Evaluating Your IT Services Provider: Is It Time To Move On?

Evaluating Your IT Services Provider: Is It Time To Move On?

Are you taking the time to evaluate your strategic partners and vendors? Are you getting the value you deserve? Are your evolving business needs adequately met? Your IT services provider is no exception. 

At Proper Sky we talk to several small businesses every week who outsource their IT, and the most common scenarios we run into are they’re either outgrowing the capabilities of their current provider, or ownership has changed hands due to a merger or acquisition and they feel like they are no longer getting the attention they deserve. Both of these scenarios of course come with byproducts such as slow response times, project backlog, lack of strategic direction to name a few. 

Are You Outgrowing your current IT Provider? 

Perhaps you hired a small mom and pop shop years ago to help with your company’s technology. You probably pay them on a time and material basis for break-fix support. This type of support can work for micro businesses (up to 5 full-time employees), but as your company grows beyond that, you will gradually see that the level of IT support will start to decline. It is extremely challenging for a small company to effectively deliver secure, reliable IT support for a growing business, let alone several growing customers.  

There is a lot that goes into managing your company’s IT, after all, that is why you’re outsourcing your IT, right?  

It is important to consider all the work that happens on the backend – is your data getting backed-up? Are your servers and applications getting patched as updates are released? Some of this work might not be top priority if your IT company is spread thin, but when critical updates or backups are pushed to the wayside it can lead to major disruption or potential vulnerabilities in your business.  

Managing your IT is a big responsibility, and with that responsibility comes risk. Are you confident your IT company has adequate cybersecurity solutions in place to protect your business? Are the proper guardrails set up to prevent a cyberattack or Ransomware attack? Unfortunately, a small MSP simply might not have the budget to purchase the advanced tools required to support growing businesses today– nor do they have the time, or resources required to effectively manage those tools. 

Has anyone ever told you that you’re not paying enough for IT? There are a lot of areas where you can shave off operational costs in your business. Cutting corners on your IT to save a few bucks is not the place to do it. The risk is simply not worth the reward.   

If you find yourself in this scenario where you feel your IT provider is limiting employee productivity due to insufficient support or not prioritizing your business as they once did, that is a key indicator that it might be time to consider moving on to an IT company that can support your growing needs. 

Has Your IT Provider Outgrown You? 

It’s no secret that there is a massive movement towards industry consolidation in the MSP space. Private equity has taken the industry by storm, leveraging Merger and Acquisition (M&A) strategies to gobble up the competition.  

Where does it leave you, the customer, if a sizable corporation suddenly acquires the IT provider you had an intimate partnership with? If you find yourself in this scenario, you are probably feeling a mix of questions and concerns about the future.  

Integrating systems and processes after an MSP acquisition is challenging. This transition often involves merging different technology platforms, which can temporarily disrupt service efficiency. Unfortunately, this is where the new company’s focus is, and oftentimes leads to neglect of what matters most – nurturing those new relationships and the delivery of quality customer support.  

If you find yourself in this situation, you will likely see changes with key personnel that you’ve worked with for years – these are the employees that know and understand the inner workings of your business. If that legacy knowledge of your business is not transferred before changing hands, it will inevitably disrupt service continuity.  

These conglomerate IT companies, or “super MSPs” as they are being coined, will promise a “larger team to address your needs” and “a wider range of services available” but your reality could look very different. At this juncture, it’s not uncommon for new billing models to be imposed, possibly leading to increased costs.  And depending on the size of your contract, could impact your support structure altogether. 

Many business executives who find themselves in this situation, begin to feel like a small fish in a big pond. Your IT is integral to every part of your business, and requires regular attention and support to run smoothly.  If your IT support went from very hands-on to hands-off, it is probably a good time to reevaluate your MSP. 

Evaluating Your IT Services Provider 

Your decision-making in this evolving business environment is crucial. When it comes to selecting the right IT partner, it’s all about aligning your IT services with your current needs and future business goals. 

If you find yourself in either of these scenarios, contact our team at Proper Sky today. We have helped dozens of small and mid-size companies navigate through these critical business decisions and we’re happy to offer recommendations on how to proceed, whether it is with us or not.

At Proper Sky, our top priority is our customer satisfaction and success.  If you’re looking for an MSP that understand your business, that will prioritize your IT needs and provide an intimate business partnership for years to come, give us a call at 21.305.8899, let’s talk