Jeremy Wanamaker | Sep 26, 2024
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Right now, you may be considering a switch to a new IT support provider. But let’s face it – the notion of change can feel daunting. Where do you begin? How do you guarantee a painless transition? What should you prioritize from a new provider?
Take a deep breath because you’re in the right place. For this article, we’ll educate readers on the core factors required for success and provide practical guidance to help businesses smoothly transition.
| “Don’t put up with a poor provider simply because switching seems too hard. The setbacks you’ll experience by staying with the wrong partner will lead to much more lost time than the time it takes to make the switch.” – Jeremy Wanamaker, CEO of Complete Network |
One of the first hurdles to overcome is recognizing that change is needed. Organizations accustomed to subpar IT services often misconstrue red flags for industry norms, assuming their endless struggles and setbacks simply indicate ‘how technology works.’
In this section, we’ll highlight four signals that it’s time to switch.
With IT serving as the backbone for modern business operations, the break/fix model of support no longer holds up. If your IT partner doesn’t employ a more strategic, proactive approach focused on anticipating and preventing problems beforehand, change is due.
Does your current partner frequently fail to resolve issues on the first attempt? If so, this is likely a sign that they lack the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to handle your problems effectively. Worse still, it may even be because they don’t view your company as a high priority.
Additionally, CloudSecureTech points out that 82% of customers expect to get their IT issues solved within the first call. So, your provider’s low first-time resolution rate could have a long-term impact on your customer satisfaction rate.
Either way, when your IT issue persists over multiple interventions, your employees and customers bear the brunt of the impact.
Erratic budgeting and hidden fees are glaring red flags. While most IT service contracts stipulate annual increases ranging from 3% to 10%, being blindsided by unexpected costs and fees signals deeper problems with your provider’s transparency and integrity.
Cyberattacks happen. That’s just a cold, sobering truth. If unfortunately, you’re the victim of a successful attack, take a hard look at the provider’s response.
The best providers won’t shy away from difficult conversations – they’ll be in the trenches with you.
Choosing the right IT provider can propel your business to new heights. Meanwhile, the wrong partner will leave you vulnerable to costly downtime and hacks. Let’s break down the key factors that separate the contenders from the pretende
Seek out an IT partner with specialized expertise in your specific business domain. Quickly eliminate candidates who lack insight into your industry’s nuances. Prioritize those who demonstrate a thorough grasp of industry-specific subject matter, software, compliance, regulations, and security concerns.
Testimonials and case studies offer a peek behind the curtain into how a provider has addressed challenges, delivered solutions, and supported other businesses in the past. However, you should pay attention to the details. Here’s what to look for:
Not all IT support providers are created equal. The request for proposal (RFP) phase is your best opportunity to evaluate the differences between candidates and better judge their true capabilities and professionalism before signing a contract.
You’re not just assessing the technical details of their proposal but also their approach, thoroughness, and ability to understand your unique needs. A high-quality proposal should exhibit three key characteristics: clarity, personalization, and presentation. The plan should be easily understandable, free from excessive jargon, and tailored to your organization’s goals and objectives.
Ask our team exactly what our plan is to ensure you receive stellar IT support.
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A successful handoff from your old IT provider to the new one is fraught with challenges. Next, we explore steps and best practices for managing your transition, helping you avoid common pitfalls.
Every IT support contract differs in its specific language and conditions for cancellation. Most agreements, however, offer clients at least two potential exit strategies: cause and convenien
Termination for cause is when the client ends the service contract due to the provider’s failure to fulfill their obligations. For example, if a provider consistently fails to deliver on service level agreements, breaches confidentiality, or engages in unethical practices.
Usually, this approach will require detailed records of each offense and evidence of attempts to address said issues with the provider
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Termination for convenience allows clients to end the contract for any reason, be it changing business needs, budget cuts, or shifts in strategy. Although this approach is sometimes easier and more convenient, it’s far more expensive than termination for cause.
In helping countless clients migrate away from their old IT partner to our team, we’ve seen early termination fees exceeding 50% of the remaining contract value.
Your ticket history is more than just a record of past issues; it’s a valuable repository of information that can help your new partner understand your IT environment, spot recurring problems, and see how previous issues were resolved. Here’s how to handle this migration effectively.
| Step 1 | Start the ticket migration by assessing how your current provider stores and formats your ticket history. Ensure that the data can be exported in a standardized format that your new provider can easily import and interpret. |
| Step 2 | When transferring sensitive information be mindful of data protection laws. Confirm that your new provider is fully compliant with all relevant regulations to avoid legal complications. |
| Step 3 | Once the migration is complete, it’s important to test the integrity of the transferred data. Verify that all tickets and associated metadata, such as timestamps, user comments, and resolution notes are intact and uncorrupted. |
| Step 4 | Lastly, make sure that your old provider securely deletes any copies of your support ticket history. This step is crucial to protecting your organization from potential data breaches or misuse of your information. |
The other half of a successful handoff is transferring your company’s account data and IP. During this phase, it’s crucial to understand what belongs to you and what belongs to the provider.
Your data, configurations, and other account information are your property to rightfully have turned over. Obviously, the provider’s data and IP are not. Note that some unscrupulous providers may try to overly complicate this process. If you face resistance, consider escalating the issue to higher management levels as sometimes lower-level staff may not fully understand their obligations.
A smooth onboarding process is necessary for your new provider to quickly get up to speed in supporting your operations. For this final section, we’ll cover the gist of a typical onboarding experience.
A thorough audit covers all aspects of your IT environment, including hardware inventory, software licenses, network architecture, security protocols, and data management practices. Such an assessment not only provides your partner with a deeper understanding of your infrastructure configuration but also establishes a baseline for measuring future improvements and performance.
Clear communication is a critical pillar for any partnership to succeed. Take the time to document and articulate your goals, objectives, and expectations with your new service provider so that the relationship starts with all parties on the same page.
Equally important is sharing your experiences regarding where your previous IT provider fell short. Be specific about the hurdles you faced and help the new provider appreciate the pain points you want addressed.
| Read Our Blog to Learn More About What to Look For in an IT Support Provider |
Data migration is both an art and a science. This process is not merely about copying files from point A to point B, but also about maintaining your data’s integrity, security, and accessibility.
It involves making sound judgment calls on how to handle legacy data, deciding which information to archive versus migrate, and determining how to structure the data in the new system for optimal performance and usability.
Getting your employees acclimated to your new provider and their standards for support can sometimes prove to be the toughest hill to climb. Here are ways to prepare your workforce for the transition:
| Meet Your New IT Support Provider in Any One of These Locations | |||
| Albany, New York | Charlotte, North Carolina | Savannah, Georgia | Bluffton, South Carolina |
Changing IT support companies can be difficult and confusing. The team of IT professionals at Complete Network has a long track record of helping clients switch from a lackluster IT company to a high-touch, high-value service provider with minimal pain and confusion.
Contact our friendly team at 877 877 1840 and [email protected]. We look forward to speaking with you!
In an ideal world, technology would be a consistent source of competitive advantage and benefit for small and midsized businesses. The reality is that many fail to realize that confidence.
Without the right resources and support, even a highly skilled technology team can become overwhelmed by the growing list of technology management duties. When important tasks get neglected, it creates ripple effects throughout an organization that damage productivity and efficiency.
The co-managed IT services model solves these problems by providing your existing IT team with all the support and resources they need to successfully plan, manage, and defend your network technology.
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