Managed IT Provider Selection Checklist

Decision 1

Start with the business, not the tool list

Write down the work you cannot interrupt: taking payments, serving clients, dispatching crews or running production. List locations, users, shared devices, remote workers and essential applications. Separate today’s support problems from future projects.

• Name a business owner for the decision and an internal IT contact.
• Document critical systems, operating hours and locations.
• List recurring issues and the business impact of each.
• Define must-have services and a realistic budget range.

Decision 2

Make support commitments comparable

A response is not a resolution. Ask what starts the response clock, who assigns severity and what happens when a ticket stalls. A 24/7 monitoring service is not necessarily a 24/7 staffed help desk. Request a written scope and escalation process that your team can actually use.

• Confirm staffed support hours, time zones and holiday coverage.
• Ask for response targets by severity and how performance is reported.
• Confirm on-site availability, travel charges and remote-only exclusions.
• Identify escalation contacts and coverage when your usual engineer is absent.

Decision 3

Clarify security and recovery responsibilities

Ask who configures, monitors and responds to each control—not just whether a product is included. Discuss how the provider protects its own remote access and removes former staff access. For recovery, agree which systems matter first and request evidence of restore testing. A backup dashboard alone does not demonstrate a successful recovery.

• Assign responsibility for MFA, patching, access reviews and endpoint alerts.
• Ask how privileged access is approved, logged and revoked.
• Document backup scope, retention, restore tests and recovery priorities.
• Define incident escalation and any specialist services billed separately.

Decision 4

Check the real monthly cost

Compare quotes against the same inventory and service scope. Ask which charges change when you add an employee, a site or a device. Separate recurring support from onboarding, remediation and project work. Avoid comparing a low starting price with a complete service proposal as if they cover the same work.

• Itemize licenses, support, setup, on-site visits and after-hours charges.
• Identify minimum charges, annual increases and headcount adjustments.
• Request written estimates for known remediation and transition projects.
• Confirm approval requirements before out-of-scope work begins.

Decision 5

Plan onboarding and a clean exit

A practical transition plan identifies who inventories systems, obtains access, coordinates with the outgoing provider and communicates with employees. Keep company ownership of domains, cloud tenants and essential accounts clear. Before signing, understand how documentation and access will be returned if the relationship ends.

• Agree an onboarding sequence, dependencies and named responsibilities.
• Confirm company ownership of domains, tenants, data and administrator access.
• Review term, renewal, cancellation notice and early termination charges.
• Document offboarding assistance, export formats and removal of provider access.

Decision 6

Validate fit before making the decision

Ask to speak with references relevant to your operating environment, with their permission. Discuss a concrete scenario from your business rather than asking for a generic sales presentation. Treat certifications, insurer requirements and regulatory obligations as items to verify directly; an introduction or subscription does not certify a provider’s expertise.

• Discuss experience with your critical applications and work patterns.
• Request a sample service report and a proposed first-90-day plan.
• Ask permission-based references about communication and escalations.
• Record unresolved questions and require written answers before signing.

Turn answers into a decision

Use one column per provider and mark each requirement as confirmed in writing, unclear or not included. Resolve missing answers before discussing the final price. An inexpensive offer that leaves essential work unassigned may not be comparable to a broader agreement. Keep the final scope, assumptions, escalation contacts and exit plan with the signed contract.

This is general purchasing guidance, not legal, security or compliance advice. Obtain appropriate specialist advice for your obligations and verify provider claims independently.