without them”.

A few bumps in the road will surface from time to time, but what makes or breaks a relationship begins with how each party responds, what they do to introduce positive improvements, and of course what they do to mitigate or eliminate similar issues from occurring in the future.

Please continue reading if you too believe your business is looking for a meaningful relationship with its MSP!

Modern business relies heavily on IT to deliver mission objectives. The people, process, and “everything else technology related” require experienced oversight and direction so your business can keep up with, or stay ahead of, industry norms. Managing IT is no different than anything else essential for your business, and because of that, a level of shared responsibility combined with a positive relationship is an absolute must when working with an MSP.

Technology is often one of the top 5 largest expenses for Small and Midsize Businesses (SMBs), yet most SMBs with fewer than 100 employees do not effectively manage functional areas related to “IT Support”.

IT Support provided by reputable MSPs often starts with the design, implementation, and servicing of core functional areas such as:

1. Productivity platforms like m365 and Google Workspace

2. Specialty cloud apps, servers, and services

3. Network infrastructure – wired and wireless

4. Endpoints like computers, tablets, and mobile devices

5. Help Desk or Service Desk

6. Basic security and data protection such as backup, anti-virus, message filtering, and firewall

7. Enhanced cyber security solutions – advanced monitoring with threat hunting and alerts, SOC monitoring, enhanced data encryption and rights management, authentication, and more sophisticated protection mechanisms that leverage threat signals and behavioral learning

SMBs with fewer than 100 employees often rely on outsourcing strategies to shift all or most IT Support responsibility to an external provider. This deficiency is exacerbated much further with many businesses ranging from 10-50 employees in size, whereas neglected areas of technology management span well beyond just “IT Support” and carryover to just about everything else with a “technology label”.

Before you proceed with displacement efforts and start to interview new MSPs, consider asking yourself the following:

1. Could some type of bias be influencing our decision?

2. Have you objectively surveyed staff to better understand what is and is not working well without priming them?

3. Does your team understand the modern products and services a reputable MSP can and should provide for a business with your profile?

4. Do you understand the intricacies of MSP cost models and related pricing?

5. Have you clearly communicated what is and is not working well with the MSP?

6. Did all parties put forth serious effort to identify, communicate, and draft a mutual plan of action to strengthen performance?

7. Is your team capable of independently achieving the preceding without help?

Important - Did all parties put forth serious effort to identify, communicate, and draft a mutual plan of action to strengthen performance?

Final Questions

Item One - If significant improvement can be made quickly with the current MSP, and maintained indefinitely, would confidence be restored and would your team value the relationship again?

Item Two - Would it make sense to have an experienced third party evaluate my current MSP, create a performance improvement plan, manage it for us, and try to salvage the relationship before evaluating new MSPs?

Item Three - If the current MSP is unable to quickly and consistently deliver on the performance improvement plan should I leverage the same third party to help with selecting and managing a new MSP?

Conclusion

You outsourced all or most of your IT Support to an MSP so you could focus on your business – someone that speaks tech and stays current with tech should also shepherd the relationship with the MSP. Allowing the MSP to autonomously manage itself without experienced external oversight creates conflict; technology innovation and contracted service delivery often decays without capable external management.

1. Strongly consider salvaging what was once considered a great relationship with your current MSP. Start by collecting objective information about what is and is not successful today.

2. Hire a qualified third party like mspaaa to perform an independent technology assessment and contract review for everything considered technology, which includes your MSP contract.

3. Task the qualified third party with creating a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) for the MSP to include curing known deficiencies and taking control of ongoing MSP oversight and related management duties.

4. Should the MSP fail to deliver on the PIP, or for any other reason deemed appropriate, you now have a third party that understands how your business uses and values technology, and because they are responsible for managing technology, they will spearhead efforts to further tune your technology requirements and select a new MSP.

Important - Strongly consider salvaging what was once considered a great relationship with your current MSP. Start by collecting objective information about what is and is not successful today.

Important - Hire a qualified third party like mspaaa to perform an independent technology assessment and contract review for everything considered technology, which includes your MSP contract.

A similar approach should be taken if leadership believes salvaging the relationship should not be considered, or attempts have already been made with reasonable effort and qualified help:

1. Hire a qualified third party like mspaaa to perform an independent technology assessment and contract review for everything considered technology, which includes your current MSP contract.

2. Ensure the third party interviews a variety of personnel including members of leadership, knowledge workers, and other technology partners.

3. Task the third party with drafting a report that includes technology assessment recommendations, required support deliverables, and optional support deliverables that may be of benefit within the next 36 months – this information will be used when interviewing new MSP candidates.

4. Strongly consider the pros and cons of drafting a formal RFP and going through the typical motions related thereto. It may help accelerate replacement efforts and reduce insider selection or other preferential treatment, but may also hamper creativity and accuracy of respondent submissions.

About mspaaa

Our team has more than 20 years of experience working with hundreds of customers throughout the US, Asia, and Europe. Our customers span multiple industries which include MSPs of different sizes and operational maturity. We are local to DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV), though we provide our services remotely and onsite when required to customers throughout the continental US and beyond.

Please contact us if you would like to chat more!