Guide
8 Things Your MSP Should Be Doing for Your IT Strategy and What to Do if They’re Not
Your business deserves a proactive, strategic IT approach that aligns with your overall goals. This checklist is designed to help you assess whether your current Managed Service Provider (MSP) is meeting your needs or if it’s time to explore better options. By following steps outlined here, you’ll gain insight into your IT strategy and the support required to achieve long-term success.
Instructions:
- Review each section carefully and evaluate how well your MSP is performing in these key areas.
- Mark “Yes” or “No” based on your current IT strategy and your MSP’s involvement in supporting each area.
- For any “No” responses, refer to the Next Steps provided for actionable guidance on improving your IT strategy.
- Use the checklist as a discussion tool with your MSP to address any gaps or weaknesses in your current IT approach.
- If you find significant areas lacking, consider reaching out to an expert IT consultant for a second opinion or assistance in optimizing your IT roadmap.
1. Aligning with Business Objectives
- Is your MSP fully aligned with your business goals (e.g., sales targets, growth plans)?
If not:
Next Steps: Request a strategic planning session with your MSP to discuss your company’s high level goals, department objectives, and how IT can support them. Your provider should understand where your business is heading and create an IT roadmap that aligns with your long term vision
Example: If you’re targeting a 20% sales growth, your MSP should help implement tools that enhance your CRM, streamline your sales processes, and improve data analytics to drive more sales opportunities.
2. Engaging with Key Stakeholders
- Does your MSP communicate regularly with key stakeholders to keep up with technology trends and business needs?
If not:
Next Steps: Schedule regular meetings between your MSP and key leaders from all departments to ensure they are aware of each division’s priorities. These meetings should help your MSP understand challenges, workflows, and tech adoption, allowing them to tailor IT solutions accordingly.
Example: If your marketing team is pushing for more automation, your MSP should be recommending tools or processes to integrate these systems, ensuring they align with the broader IT architecture.
3. Engaging with Key Stakeholders
- Has your MSP clearly defined the long term IT strategy and built milestones for regular review?
If not:
Next Steps: Work with your MSP to outline both short-and long-term IT goals. Insist on a phased approach that includes check-ins every 6 to 12 months to evaluate progress and adjust based on changes in the business environment or technological advancements.
Example: Your MSP might help you implement a phased cloud migration plan, starting with nonessential applications and scaling up based on operational impact and cost savings.
4. Auditing Current Infrastructure and Capabilities
Does your MSP conduct regular audits of your IT infrastructure and human resources?
If not:
Next Steps: Ask your MSP to perform a comprehensive audit that goes beyond hardware and software. This should include an analysis of how employees are using tools, where inefficiencies exist, and potential integration issues across platforms.
Example: During an audit, your MSP could discover that one department is underutilizing key software, which might be due to a lack of training or poor user experience, offering solutions to improve adoption.
5. Building a Comprehensive IT Architecture
Is your MSP building and updating an IT architecture that accounts for both department specific and companywide needs?
If not:
Next Steps: Your MSP should map out a detailed IT architecture that addresses both compliance requirements and how individual systems integrate into your company’s overall IT framework. Insist that this blueprint be revisited regularly to accommodate new technologies or changing needs.
Example: If your finance team is using outdated accounting software that doesn’t integrate with your CRM, your MSP should work to replace or upgrade it, ensuring smooth data flow and compliance with financial regulations.
6. Tracking IT Strategy with KPIs
Are there key performance indicators (KPIs) in place to measure IT strategy success?
If not:
Next Steps: Collaborate with your MSP to define KPIs that are tied to specific business outcomes. Ensure that both qualitative and quantitative metrics are established, like service uptime, customer satisfaction, and project delivery speed.
Example: If your IT strategy includes improving customer experience, track KPIs such as reduced service downtime, faster response times to support requests, and increased customer satisfaction scores.
7. Securing Leadership Buy-In and Budget Validation
Has your MSP helped you secure leadership buy-in with data driven ROI projections for your IT initiatives?
If not:
Next Steps: Your MSP should work with you to create data driven presentations for leadership that highlight how IT investments will contribute to the company’s growth. Show ROI projections, cost benefit analyses, and examples of how similar investments have succeeded in your industry.
Example: If you’re proposing an investment in AI powered customer service tools, your MSP should provide case studies or industry examples showing reduced customer service costs and improved customer retention.
8. Providing the Right Resources
Does your MSP supplement your inhouse IT team with the expertise needed for both daily operations and largescale projects?
If not:
Next Steps: Evaluate if your in-house IT team is struggling with day-to-day maintenance tasks and long term projects. If they are, your MSP should step in to fill resource gaps, whether by providing consulting expertise, handling operational tasks, or managing critical projects.
Example: If your team is overwhelmed with managing servers, your MSP could take over those responsibilities, allowing your IT staff to focus on strategic projects like implementing new cybersecurity protocols.
What to Do If Your MSP Isn’t Meeting These Criteria:
• Reevaluate your partnership: Begin a conversation with your current MSP to address the gaps in service. If they cannot meet your evolving needs, it might be time to seek out a new partner who can.
• Ask for an IT strategy review: Consider asking your MSP to perform a full review of your IT strategy, comparing it against industry best practices.
• Consult with Ntiva: As an IT consulting leader, Ntiva can offer assessments to ensure your IT strategy aligns with your business goals, while providing the support needed to achieve your long-term vision.