I work at a small manufacturing company with around 200 employees, and we've been using a managed service provider (MSP) for our IT needs for over seven years. As we've grown, I've become concerned that our MSP is not adequately supporting our expansion. I have some IT knowledge myself and manage the contract with this MSP, but I feel like they're operating on autopilot. My main concerns revolve around group policies, user access, and security settings in Microsoft 365. I'm looking for a good way to audit our current setup and ensure we're ready for further growth without being pressured into purchasing additional services from the MSP. What steps can I take to effectively assess their performance and the current state of our IT infrastructure?
5 Answers
It might help to first clarify how your current setup is structured—is it on-premises, hybrid, or fully cloud-based? Also, look at processes like onboarding and offboarding to see if there are clear procedures or if it's just done through emails. Getting a better idea of how your users experience IT processes can highlight areas that need improvement. You can also press your MSP for clarity about the services they offer versus what you've actually implemented. If you’re struggling to collect this information, consider bringing in an external consultant who can provide an unbiased audit of your current situation.
Once you've conducted the audit, think about your next steps. You will likely need to hire someone internally to keep your MSP accountable. This way, you have someone on your team who can navigate the results and ensure that your IT aligns with your growth goals.
As an MSP owner myself, I can tell you that auditing your current service without some external help might be tricky. Your best bet is to hire someone in-house who has the right skills to interpret the audit results. Otherwise, you risk getting caught in a loop where you can only get sales pitches rather than a genuine audit of your setup.
If you're looking for a real evaluation of your setup, you might want to bring in some outside expertise. I work for a large value-added reseller (VAR) and we have resources available to help assess environments comprehensively. Feel free to reach out if you’d like more information on how we can assist you.
It's crucial to be specific about what you're worried about regarding growth. Are you concerned that your MSP can't handle an increased ticket volume or scale up their services effectively? Also, consider reviewing your group policies—are they too permissive? Ensuring that MFA is set up properly for your environment can also go a long way in securing user data.

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