Getting the best use out of your Managed Service Provider (MSP)

Work closely with your MSP to create a strategic IT plan aligned with your business objectives. This plan should include technology upgrades, cybersecurity measures, budgeting and scalability considerations.

Regularly revisit and update this plan to stay ahead of changes in your business and the IT landscape.

Be present
You’re not technical? You don’t see the value of the meetings? You think your MSP is just trying to sell you things?
Well tough – you can’t ignore them and expect a good outcome. You absolutely must meet with your MSP on a fixed schedule and do not de-prioritise them – they represent your entire business IT function.

The same goes for “staffing it out” – IT is a board-level function of a business. It may be very tempting to staff it out to the Purchasing manager or some other department-head – but the duties of an MSP are to provide board-level IT advice and support – they’re not just there to fix machines.

Strategic vs. Operational
Meet quarterly to discuss strategic matters (where we are going as a business, how are both parties performing, etc.).
Never discuss Operational matters (why is that printer on the third floor broken?) in a Strategic meeting – organise separate meetings if you feel the need to discuss Operational matters.

Keep conversations understandable
Explain what you want out of the MSP from a business perspective – just explain the business outcomes you want, and don’t let them get too technical (much as they’ll want to).
A good MSP won’t bamboozle you with technical information, and if they do – just bring it back to the impact on the business. Specifically, what is the impact of doing what they’re proposing, and what is the impact of not doing what they’re proposing.

One of the primary advantages of an MSP is their ability to offer proactive IT maintenance. Instead of merely reacting to issues, MSPs can prevent problems before they occur.

Many MSPs will implement proactive monitoring, security patching, and regular system health checks to minimize disruptions.

During one of your regular meetings, ask for data showing how much this has been done over a given time period – check this data in every meeting to see if the work done remains consistent, and see if the MSP has a good answer for any anomalies.

Also, at your regular meetings, ask the MSP to tell if you if all machines are up to date with their security patches.

In today’s digital age, cybersecurity is paramount. Ensure your MSP has a robust cybersecurity package in place, including threat detection, incident response, and employee training. Regularly review and update your cybersecurity policies to stay ahead of emerging threats.

There are thousands of security tool out there to protect a business – you won’t be able to implement all of them – so ask your MSP why they are recommending these type of solutions above all else. Are the solutions they are offering the highest priority? Perhaps they are using a recognised framework such as NIST or Cyber Essentials to make their recommendations – that’s always a good sign.

Ask your MSP for clear and transparent documentation of all IT processes, procedures, and configurations. This ensures that you have access to critical information, even if you decide to change providers in the future.

Work with your MSP to develop a robust business continuity and disaster recovery plan. This plan should outline how your business can quickly recover from unexpected disruptions, ensuring minimal downtime.