Many businesses settle for okay when it comes to a Managed IT partner rather than exceptional. For many people IT is for when something breaks and as long as it gets fixed at some point then they are content to continue, but your Managed IT partner can and should deliver so much more.

In this article we have identified a set of criteria that you can assess your Managed IT partner with.

  • Delivery against Service Level Agreements (SLAs) – Assuming you have the right SLAs in place, looking to see how your Managed IT provider has delivered against this is a key starting place. What percentage of tickets have been resolved within the agreed SLAs, and by how much time were they within? For those that fell outside the SLA, were you aware of these breaches and what justification was given? Sometimes a little digging can show that service levels aren’t being met.
  • A Proactive approach – Too many organisations settle for a Managed IT provider that waits for tickets coming in and does as little as possible while getting paid each year. They should actively monitor your systems, anticipate potential issues, and implement preventative measures to minimise downtime and disruptions. Enquire about their approach to continuous improvement, including how they leverage advanced analytics or automation to identify patterns, optimise performance, and enhance security posture before problems escalate. This forward-thinking stance is vital for maintaining seamless operations.
  • Cyber security – Every Managed IT partner should be incorporating advanced levels of cyber security into their services. This should be proactive with regular improvements, updates and solutions. On top of this should also be proactive monitoring and threat analysis as part of the service.
  • Communication and transparency – You want a Managed IT partner that is transparent and proactive in their communication. Do they provide regular service review meetings, SLA reports, quarterly planning meetings. Do you know the team that sit behind the service and have clear goals and objectives in partnership.

 

In short, proactivity and transparency supported by great IT services is key. You don’t want a partner to underdeliver against SLAs and never hear from them. You want a Managed IT partner that sets out a clear strategy for improving your business, communicates regularly, reduces the number of IT issues you have as a business and keeps you safe from cyber criminals. If you aren’t getting this then why not visit our Managed IT Support services and contact us today.