How To Choose a Managed Service Provider: 7 Things You Need To Consider

A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is an expert (we hope) IT company that manages all your IT needs so that you don’t have to worry about the technical details. It’s a similar principle to outsourcing other business services like HR or facilities management. 

Although it’s a simple enough concept, the process of implementing MSP outsourcing can get super messy because most service providers offer a dazzling array of IT services. This means that two things can make your brain sad:

1. Deciding which services your business needs, for now, and for the future.
2. Working out which of the gazillion MSPs is right for you.

So, if you’re already set on choosing an MSP, to ease the pain, we present a Seven-Item Side-Quest of Knowledge. This little adventure highlights the most important factors you need to consider before choosing the MSP of your business dreams. 

You’re welcome. 

Hang On, What MSP Services Are We Looking At?

Well, Buddy, just how long have you got? Can you tell us how many services you think make up your current IT ecosystem? We’ll wait. (Hint: It’s a bigger number than you think it is.)

Even for a simple business, the IT ecosystem can be complex, and MSPs can take care of one, some, or all of it – from your entire IT operations down to very specific chunks. They may offer network, infrastructure, application, and security-as-a-service (SECaaS) management, as well as specialist areas, like mobile device management or data back up, or special project services (e.g., gap remediation for compliance frameworks).

In addition to a lengthy list of potential service offerings, the modes of delivery can differ among providers, too. Some MSPs manage your stuff entirely remotely. Some will offer on-site management by real humans. Or both. 

And then there’s the flexibility factor: some providers are wed to their own proprietary tools. Some stick to their preferred vendors. Others put together a buffet of different tools, depending on what’s required. Each has their own challenge.

So, when there’s so much on offer and in so many different ways, how do you choose an MSP? And not just any old MSP, but the one that’s best for your business? For starters, you can gaze at the list in the pretty box below and nod in silent appreciation. Use the links to jump ahead to the most useful sections.

Choosing an MSP: The 7 Things To Consider

1. Business Needs

Every business is unique, even yours. Especially yours. Your business has its own things to be afraid of, to cry about, and to look forward to. You might make that call to an MSP because:

• You don’t have the in-house IT expertise, the capacity, or the will to manage IT anymore.
• Things keep going wrong – like more downtime or more security incidents, and you probably (definitely) need more boss-level troubleshooting.
• You need to control and forecast your IT costs better.
• Your business is changing – you’re entering a new market, recruiting all the people, going remote, or you need to be super-compliant with some flavor of compliance framework, e.g., SOC 2.

When you’re considering which MSP to choose, it’s kind of useful to have a good understanding of what your business actually needs. (*cough* Ignition provides approximately 50 IT services. #ShamelessPlug1)

2. Attitude

It’s not what they do (although it is); it’s the way that they do it. Consider how your potential MSP treats you when you first make contact and throughout the inquiry process. Let’s check out the green (good) flags: 

• They ask you lots of questions. We mean LOTS. About your business, hopefully. Client-centric MSPs always seek to understand the challenges, goals, and structures of the businesses they serve. 
• A non-cookie-cutter approach. Linked to questioning, a good MSP is looking to serve you based on your needs and aspirations, not on what’s easy for them.
• Open to questions. They should be transparent about how they operate and their pricing. They should also encourage you to ask them questions.
• Clear, fast communication. They speak fluent human and offer clear explanations. They don’t keep you waiting for a response
• Vibe: You and your people will be working closely with the MSP, and you’re trusting them with your network and data. What’s your gut feeling? How’s the cultural fit? Are these the kinds of people you can actually work with and that your people won’t hate? (Baseline unspoken rizz.)

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3. Expertise

It may be a teensy bit obvious, but we’ll ask anyway: Can that MSP you’ve got your eye on actually do the thing that needs to be done? Do their services align with your business needs? Here are the key things to check out:

• Automation technology. This is the lazy/clever IT person’s go-to for accelerating processes, reducing risk, and eliminating a ton of human error. Automation should be in every MSP’s playbook, so find out how your potential MSP candidates plan to use it. If they don’t got it? Run. (With your feet, not an .exe.)
• Ability to customize. Is the provider flexible enough to adapt to and improve your own set-up? Are they fixated on/contracted to a single platform or vendor? 
• Scope of services offered. You may not need every kind of service an MSP offers now, but in the future, things might be different. Do they offer a comprehensive range of services? What’s the team’s breadth of expertise? Can they do IT strategy, for instance?
• Accreditations. Do they have all the right certificates on the wall? 

4 . Experience

A company that’s been around for a while has survived for a reason – they haven’t gone bust yet. And that’s probably because they’ve had enough happy clients to keep the $ rolling in over the years. This is a good sign. They must be doing something right, right? Yes, but you need to take a closer look at:

• Industry Experience: Can they demonstrate a solid understanding of your industry’s IT norms and needs? 
• Staff Experience and Tenure: How many years of experience do team members have on average? Do they make frequent staffing changes? How much is too much?
• Risk management and data security: Super-important. Can they demonstrate how they keep their clients safe? Can they demonstrate the positive impact of their data security measures? 

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5. Quality Assurance

This is a fun one, and it’s sure to make the red-flagged MSPs squirm a little. Quality, quality, yadda yadda – everyone bangs on about it, but can your MSP demonstrate a sound quality assurance process? When things go wrong, how have they put it right? Ask for examples. Take names. (Call them.)

6. References 

Do your homework. Yep, social media can be icky, but you need to dig into their reputation. Ask for references and case studies. Ask to speak to their clients. Check out online reviews. What’s their Net Promoter Score looking like against the IT industry standard of 44? (Ahem. Ours is 87. #ShamelessPlug2). Are they recognized for specialisms, like MDM, or supporting your business type or stage? Are they a recognized partner of a credible vendor?

7. Clarity

Some MSPs have pricing tiers that make Finnegans Wake look like “Baby’s First Book” by comparison. Yes, pricing for a complex mix of services can be challenging – but the challenge should be for the MSP to make their pricing transparent and easy to understand. You shouldn’t need a PhD in “What The Flip Did I Just Read?” to understand their service pricing. 

Pay close attention if an MSP bleats about ‘bundled services’ – these might look like a good value, but a.) you’re probably paying for stuff you don’t need, and b.) they’re making it hard for you to understand what the ‘right’ price really is. RED FLAG. RUN.

Bonus Round: Awkward Questions

How you rate the answers a potential MSP gives in response to these Bonus Awkward Questions is entirely up to you. You know your company values best, so some questions will yield more important information than others. But, the way they answer could offer insight into their Attitude (see #2 above) or their Expertise (#3 above). You might also think of this bonus round as an entertaining reward for going above and beyond your Seven-Item-Side-Quest. Either way, how else are you going to find out if their awkward matches your awkward? 

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Choosing A Managed Service Provider Just Got A Bit Easier

There are two reasons for this. The first is that we’re hoping the words your face has just read have clarified the issues to consider when hunting down a not-awful MSP. 

The second is – SALES ALERT – we’d like to introduce ourselves as your potential new not-awful MSP. Ask us stuff. Look around. Speak to our clients. Speak to our boss, Noam. Or Mitch. Or Jeff. Let us ask you a ton of questions and get to know your business. Look at our shiny certificates. We’ll answer your awkward questions – the more awkward, the better. It’ll be fun! Awkward is our superpower!

Ignition is Silicon Valley’s best (and friendliest) IT security, compliance, and support team. Contact us now – chatting about IT support and cybersecurity is our favorite thing to do!