Common pitfalls with Managed IT Service Providers

Utilizing managed IT services (IT Outsourcing companies) can be great for a small to medium size business but it does come with some risks. It is important to understand some common pitfalls when it comes to using managed IT service providers (MSPs) and to ensure you have the proper systems in place to avoid them. I am providing some of the more common issues I have seen in my 20 -year career in IT. It is important to never forget that they are in business to make money and so are you. No matter how good you think they are they will always put their company first, as they should; this means it’s important to always put your organization first.

Are you paying for services you are not receiving? Is the managed service provider actually doing what they have agreed to do for your organization? Often an organization will only pay attention to something if they see a problem. They do not always ensure they are protected from a problem occurring. As the customer you are entitled to a log of work done monthly. You should see things like patches/updates applied to computers/servers, firmware upgraded on network equipment and that important backups are verified. If these are services you are paying for ensure you are receiving them.

Lack of documentation can be costly to an organization. What is your access to your computer and network documentation? It is highly recommended and encouraged that you insist you have access to all of your company’s documentation at an alternate location other than your MSP’s servers. An organization should protect itself from anything that could occur with the MSP. Dependency on a provider should be handled the same way you would with an employee. Ensure you have a plan. All of the information you need should be available if for any reason someone or some company must take over the role in your organization.

Are you being sold the solution that works best for the managed services provider or the one best for your organization? It is highly recommended, regardless of whether or not you have an MSP, that you always get three proposals for any solution you require. Many times the one that your MSP provides is the right fit. It is important you know it is. By actually bidding out any project or product you need you do not just get price/feature comparisons but feature understanding. Having different recommendations can lead you to the best overall solution for your organization. Use the information to ensure that what you need is part of the solution you receive. This also ensures that those you contract to do work for you are always putting their best foot forward.

Managed IT service providers are experts in support but they are not experts in all forms of IT. If you look at functions beyond basic network and computer support it is important to draw on those that specialize. Some of the common instances when you should work with other vendors are cyber security, phone systems and wireless. It is your right to bring in an expert and if you see a problem have your MSP work with that partner. Most network professionals can install all of these things for you but are you truly getting the right equipment and configuration for your network?

Many times with managed service providers if you do not ask you do not get, things like disaster recovery plans must be discussed. MSPs will sell you backup solutions but how do you recover your systems? What is the plan? It is important for every organization to evaluate what software and hardware they are using from time to time to ensure that they truly have what they need. Many MSPs will order and replace whatever you tell them. They will not setup a recommended plan of action for you every year. For example, you will have x number of machines that will need to be replaced, you will need to think about upgrading your infrastructure, here is a phased approach or this is what we need to do to replace. They can help you with issues if you report your network is slow but do they make recommendations to prevent your network from getting slow? You should engage your provider for assistance in developing your IT plans if you do not have the staff on site. Utilize your MSP to ensure that audits occur on hardware and software, keeping them in a proper cycle and verifying their utilization.  

Many of these issues are simple to avoid. Do your due diligence, get competitive quotes and compare other managed service providers every few years. Beyond those basic things help protect yourself from those pitfalls by looking for an independent IT professional. Many consultants and contractors available are not managed IT service providers but can be contracted to review your network and computer systems. Auditors are used frequently to independently verify your accounting and it should be no different for your IT department. Embrace IT but ensure you are getting your money’s worth.