Does Your MSP Understand You?

What you need to know:

• ‍Strategic IT Partnership: Your MSP is a strategic partner, not just a repair service. As a partner they will understand your business goals, industry regulations, and long-term vision. Look for providers who offer a customized IT roadmap and strategic guidance on emerging technology (like AI adoption) to actively propel your business forward.  ‍
• Proactive Security & Guaranteed Performance: Great MSPs prevent issues before they occur. Demand proactive monitoring, maintenance, and robust, multi-layered cybersecurity (including an incident response plan and 24x7 monitoring). They should guarantee rapid response times based on ticket severity to ensure system health and minimize downtime. ‍
• Value, Transparency, and Scalability: An MSP partnership is an investment that requires predictable, transparent costs and a demonstrable return on investment. Ensure they offer clear communication and have the expertise and capacity to scale their services and technology support as your business grows. Avoid providers who cannot keep pace with your evolving needs.

Does your MSP understand you?

Running a business is demanding. You juggle a million tasks, wear countless hats, and strive to stay ahead of the curve. But amidst the daily grind, there is one crucial question you need to ask yourself: Do you feel confident that your IT partner is truly in your corner?

Imagine your Managed Service Provider (MSP) as your dedicated IT employee. Think about the qualities you would seek in such a role: someone who understands your needs, wants to be your partner, and has the capacity to deliver. Is your current MSP meeting these expectations?

MSP Performance Review

Ask yourself whether your MSP is excelling in these categories below. If your answer to any of them is not a resounding Yes!, reach out to your MSP's account manager. Open communication is key to addressing any concerns and ensuring your IT partnership thrives.

1. Responsive Support

Do service tickets feel neglected, leaving issues unresolved? Does your managed IT provider rapidly respond? Quick responsiveness builds the confidence that any tech disruption, large or small, gets fixed fast.

Net Friends’ triages tickets into three categories, each with their own response expectation.

2. Effective Solutions & Performance

peedy ticket resolution is crucial, but preventing recurring issues is even more vital. Is your MSP able to easily diagnose and address device failures and crashes? Can they spot support ticket patterns and effectively address the underlying issue?

Net Friends shows their proactive response by regularly updating devices, monitoring system health, and reporting on hardware/software performance. This reduces risk and disruption.

3. Service Tailored to Your Needs

Do you feel like your MSP understands your specific business needs and can provide qualified, consistent support? Your IT partner should understand your industry's landscape, including regulatory requirements and the technological demands that allow you to outpace competitors.

Many businesses use specialized Line of Business (LOB) software. Your MSP should have the capability to support these applications, ensuring they are integrated seamlessly into your IT infrastructure.

Regular documentation enables us to effectively manage our clients LOB software. We work with all your IT vendors, so you don’t have to. Additionally, communication with our leadership team and ongoing business reviews enable us to help you create a customized IT roadmap to support your long-term business goals.

4. Open Communication

Your managed service provider should prioritize clear, timely, and consistent communication. Ask yourself:

• Does our MSP provide us with insights and assistance to help me manage my technology?  
• Does our MSP proactively inform us of potential issues or planned maintenance?
• How would our MSP communicate with us if there was an outage or breach?
•  Is there a clear process for escalating critical issues?

At Net Friends, we welcome your communication and have a special email channel for you to use to ask any questions or communicate any concerns. Communication is a cornerstone of being a good partner.

5. Technology Advancement

Prioritize your MSP's technological savvy. Are they consistently on the pulse of emerging technologies? The real value lies in determining which advancements can propel your business forward. Your MSP should not only track the latest trends, like AI adoption, but also expertly tailor these solutions to enhance your specific operations.

We believe technological adeptness is non-negotiable. Net Friends is on the pulse of emerging technologies, moving beyond simply tracking the latest advancements to strategically determining what can propel your business forward.  

6. Proactive Security

Are your systems and data fortified against cyber threats? Your MSP should offer a strong cybersecurity framework for businesses, which includes:

• An incident response plan  ‍
• Backups and disaster recovery plans 
• Set security processes  ‍
• Employee cybersecurity training 
• Up-to-date security tools

Traditional security practices often fail to address the nuances of modern cyber threats. If your MSP is not tracking the latest threats, it can leave your business vulnerable.

Our NetSafe® Strategy and 24x7 monitoring, backed by SOC 2 Type II compliance, ensure we are constantly protecting your data, reducing your attack surface, and maintaining the highest standards of security integrity.

7. Value-Driven Cost Management

Do you feel like you are getting your money's worth? This is a strategic cost-benefit analysis of your MSP. Any cost increases should be transparent and justified by a demonstrable enhancement in service quality. This includes improved system performance, reduced downtime, better security protocols, and enhanced user productivity.

Net Friends delivers value by ensuring costs are predictable and transparent with no hidden fees for support. This strategic investment is justified through demonstrable service enhancements, including proactive maintenance that reduces downtime, robust security protocols, and enhanced user productivity, proving the client is getting clear value for their money.

8. Strategic Support

Do they actively support your business objectives and desired outcomes? The benefit of working closely with an account management team is their ability to understand and support your long-term vision. It is not just about managing IT systems. It is about providing expert guidance that aligns with your goals and propels you towards your desired outcomes.

Partnership is at the core of our business. Our objective is to help you use technology to achieve your business goals. We offer a wide range of strategic services to support your growth.

9. Scalability and Growth

As your business evolves, does your MSP have the capacity to grow with you? Your business needs will inevitably change. An MSP with a limited team or infrastructure might struggle to keep pace with your growing demands. As your business matures, your IT needs may become more complex. Look for an MSP that can offer a widening range of expertise to match your evolving needs.

An MSP partnership is an investment. You do not want to find yourself two years in, having to switch partners because they cannot accommodate your growth.

We support clients as large as 400 employees and as small as 3. We have the expertise and skills to support any size business through a wide range of growth. We have supported businesses while going public, through accusation or sale, rapid organic growth, etc. Business is unexpected, but with Net Friends by your side, your tech does not have to be.

A Quick Gut Check

After considering your MSPs performance, it may become apparent that it is time to meet with your account manager. This step can help to realign objectives and expectations, ensuring that both parties are working towards the same goals. Transitioning to a new MSP is a large undertaking, but it can also be a proactive step towards better fulfilling your business requirements.

If your considerations are leading you toward a change, our team is here to provide insights and explore new possibilities with you. We are here to guide you through the process with a focus on what is best for your business’s unique needs.

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WHAT TO READ NEXT:

- Breaking Down MSP Pricing
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