Tag Archives: SLA

IT Support, Managed IT Services, MSP

How do partnerships between my business and my MSP look?

How do partnerships between my business and my MSP look?

Business partnerships between your team and a Managed Service Provider (MSP) can be a powerful way to enhance your organisation’s IT capabilities. MSPs provide a wide range of IT services, including network management, data backup and recovery, security and software development. They also alleviate some of the IT burdens that small and medium-sized enterprises face and they offer technical expertise, cost savings and the ability to improve the end-user experience, as well as to improve security and to create a better employee experience. Ultimately, a healthy, long-standing partnership is what both parties are aiming for.  

What might this relationship look like?

Here are some insights into what business partnerships between your team and an MSP can look like:

  • Collaboration and Communication: One of the essential elements of a successful partnership between your team and an MSP is collaboration and communication. Your team and the MSP need to work together closely to ensure that the services provided by the MSP align with your business goals and objectives. Communication is critical to ensure that expectations are met and any issues are addressed promptly.
  • Clear Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Service Level Agreements (SLAs) define the services to be provided by the MSP and the performance standards that will be met. Clear SLAs ensure that your team and the MSP have a shared understanding of the services to be provided, the timelines for service delivery and the expectations for service quality. SLAs also provide a framework for measuring the performance of the MSP and ensuring that service delivery meets the agreed-upon standards.
  • Customised Service Offerings: MSPs offer a wide range of services and it’s important to choose an MSP that can tailor their offerings to meet your specific needs. Customised service offerings ensure that you get the services you need, without paying for services that you don’t need. Your team and the MSP should work together to identify the most important services to your organisation and develop a customised service package.
  • Continuous Improvement: Technology is constantly evolving and working with an MSP committed to continuous improvement is essential. The MSP should have a process for identifying new technologies and service offerings that can benefit your organisation. Regular meetings between your team and the MSP can ensure that you are aware of new services and technologies that can improve your IT capabilities.
  • Scalability: As your organisation grows, your IT needs will also grow. The MSP should be able to scale their services to meet your changing needs. A good MSP will have the resources and expertise to provide the services you need, regardless of your organisation’s size or complexity.

Tips for building a strong partnership with your MSP

Choose your Provider Wisely

We have an entire article about how to find a good provider for you — read that here — but essentially, you need to find one that fits your needs. Like all businesses, each MSP is different and while one may suit next door’s business perfectly, it might not suit yours. An MSP should drastically impact the efficacy and performance of your IT systems, so make sure you choose one that has the right services, expertise and reputation that is important to you.

Prioritise Communication

Communication is crucial to any relationship so make sure both parties are transparent about challenges, goals and progress going forward. Your MSP needs to know everything it can about your business so it can provide you with appropriate recommendations tailored to your business. You should also outline the type of relationship you expect from the provider, such as great service, timeliness and expert opinions.

Set Goals and Responsibilities

As a business, you also need to know the capabilities of your MSP, which should have been detailed to you at the beginning of the partnership. They should have also outlined a range of goals that both they and your business need to achieve to see your business technologically advancing. Ensure you are also aware of the MSP’s role within your team, as they do have one, but you need to understand where their duties and roles stand. This should have been communicated to you in the contract stage.

Be able to Adapt

One of the reasons you hire an MSP, other than for them to manage your IT systems, is so you have access to IT professionals who can provide you with recommendations on improvements to your network, hardware and software. Sometimes, they would also have standards that they informed your business had to meet for them to work with you, so make sure your business is considering these so that your business can achieve its goals.

Monitor the Relationship

Like any relationship, make sure to check in regularly, whether that be in-person, via a phone call or video call, to make sure everything is running smoothly and everyone is on the same page. Meetings for updates and evaluations allow for open communication and strengthen your long-term relationship with the MSP. Relationships also change and evolve over time, and they can also potentially sour if a disagreement arises. Keeping up with communications and informing each other of issues should be a regular occurrence.

Look Long-Term

Working with an MSP is a long-term partnership. Unless you are not receiving the level of service required, you should aim to stick with the MSP rather than changing it every few years. This saves you time, stress and money and allows you to establish trust with the provider, where you can openly discuss each other’s shortcomings and where each party can improve. This allows you both to grow and prevail as businesses. This also encompasses the MSP understanding your business goals so that it can work with you long-term in achieving these and improving your business’ IT level. It might help to create a roadmap for this.

A business partnership between your team and an MSP can be an effective way to enhance your organisation’s IT capabilities. Collaboration and communication, clear SLAs, customised service offerings, continuous improvement and scalability are essential elements of a successful partnership. Choosing the right MSP and building a strong relationship with them can help your organisation achieve its IT goals and objectives.

IT Support, Managed IT Services

Are MSP Contracts Flexible?

Are MSP Contracts Flexible?

Managed Service Provider contracts are a popular choice for businesses that want to outsource their IT needs. One question that often comes up when considering an MSP contract is whether they are flexible enough to meet the unique needs of your business.

The pandemic has driven the need for clients wanting flexibility and wanting to steer clear from long-term commitments. That doesn’t mean they don’t want long-term relationships with vendors, they do, they just want flexibility in the contracts.

As a business owner, you know that flexibility is key to success. Your business needs to be able to adapt to changing circumstances and your IT needs should be no different. MSP contracts are designed to be flexible, allowing you to customise your service plan to meet your specific needs.

MSPs no longer need multi-year service contracts in place, instead, what they are depending on is the length of their relationship with their clients. As a business, you’re looking to stick with your outsourced IT service provider for as long as possible as it can be a great hassle to search for and then switch providers. An MSP is relying on this so they should be giving you the level of service your company needs and helping your business grow. This is why they don’t need to lock you into long contracts as you should be willing to stay with them for as long as possible.

Long-term relationships are built on trust where you both share wins and work through losses. If your MSP is honest and willing to work with you on your challenges, you’re hardly going to up and leave for another IT provider. 

That being said, some MSPs offer month-to-month contracts while others offer longer, yearly or two-year plans paid monthly or yearly. Discuss this with the MSP you’re looking into if that’s a major concern for you. Keep in mind that you really don’t want to be changing managed service providers regularly.

Another way MSP contracts can be flexible is by offering a range of pricing models that might be valuable to different customers. A long-term contract might suit one business, but another might find value in a month-to-month, no-commitment type of contract that has a higher pricing point. An MSP might offer discounts for long-term contracts or even higher upfront costs with lower monthly fees. There are a range of ways that MSPs can be flexible with their pricing, so double-check with your MSP if they can tailor your plan to one that suits you.

One of the benefits of an MSP contract is that you can choose the level of service that best suits your business. Whether you need basic IT support or more advanced services like Cyber Security and cloud computing, an MSP can offer a range of options to meet your needs.

Additionally, MSP contracts can be tailored so that the services offered fit your budget. You don’t have to pay for services you don’t which means that you can get the services you need without breaking the bank. Take cloud computing services, for example. You could be offered cost-effective solutions like paying for what you use or the MSP scaling the price up or down when you need to work between public and private cloud services.

If you’re already working with an MSP, ask them if there are any new services they are now providing new customers that might now benefit your business.

MSP contracts also offer flexibility when it comes to scalability. As your business grows, your IT needs will likely grow as well, whether that be with more powerful software or hardware or with proactive Cyber Security practices that prevent your data from being stolen. MSP contracts are designed to be flexible enough to accommodate your changing needs, whether that means adding new services, upgrading existing services or scaling back services that are no longer necessary.

Another benefit of MSP contracts is that they can be customised to fit the unique needs of your business. MSPs are acutely aware of how different each business is and should not be offering a one-size-fits-all contract for each of their clients. They should work closely with your business to understand its needs and develop a customised service plan that meets those needs. This means that you can get the exact services you need to keep your business running smoothly. That also means being honest with you about services, software or hardware your business doesn’t need.

Keep in mind that you’re still working with another business so there will be negotiations, notice periods and levels of software and hardware they demand your business have, or eventually have, for them to want to work with you, but there are ways for your MSP to offer your business flexibility without compromising their business.

So, while an MSP might not offer flexibility in one area, it might provide your business with the flexibility you’re after in another. How do you get that? Ask. As mentioned, MSPs depend on building long-term relationships with their clients, so see how they can tailor their services to your business, while also keeping in mind they can’t compromise on everything as, they too, are a business.

MSP contracts are incredibly flexible and can be tailored to meet the unique needs of your business. Whether you need basic IT support or more advanced services, MSPs can offer a range of options to meet your needs. And with the ability to customise your contract to fit your budget, scalability and unique needs, an MSP is an excellent choice for any business looking to outsource its IT needs. Don’t hesitate to explore your options and find the MSP that is right for you!