Transitioning to a new Managed Service Provider can be difficult if it’s not done efficiently and not based on your organization's needs.
In our topic 6 Questions to Ask When Researching an IT Provider, we’ve previously asked What Experience Do You Have in My Industry?, What is Your Response Time?, and What Services are Actually Covered by the Provider? Today's question is:
Question 4: What Will the Transition From My Current IT Company Be Like?
Once you know how to choose a Managed Service Provider (MSP), you’ll have to transition from your current partner. Your company will need to do some preparation and planning to make that transition as smooth as possible. Be sure to inform your staff and vendors of the impending change to maintain transparency and share the necessary information with all parties affected by the switch.
You can also ask your incoming MSP partner how they will help make the transition seamless. Ask questions like:
- How long will the transition process take?
A seasoned MSP partner will have managed many transitions before yours. Your new partner should have a playbook that outlines the different stages necessary for successfully switching providers. They should be able to provide a timeline specific to your business based on its industry, size, and contract details.
◦ With PCS, the process could take as little as 2 weeks to 1 month (based on your
organization’s needs) to be onboarded effectively.
- What information do you need from my team?
Clearly communicating with your new IT partner will help make the transition process easy. Make sure you have clear points of contact within your business and the new MSP team. - How will you mitigate business disruption?
You are likely switching to a new MSP because you want a higher level of service to meet your organization’s needs. With that in mind, you want to avoid disruption to your daily operations.
◦ At PCS, we ask all the appropriate questions from your prior MSP or internal IT. We
thoroughly uncover all the information we need while not running updates or doing
anything invasive that would disrupt the company's workflow in order to allow the
process to be smooth and effective.
When it comes to the transition of support, PCS makes it easy to onboard with us. With our reliable 24/7 live support with LiveLine, we can handle your call as quickly as 30 seconds. We welcome you to contact us with your questions.
Tomorrow, we’ll continue the discussion with the fifth question to ask: How does your Support Ticket Process Work?