Partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) has become a popular and cost-effective way for businesses of any size to get IT services. However, as your business evolves, so do your IT needs. Recognizing when it’s time to transition to a new provider can be the key to ensuring uninterrupted growth and security. Understanding those signs will help you make informed decisions to align your IT infrastructure with your business objectives.
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1. Poor Communication
Effective communication is a daily part of any business, involving everything from talking to customers to co-workers coordinating a project. It’s not always easy, especially when working with a third-party partner. That’s why upfront and routine updates and discussions are essential to MSP services. Because miscommunication costs an average of $420,000 for businesses with less than 100 employees, not having regular talks can be costly.
The reason is simple: communication ensures everyone is on the same page and resources are well prioritized. That is especially important when it involves critical functions and technology. While MSPs can be relied on for their IT expertise, there should still be discussions about how time and money are being spent and why it’s being spent that way. That helps ensure that resources are put towards priority projects with the most positive impact.
2. Security Shortcomings
When evaluating your MSP, cybersecurity should be at the forefront. Threats can come in many forms. Considering over 350 million people were impacted by data breaches in 2023 alone, protecting your IT infrastructure should always be a high priority. That means regular updates, thorough risk assessments, and a clear, actionable plan for any security incidents. If your provider seems to lag in updating their security protocols or fails to communicate potential vulnerabilities, your business will be at greater risk.
3. Lack of IT Strategy and Planning
When it comes to technology, there can be a lot of moving parts. Every business is different and can greatly vary in budget, market, employee counts, customer types, IT integration, etc. IT strategy guidance is an important service many MSPs provide to better align the solutions with all those variables. Not only is the goal to provide the best possible services, but it’s also to do it in a cost-friendly manner.
Depending on the role of the MSP, they may not be offering the best solutions if they’re not providing any IT guidance or planning. That can lead to overpaying for below-average IT infrastructure, which can be frustrating for everyone involved. Even worse, if you rely on the MSP for cybersecurity, if they don’t have an incident response plan, they’re likely unprepared to react to a crisis.
4. Lingering Unresolved IT Issues
IT issues can greatly vary in size and the time needed to fix them. While it’s not rare for some problems to take extra time, there should never be too many lingering help desk tickets. That is especially true when they’re low-level and easy to solve. If there are too many unresolved IT issues, it’s important to reach out and express that concern to your MSP. It may be worth considering a new IT partner if they don’t have a fair explanation or if this is a frequent issue.
5. Recurring Technical Problems
Speed isn’t the only key factor, even if an MSP can quickly resolve help desk tickets. The quality and effectiveness of the fix should mean issues rarely repeat themselves. If different types of technical problems keep recurring, and the MSP isn’t working on a more definitive fix for each one, that means they may not be a good fit for your IT systems. Repeat issues cost both the MSP and the impacted employees extra time and productivity.
6. Outgrowing Your Current MSP
Every MSP is different, offering different solutions, services, support staff, and more. Some MSPs are catered to smaller businesses, while others are designed to meet the needs of large-scale enterprises. While many service providers aim to have flexibility to handle growth, not all of them do. If your business is growing rapidly and the IT infrastructure or support can’t keep up, you may be outgrowing your current MSP.
As mentioned, communication is a key part of any IT partnership. If you have growth or scalability concerns, it’s important to be upfront from the get-go instead of waiting until problems happen. IT infrastructure upgrades take time and resources, so these discussions should happen early. That being said, not all growth is predictable, and if your organization is quickly out-pacing what your MSP can handle, it may be time to consider a new one.
Are you noticing signs that show it’s time for a new MSP? To see if ITonDemand is a good fit for your business, schedule a consultation through our contact form or call us at: +1 (800) 297-8293
