Welcome to our fifth and final blog in our series exploring the questions we’re most frequently asked about IT outsourcing.

1. What does IT outsourcing look like?
2. How should we prepare?
3. What are the risks?
4. How should I talk to my team about outsourcing?

In this blog, we’ll answer the question that usually follows next – how do we get started?

Question #5 – How do I get started?

You’ve done some research, looked at the pros and cons, and talked to your team. Moving forward with a Managed Services Provider (MSP) is the next step – but how do you know which MSP is right for your organization? How do you get started? Here are some tips.

Choose the Right MSP Partner

Choosing an MSP as a partner is the most important decision you can make when outsourcing IT. While your needs may be smaller or short-term to start, selecting a partner for the long-term should be the priority. Ideally, you should choose a strategic IT partner that offers holistic IT and business solutions to address full-service needs as they arise.

You want to be sure to do your due diligence and ask the right questions to have the clearest understanding of a potential partnership, eliminate risks and set your company and team up for success.

Interviewing MSPs

If you’re new to this, you may not know what questions you should ask. Here are some questions to help you get started:

General Questions

• How long have you been an MSP?
• Where are you based (in the US or overseas) and is your staff local?
• How many managed services customers are you supporting?
• What is your growth rate over the last three years?
• What are your hours of operation?
• How is your support team staffed after hours and on weekends?
• What measures do you employ to ensure your client’s satisfaction?

About Approach

• What approach will you use to meet customer’s needs?
• What are your service level agreements and how is attainment reported?
• How do you handle escalations and what is the process?
• What ticketing platform do you use?
• Will I have access to my ticket data, status, etc.?
• Do you integrate with other ticketing platforms?
• What type of contract will govern our relationship? What is the term? How do you manage changes in scope?
• Who will specifically manage my account?

Technical/Service Desk Team

• How many technicians/engineers do you have on staff?
• How many are dedicated to managed services?
• Describe the level of expertise of your staff.
• How do you handle onsite support?
• Do you use sub-contractors?
• Do you provide value-added services in addition to managed services?
• What experience and training with the technologies in production
• Does your team have certifications?

These questions will help you understand the operating structure of a potential partner and help you align expectations so there are no surprises.

Contact Us

BDO Digital has over 35 years of experience helping organizations transition to modern IT support models. If you’re looking for a strategic partner who can help identify your business goals, map solutions, and develop a roadmap for digital transformation, BDO Digital is uniquely positioned to help you align the right people, process, and technology to achieve your desired business outcomes.

We have developed a free, two-hour consultation to help organizations benchmark their current Service Desk performance and determine a path to modern IT management. We’re happy to talk to you about our IT Service Desk Benchmark to help you gain an understanding of where you are now and where you could be in the near future.

Contact us to learn more about BDO Digital's outsourced Managed Services and Service Desk solutions and get the conversation started today!