What to Ask a Managed Services Provider

A seasoned, mature provider should be able to provide thorough, well-considered responses to each question. If you sense that an MSP is improvising answers, consider it a red flag. This guide is your compass to navigate the complex terrain of selecting a new MSP, ensuring you choose a partner who will offer robust, reliable, and efficient services.

1. How many employees and locations do you have?

2. Can you provide a breakdown of your service delivery team?

3. Do you use contractor resources for any portion of your service delivery?

4. Do you use offshore resources?

a. If so, how do you ensure security with the offshore resources?

5. Can you provide a list of all services your organization can provide?

6. What certifications does your staff possess?

7. What industry groups is your company involved in?

8. How many endpoints and users do you manage for MSP clients?

9. How many clients do you have?

10. What’s the size breakdown of your clients?

11. What’s your value proposition and key differentiators?

12. Can you share any awards your organization has won?

13. Can you share some of your quality metrics/key performance indicators?

a. How are these collected?

14. What is your transition process for a new managed services client?

15. What is the timeline for your transition process?

16. What resources are needed from us as the client for the transition?

17. What is your service request intake process?

18. What methods can our team use to submit service requests?

19. What are your service ticket best practices?

20. What’s your escalation process?

21. What are your help desk hours?

a. What is covered vs. billable in terms of your help desk hours?

22. What’s your after-hours support process?

23. What’s within the scope of your help desk service?

24. How do you handle onsite support?

a. Does onsite support cost extra?

25. How do you support our network?

26. How do you support peripherals like printers, docking stations, etc.?

27. What are the limitations in regard to line of business application support?

28. What are your Service Level Agreements (SLAs)?

29. Please share metrics on your SLA performance?

30. What standard processes must clients follow?

31. What is your password reset process and password philosophy?

32. What software tools do you use to provide your services?

33. What access do our staff have to your ticketing system or online portal?

34. What are the biggest hurdles, in your experience, to a successful managed services partnership?

35. How do you work with internal IT staff (if applicable)?

36. How does your pricing adjust if our staff count or environment changes?

37. Is there a fee if we pay by credit card (if applicable)?

38. Are there annual price increases?

39. What’s the process for purchasing a new computer?

40. What are your hourly rates for out-of-scope services?

41. How do you handle project quoting?

42. What experience do you have opening new client locations (if applicable)?

43. Can you handle equipment storage and, if so, what are your policies and procedures?

44. What’s your new user onboarding process?

45. What’s your user offboarding process?

46. What would our client account team look like?

47. Do you provide a strategic consultant / Virtual CIO?

a. If so, what is your process for strategic consulting?

b. If so, what specific things can your vCIO consult clients on?

48. How many vCIOs are on your team?

49. How many clients does each vCIO work with?

50. What’s your process to review our technology state?

51. Explain your health and life cycle monitoring process?

52. How do you track our assets?

53. How do you help us with technology budgeting?

54. How do you determine when equipment replacement is warranted?

55. What is the equipment replacement process?

56. How do you create project plans?

57. How do you collaborate and exchange information with your clients?

58. What’s your client feedback process?

59. What’s your customer satisfaction and quality assurance process?

60. What are your regular client reporting processes?

a. Can we see examples of the client reporting?

61. How do you manage documentation for your clients?

62. Do you create network diagrams for clients?

63. What training do you offer to clients?

64. How do you handle cybersecurity training?

65. What’s your standard operating procedure for client changes and improvements?

66. Do you have a client knowledge base?

67. What is your technology education plan for engineers?

68. What industry standards does your organization follow?

69. What is your patching process for computers?

70. What is your patching process for servers?

71. How do you handle disaster recovery testing?

72. How do you handle client maintenance or outage notifications?

73. What platforms do you use for cloud/hosting services?

74. How do you handle VoIP phone system support?

75. What VoIP solutions can you support?

76. What cybersecurity solutions do you offer to your clients?

77. Can you support staff working at home?

78. How do you handle support for low-skill users?

79. How do you handle cybersecurity audits?

80. How do you handle vendor support?

81. How do you handle client equipment recycling?

82. What experience do you have with clients in our industry?

In conclusion, the careful selection of a Managed Services Provider is a critical decision for your organization. By using this comprehensive guide of over 80 questions, you’ll be equipped to assess the operational maturity of potential MSPs effectively. Remember, the depth and clarity of their responses are indicative of their experience and capability. Any sense of improvisation should be considered a warning sign. Here’s to your successful search for a reliable, proficient MSP that will help your organization thrive in its digital journey.

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Ready to find the perfect MSP for your business? Get a free consultation with the IT experts at Framework IT today! We’ll help you navigate the selection process and ensure you get the best fit for your needs.