Essential Guide to Choosing a Managed IT Services Provider in Manchester

There is a reason why an increasing number of businesses choose to outsource their IT to a managed services provider (MSP). As CloudSecureTech points out, MSPs can cut your annual IT costs by 25% while boosting your operational efficiency by 50%. The challenge is how to choose a managed IT provider that will truly align with your business.

You can help yourself simplify that task by creating a decision criteria matrix before you begin your search. This managed IT checklist should cover a combination of your technical requirements and your business goals. A good partner could help you find ways to use IT to meet goals that you may not have realized were possible.

The rest of this article will show you how to create this. As a leading managed IT service provider in Manchester, we will explore what every business should include and what you need to do to pinpoint which criteria should be on your unique checklist

7 Managed IT Services Criteria Items That Every Business Should Include

1. Scalability

Choose an MSP that can scale services up or down as your business changes. They should have clear resource management practices to maintain that ability. This flexibility ensures you always have the right level of support without paying for unnecessary resources.

2. Cybersecurity & Compliance Support

For fairly obvious reasons, your MSP should provide strong cybersecurity and compliance expertise if you need it.

However, you should also consider a provider who can manage these expenses effectively without cutting corners on security. 66% of companies report that meeting compliance requirements is driving up their spending, but a well-thought-out compliance strategy can control those costs.

3. Proactive Monitoring & Maintenance

Choose an MSP that provides continuous system monitoring and preventative maintenance to minimize downtime and address potential issues before they impact operations. Proactive monitoring protects your business continuity and improves both network security and performance.

A network that performs well offers daily productivity gains that add up over time. 40% of business leaders agree that such productivity gains would help them develop new products or services.

4. Data Backup & Disaster Recovery Planning

Ensure the MSP offers reliable data backup and disaster recovery services. Data recovery planning is essential for minimizing operational disruption and reducing potential data loss and regular backups enable quick system restoration if an unexpected event occurs.

5. Technical Support Availability

Verify that the MSP offers accessible technical support through multiple channels and provides timely assistance for critical needs. Availability should match your business requirements so that your team members can receive prompt responses and maintain productivity.

6. Adaptability

Select an MSP willing to customize their services to fit your specific needs rather than offering fixed, generic packages. This flexibility helps you get the most value from your IT investments as your business requirements change.

7. Transparency in Pricing

Look for an MSP with a clear and transparent pricing model. Transparent pricing prevents unexpected charges or hidden fees, allowing for better budget management. This clarity also helps you build a trustworthy partnership with your MSP.

How to Determine Your Unique Criteria

Alongside the 7 items we listed above, your unique checklist should also include specific criteria that are unique to your business operations. Different businesses have different challenges and the right MSP will offer solutions to yours.

One method that you can use to help yourself narrow in on your unique needs is to consider what you would include on a job description for an IT Director or CTO. Beyond technical skills, think about what other traits such a person should have. Examples may include strong communication skills or efficiency. These traits can then become part of your MSP checklist.

Another method to help you determine your unique needs is to consider what outcomes you would like to see in the future, such as strategy and budget planning. You can use these potential outcomes to further refine managed services questions to ask candidates.

How to Define Your Managed Services Qualifying Questions Based on Your Checklist

Your managed IT services checklist will help you decide who to book a discovery call with. However, it can also help you plan a managed IT services questionnaire that you can use during the call.

Convert each checklist item into a question by focusing on what you need to know. For example, if your checklist includes “proactive maintenance and monitoring,” ask, “how do you prevent issues from affecting operations?” This turns your criteria into direct questions that reveal how well their services match your needs.

Here are some examples of the types of questions that you may find useful.

Start Your Search For Ideal Managed IT Services in Manchester With NENS

Once you have your managed IT checklist ready, your next step is to put it to use. If you’re ready to get started, we would be happy to see how we compare to your criteria.

At NENS, we have over 30 years of experience helping businesses a lot like yours. We have also maintained a 98.5% satisfaction rating across over 150 unique clients. We are confident that we can provide you with the IT services that you need to succeed.

Reach out to the most trusted managed services provider in Manchester today for your consultation.

Contact Information:

New England Network Solutions - Manchester Managed IT Services Company

1087 Elm St Suite 236
Manchester, NH 03101
United States

Jane Doe
(855) 918-2126
https://www.nens.com/