Would you really like to change your IT Provider in Six Steps?

    What’s happening

    A Change of IT Provider is a Big Decision

    Are you worried about making such a difficult choice regarding your IT Provider?

    Worrying about a break in IT service and support but also getting to grips with all the areas you need covered?

    There can be many technical reasons to consider a change, from data access problems to network or machine speed, but also staff complaints regarding handling of issues promptly or courteously can be a significant factor.

    You may feel your current provider takes no interest in your business, or is not proactive with their support offering you good advice to assist with efficient trading.

    How would you proceed moving away from your IT Provider?

    Here are SIX steps to help a painless change

    1. Prepare a list of your current issues

    Make a simple list of your current issues, consider the service you currently receive and where it falls short for your business.

    Consider how your current provider manages items like;

    •          Call Response Times
    •         Issue Resolution Times
    •         Hours of Work
    •         Location & Geographic Coverage

    Is your current provider always solve things remotely or do they visit on site and know how your business works?

    Is your current provider difficult to contact, do they call you back when you log a call?

    Does your current provider have a Ticketing or Incident logging system in place?

     2. List all the services your current provider manages

    Make a simple list of your current services and who provides them to your business – are they spread across multiple suppliers?

    •  IT and Network Support
    • Network and Server Support
    • Email Hosting and Support
    •  Domain Name Hosting
    •  Website Management and Hosting
    •  Anti Virus software and support
    •  Anti Spam support
    •  Online Backup
    •  Data Backup
    •  Broadband Internet Connection
    •  Phone lines & phone system

     3.  Consider any impending changes to your business

    Review your business plan and be clear where you need to be taking the IT Services for your company.

    For example;

    • Are you about to expand or employ more staff?
    • Will you need staff to work remotely in the future?
    • Considering a change in premises – larger or even smaller?
    • Thinking of a re-brand?

    These are all considerations for a future provider which may influence any proposal they make for your business.

     4.  Research alternative providers

    Ask your trusted business friends who they use, this is often a good way to find a company that works well.  You can ask them about the services they use from the provider, bearing in mind the reasons you are considering moving away from your current IT provider.

    You can do a quick Google search locally.

    Before requesting a meeting its worth doing some simple reviews;

    • Are they an individual trader or Limited company?
    • Is the business credit worthy?
    • Is their business a Microsoft Partner, do they have other Industry relevant trust indicators?
    • Website relevant and professional?
    • Do they use Social Media, can you visit their various sites and feel confident with their Social Face?
    • Can you review testimonials on their website?

     5.  Request a meeting with two or three of your researched IT Service Providers

    Once you have your short list of providers, request a meeting with a member of each of the businesses, preferably at your premises, but it is worth considering also visiting any providers own head office address to review how they operate.

    Armed with your lists of items you currently have covered, it would be useful to provide a list of equipment which requires coverage.  Expiry dates of contracts and software licences are always useful to have to hand.

    There is nothing like a face to face meeting to decide if you like the trading style of any potential partner.

    Once you have any prices and proposals returned the decisions can be made.

     6.  Making that Switch

    The handover process should be carefully planned by your new provider, its worth asking each business to explain the process to you before you sign any documents.

    Check you have all the pricing and services covered by your new provider and read the Service Level agreements or Contract documents carefully to ensure that you are receiving the cover you need for your business, including hours of support, response times and any other call out fees.  Ensure you understand the limitations of any contract and when you are possibly going to receive bills for additional work or supply of services.

    There should be no loss of service as your new provider will be able to work with any old provider and plan for the transition with no break or interruption of service.  This should be the same for cloud or site based services, on site or remote workers should not be affected with any likelihood of problems being identified by your new provider.

    If you want to discuss changing your Provider, you are welcome to contact Jacqui to discuss a careful strategy for business continuity through change.

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