From industry experience and response time to services provided and customer satisfaction, it’s obvious that not all Managed Services Providers (MSP) are created equal.
Whether you’re looking to move on from your legacy IT provider or investigating MSPs for the first time, the hardest part can be knowing where to start. Having the right questions to ask a MSP is an important first step in selecting the right partner for your organization.
To help you choose the right MSP, we’re sharing 6 Questions to Ask When Researching an IT Provider as well as an overview of the importance of each topic.
Question 1: What Experience Do You Have in My Industry?
All organizations need some form of IT service, so any technology support provider should be able to offer those services, right? That’s incorrect. While many companies will have you believe that, the provider you rely upon should have proven experience relevant to your specific industry.
Why does industry-specific experience matter? Consider, for instance, that you work in a law firm and deal with sensitive data like financial statements, client information, property records, etc. on a daily basis. In addition to protecting yourself and your clients, data security is a necessary piece of regulatory compliance. An IT provider serving construction or manufacturing companies wouldn’t have the right experience to fulfill your requirements.
When choosing a MSP, you want a partner with knowledge of:
- Operations: IT needs can vary from industry to industry. Whether you are looking for general support or assistance for a project-based initiative, you want to know that your IT provider understands how operations work.
- Challenges: The challenges in healthcare, for example, will be different from the challenges in education. Your IT partner is supposed to help you solve challenges, and that process is a lot easier with a partner that has experience solving industry-specific obstacles.
- Risks: Different industries face different IT risks. For example, some industries are primary targets for cyberattacks while others may have entirely different risk priorities. Do you want an IT support provider that knows those risks or a provider that applies the same risk categorization to all industries?
With this understanding, you can ask potential Managed Services Providers to share honest insight into the industries they serve. Ask them if they currently support your competitors or other companies within your sector. If they do, research their reviews and request a list of references so you can better understand their services and customer satisfaction. If you discover that the provider does not have any relevant experience, consider moving on to another option.
Next, we'll discuss the second question to ask: What is Your Response Time?
For over 20 years, PCS has successfully partnered with enterprises across a full spectrum of industries to provide the technological support and managed services needed to help organizations focus on and achieve their specific goals. Contact us today to get the answers you need to make the right decision for your organization.