Do you often feel like your IT service provider is not getting the results you need? You get recurring tech problems, or maybe their tech guys are always unavailable when you need them. Those might be warning signs that you need to switch IT providers.
We know making that switch is easier said than done. It’s a massive undertaking that could potentially cause a lot of disruptions. However, if your current IT company just isn’t cutting it, moving on to a provider that can help maximize your technology is the best option down the line.
Intelligent Technical Solutions (ITS) is an IT support company that has provided hundreds of businesses with enterprise-grade managed IT services for over a decade. From our experience, it’s almost impossible to make things work when you and your provider are simply not a good fit for each other. Moving on to another company might be worth the effort in those cases.
In this article, we’ll help you know when is the best time to make that switch by diving into the following:
- How to Know If It’s Time to Switch IT Providers
- Questions to Ask Yourself Before Switching IT Providers
- Things to Do Before the Switch
How to Know If It’s Time to Switch IT Providers
Switching to a new IT provider is a big move. It’s understandable why you might feel reluctant about it. However, finding a new provider might be the best choice for your business if you’re experiencing the following:
1. Recurring Issues
It doesn’t matter who your IT provider is; issues will pop up from time to time. However, if the same one keeps coming back up, it's a red flag that the problems aren’t being resolved properly. You might want to consider switching to a provider who can get it done.
2. Late Response Times
A reliable managed service provider should respond to you within a few hours for non-urgent requests and five to ten minutes for emergencies like catastrophic network failures. If your current one doesn't, you should look for a provider that will.
3. Lack of Transparency
If you find yourself constantly surprised by your invoice, then there's a lack of transparency between you and your provider. That means you're not being informed of costs upfront. You signed with an MSP to stabilize your IT spending, so if your invoice is full of surprises, that's a sign to make the switch.
4. Constant Upselling
Does every call with your IT provider end up with adding a new IT project? If your MSP constantly upsells its services at every turn, you could end up with a bloated environment filled with things you don't need. A reliable provider will offer services that help you achieve your business goals, not fulfill their sales quotas.
5. Lax Security Practices
Security should be top-of-mind for any IT company. If your current MSP is lax when it comes to passwords and cybersecurity, that should be a red flag that they don't take it seriously, which could put your company at risk.
6. Unable to Achieve Your Goals
Sometimes your provider isn't doing anything wrong, but your business might outgrow what it can deliver. Maybe you need more advanced technology, or you have more users than your provider is capable of supporting. In those cases, it's in the best interest of your company to move on.
4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Switching IT Providers
Before making the final decision, it's vital to ensure you're ready for the commitment. To do that, you should first ask yourself the following questions:
1. Have You Communicated the Issues with Your Current Provider?
Before looking elsewhere and committing to the difficult task of switching IT providers, it's a good idea to reach out to your provider and tell them about the issues first. There are times when just hashing it out is the best option. We all make mistakes, and that's true for your current IT provider, too. However, if they are not receptive to your feedback, then it's time to look for someone who is.
2. How Committed Are You to Making the Switch?
As we mentioned before, switching providers is a massive undertaking. It will require a lot of time and effort from all parties concerned if you want to do it right. Make sure you are committed to the switch before going through with it to prevent any costly missteps.
3. Does Your New IT Provider Offer Advanced Cybersecurity Services?
Cybersecurity is essential in today's landscape, and having it under one roof with managed IT creates a better experience overall. If you're moving to a new IT provider, look for one that offers both managed services and comprehensive cybersecurity.
4. Can the New IT Provider Help You Achieve Your Goals?
The right provider shouldn't just meet your standards right now. They should be able to meet your goals in the immediate future. You wouldn't want to sign on with a new provider and go through the tough transition process only to outgrow them in a few years.
Things to Do Before the Switch
Switching IT providers can become a rough process. However, there are a few steps you can take to help make the transition run smoother, namely:
Inform Your Current Provider
Notifying your current provider as soon as you've made the decision will help make offboarding go faster. It will enable them to help you with the switch.
Plan Your Timeline
Moving all your IT to another company will take a lot of time. Therefore it would be best to plan your timeline appropriately so that it doesn't cause significant disruptions to your operations.
Prepare Your Team
Inform your team of what’s happening, as this will allow them to prepare for the move, like backing up critical data before the switch.
Are You Ready to Switch IT Providers?
Switching IT providers can be a long and difficult process, but finding the right partner to help your business grow with technology is worth the trouble. However, if you're still unsure whether changing providers is in the best interest of your organization, you can check for signs that it's time for a switch, like:
- Recurring issues
- Late response times
- Lack of transparency
- Constant upselling of extra services
- Lax security practices
- Unable to achieve your goals
If your current IT provider exhibits the signs above, switching might be the better option.
At ITS, we are dedicated to helping businesses thrive with technology by providing quality managed services. Check if ITS could be the right fit for you by scheduling an initial call with us, or you can learn more about what to look for in an MSP by checking out our article titled Which MSP is Right for My Business?