Five Key Questions You Need To Ask Before Hiring an IT Company in Columbus, OH
Identifying an MSP that’s the right fit for your business can be a tedious and drawn-out process. Discover the crucial questions you need to ask to avoid rushing into a contract with a lousy IT vendor.
It’s no secret. Identifying a managed IT services provider (MSP) that meets your organization’s unique IT demands can be a daunting task. Without a proper strategy, finding a technology partner that compliments your business needs can easily turn into a nightmare.
And yet, bearing in mind the central role your IT plays in your company’s health and success, your choice of MSPs could either make or break your organization. So, how can you ensure you make the right call? Like any other business challenge, you need to ask the right questions before making an informed decision.
Please watch this short video to get started on questions to ask before contracting an IT company:
Which Five Key Questions Should You Ask Before Hiring an MSP?
Explore the five critical questions to ask before signing a contract with an MSP.
- Will They Assist You With Your Compliance Efforts? In today’s highly-regulated business world, your organization has to comply with a long list of guidelines. Such regulatory standards govern everything from which data types you’re allowed to store to how you should store, access, and protect the information. What’s more, if you’re in a field like the healthcare sector or personal finance, you face the added challenge of keeping up with constantly changing compliance requirements. Your MSP must, therefore, help you safeguard your data and avoid lawsuits and hefty fines.
- How Will They Handle Billing? Regardless of your company’s size, you’re probably working within a limited IT budget. Fortunately, partnering up with a reputable MSP is an excellent way to cut down on your overall spending as outsourcing all or part of your IT needs ensures you pay less upfront. However, despite the affordable, fixed monthly rate, some hidden factors aren’t quite as predictable. You and your MSP must work out exactly what you should expect to pay. For example, will there be any extra service charges or fees in case any unforeseen situations arise?
- How Do They Plan On Handling Tech Support? One significant advantage of having an MSP handle your IT is that you can access the same standard of professional tech support large corporations enjoy. Should you choose to outsource your IT needs, what would that mean for your small to medium-sized business? What does your prospective IT partner mean when they talk about “support?” Will they take your calls or just hand you over to a help desk service? Will your business have a dedicated account manager who’ll be handling all your demands? These are just a few of the questions you must ask any potential IT partners before putting pen to paper.
- Do They Have a Service Agreement? You may be wondering: of what significance is a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to your company? In simple terms, it’s a handy way of guaranteeing your MSP actually has an incentive to deliver the timely IT solutions your business requires. An SLA provides a “standard” level of service to which you can always compare your MSP’s performance. Consequently, any trustworthy managed IT services provider needs to adhere to some type of contractual terms when they’re providing their support.
- How Active Are They With Reporting and Feedback? Your chosen MSP needs to have a number of key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess your company’s overall progress and performance. They should be capable of analyzing what works and what doesn’t and how resources are allocated.
Ready to Partner With the Leading Managed IT Services Provider in Columbus, OH?
Our experienced IT professionals at EasyIT are eager to provide honest responses to these and any other questions you might have.
Contact us now to find out if we’re the right fit for your Columbus, OH business.
