Partnering with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) offers several benefits to a business, such as lower operation costs, access to an experienced and qualified team, ease of scaling, and best security & compliance. However, to enjoy these benefits, you need to select the right MSP partner for your business.
Selecting the right MSP is a critical decision that will affect your business. This task becomes increasingly overwhelming when you consider the sheer number of MSPs and the range of services. This blog aims to help you select the right MSP for your business with 8 essential tips. But first, let us understand what an MSP partner is supposed to be.
What is an MSP Partner?
A managed service provider (MSP) is a third-party organization that is responsible for managing an organization’s workforce requirements and contingent talent. Hiring an MSP has become a popular choice among IT companies to manage their contingent workforce. This can be attributed to their cost-effectiveness and efficiency.
Hiring an MSP helps an organization to scale its workforce according to its needs. A managed service provider works alongside the organization’s internal HR team to facilitate smooth operations.
How To Choose A Managed Service Provider For Your Business Needs?
1. Consider What Your Business Needs At The Moment And In Near-Future
An MSP that is well-suited for someone else’s organization may not be the right one for your organization. Organizations are diverse and each organization may have different requirements. Hence, before beginning your search for the right service provider, you need to outline your business’s needs and goals.
Selecting a managed service provider is a crucial decision and switching your provider every couple of months may be impractical and costly. Hence, basing your search based on your organization’s short-term as well as long-term goals will help you select the right organization. If you are planning to scale shortly, you should consider an MSP that offers the resources to achieve that. Similarly, if you value security, you should consider an MSP that can offer good security services consistently.
2. Ensure The Service Provider Has Relevant Experience And Expertise
Choosing an MSP with relevant experience and expertise is very important for ensuring quality work. It can also save you a lot of time explaining what your business needs are. A great way to choose an MSP relevant to your organization is to choose someone who has worked for other organizations in your industry.
Hiring an MSP who has relevant experience in your industry can better understand the specific problems that your organization may face. An MSP that has been in business for several years is often a good indicator of experience, but additional inspection is essential and recommended. To gauge an MSP’s expertise, you should ask for their qualifications, certifications, and testimonials.
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3. Discuss Your Plans To Scale And The Flexibility of Their Service
If you see promise in an MSP, it is best to communicate your business needs and expectations. This helps to ensure both parties are on the same page. If you are seeking an MSP for long-term partnerships, you should consider that with time your business needs will evolve.
It is best to explain your plans to scale to the MSP and ask them if they will be able to provide the services with consistent efficiency. The MSP you choose should be capable of adapting to changing business demands and market trends. You should ask them if they can allocate more resources if required and make changes to the contract if the business calls for it.
4. Take A Good Look At Their Security and Compliance Protocol
Cybersecurity and data protection are non-negotiable terms when choosing the right MSP. Cyber crimes and data theft are rampant in today’s day and age and should not be taken lightly. The MSP partner you hire needs to have a robust security and data protection protocol in place.
The MSP needs to have a quick response strategy to counter any potential threats to data and cybersecurity. An effective security strategy is that which includes regular checks and maintenance and meets all compliances. Failing to meet security compliances could result in security breaches, legal issues and hefty fines.
5. Consider Their Support And Communication Timing And Speed
Problems can arise at any time in an organization. These problems need to be addressed as soon as possible or it could lead to downtimes and loss of productivity. Quick support and effective communication are crucial for a business’s smooth operations.
Make sure the MSP you choose offers 24/7 support or is at least available during your business hours. The service provider must have clear channels of communication and support. Research about the average response time of different MSPs. The MSP must also have competent staff that can resolve your problems as quickly as possible to minimize downtime.
6. Make Sure They Have A Recovery And Backup Plan
Nothing is 100% guaranteed in life or business, issues can arise anytime without a warning. To ensure these unpredictable events do not hinder your business operations, choose an MSP with a disaster recovery and backup plan.
Inquire about MSPs’ disaster recovery and business continuity plans to ensure your business doesn’t take a hit in case of uncertainties. The MSP must offer regular data backups, redundant systems for quick data recovery, and off-site storage to prevent loss even in case of disasters.
7. Look For MSP Through References And Check Online Reviews
One of the best ways to find out if the MSP can provide reliable services is to go through their online reviews and testimonials. You can also speak with other organizations and people in your network to find a reliable MSP. Positive word of mouth is a good indicator of the MSP’s capabilities and previous experience.
If you are looking for MSP through references, you need to ask certain questions to them. These questions could range from “What types of services do they offer?” to “Have you experienced any significant downtime or data loss under their management?”. This will help you understand if the MSP they are referring to is suited for your organization.
8. Negotiate The Pricing To Suit Both Parties
Price is an important factor when finalizing the contract with an MSP. You can negotiate the terms of the contract so that the pricing structure suits your budget as well as their profit margins. Negotiation can be an effective tool for finalizing a deal, as it shows you are genuinely interested in their services. However, you should remember to avoid overdoing it.
Pricing is not the only factor you should consider when negotiating a contract. If the MSP offers all the services you need, has a good reputation in the industry, and fits into your budget, you should go for it. Choosing subpar MSP for a lower price could lead to high costs in the long run.
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Conclusion
Partnering with the right managed service provider can greatly benefit a business by facilitating scalability, efficiency, and cost reduction. Choosing the right MSP partner for your business is a critical decision that needs to be taken after careful consideration of several factors. Consider an MSP that thinks about your business’s development.
If you are an IT MSP, looking to hire the best IT talent, contact us today! Vertical Talent Solutions is always ready to help you find the best talents for your business needs.
FAQs
Q) How do I choose the right MSP Partner?
Ans: Start by accessing your business needs, ask questions to potential partners, discuss the services you require and what your expectations are, establish a clear communication channel, and discuss pricing structure and terms and conditions.
Q) What are the benefits of partnering with an MSP?
Ans: An MSP can help you get access to expert and experienced talent as per your business requirements. This improves business performance, flexibility, and scalability. It also directly influences productivity, efficiency, and cost.
Q) What are the qualities of a good MSP?
Ans: A good MSP should have years, if not decades of experience in the industry, they should have case studies and testimonials of their previous work, and they must be willing to evolve and adapt to the latest trends and technologies.
Q) What is the role of MSP in the staffing industry?
Ans: The role of an MSP is to manage staffing agencies and source temporary or contingent staff according to the organization’s needs.
Ted White is the President & CEO of Vertical Talent Solutions and has over two decades of IT recruiting experience. Specializing in assisting Managed Service Providers in securing their ideal roles, his expertise navigates career paths precisely. Connect with Ted White for tailored recruitment solutions today.