As more and more businesses take the leap over to Managed Services, it is easy to see the benefits of this are abundant. Nevertheless, for many companies, there can be feelings of apprehension and uncertainty around handing the keys over to a third party service provider. To help you get the most out of your partnership, here are four tips for working effectively with IT Managed Service Providers.
1. Set Clear Expectations From the Beginning
The initial, and most critical step is to clearly understand what the partnership entails. This is established through the scope of work and terms of the agreement. Being specific and upfront right from the beginning about your expectations is crucial. An essential foundation for a successful relationship is taking the time to understand who’s responsible for what, and how communications will be carried out going forward.
2. Identify What Success Looks Like for Both Parties
Just because a managed service provider is outsourced, it does not mean they should be treated like they are an external party to your company. Take the time to understand your MSPs goals, objectives and how they motivate their techs. Additionaly, it is common for MSPs to sit in on internal staff meetings, not only to keep in line with your company strategy but to contribute and share experiences and look for better, more efficient ways of doing business. Partnerships that have a vested interest in each other’s success will always come out ahead.
3. Having Open and Honest Communication
Having clear communication with your managed IT services provider will enhance productivity for both parties. Most MSPs recommend meeting on a regular basis. This usually means on a monthly, quarterly or bi-annual basis. Keeping your MSP in the loop about strategic plans, changes, and other information that could impact the company’s technology needs enables them to anticipate and adapt rather than continually patching holes. These meetings are also a great opportunity to discuss: “What’s next for IT in your business?” Having an open, ongoing dialogue is a critical piece to making the MSP relationship work.
4. Finding the Right Balance Between Technology and Budget
Leading MSPs always have an eye out for the best-in-class technologies and equipment to deliver services. They do this to stay ahead of the competition. To you, this means access to the latest developments in the IT realm. In order to take advantage of these benefits, there will be a cost involved to upgrade or migrate to a new system or hardware. By scheduling in regular meetings with your MSP, you can stay up to date with the current industry trends and plan accordingly.
Are You Ready to Work With an MSP?
ONGC Systems offers comprehensive managed service suites, all delivered with Australian support staff to provide tailored, quality customer service. These include managed PC’s, managed networks, managed disaster recovery, managed Office 365 & SharePoint, Managed Internet and considerably more. In all cases, our IT experts monitor your critical systems and respond immediately to any issues you may have; freeing you up to focus on your core business objectives.
Request a free introductory meeting to see how ONGC Managed IT Services in the Gold Coast can help you support your IT systems without the cost and hassle of doing it all in-house.
