The right managed service provider (MSP) can be a great asset to your organization. Outsourcing the responsibilities that are outside of your company’s core competencies but are still critical to your success is an excellent way to optimize your operations. Choosing the right service provider comes down to a few key qualities you should look for, including a positive reputation, timely support, multifunctionality, a forward-thinking mentality, and a committed partnership.
1. Positive Reputation
Look for a managed service provider with a positive track record. You can get some insight into what your customer experience might be like by considering the provider’s reputation among their existing customers.
When you’re considering a service provider, consider questions like:
- How long have they been in business?
- How much experience do their employees have?
- Do they have experience in your industry?
- Do they have long-term customer relationships?
2. Timely Support
When you outsource a business function, you want to be able to fully remove that burden from your company’s shoulders. If a service provider can’t respond to your needs quickly, though, you’ll end up still dealing with headaches on your own. Your time is valuable, and business interruptions and long wait times should never be the norm.
Look for a service provider with service level agreements (SLAs) in place that specify how quickly they will respond. This response time may vary depending on whether it is during business hours or not. A local service provider who is committed to providing swift service is the ideal option because they can be there when you need them to handle issues and minimize disruptions.
3. Multifunctionality
It’s also smart to look for a service provider that is a one-stop shop for multiple responsibilities you want to outsource. For example, this might include:
- Managed print services
- Managed IT
- Document management
- Consulting and tailored solutions
Trusting one vendor for multiple functions is a great way to simplify your operations and build a strong relationship with that service provider.
Plus, they can ensure all these aspects of your business are working together well to maximize your efficiency and performance. For example, CPI can combine our managed IT services with managed print and document management to provide a total solution for document security across your operations and the document lifecycle.
4. Forward-Thinking Mentality
An easily overlooked but highly important consideration is whether a company has a progressive mindset. The world is changing rapidly, and you need a partner who can keep up.
If you’re not working with a company that is embracing innovation, then you’ll miss out on opportunities to embrace positive change and refine your processes. A forward-thinking MSP won’t shy away from new technologies or approaches—they’ll confidently help you implement them where appropriate so you can continue to thrive in the face of change.
5. Committed Partnership
One of the most important things to look for in a service provider is something intangible—it’s the overall customer experience they can offer you. The customer experience is worth far more than cost savings. It makes sense to consider your budget, but price isn’t a good No. 1 factor to determine your choice of an MSP. Instead, if you have to focus on one thing, focus on that customer experience.
Think of a partnership with an MSP as a relationship you’re entering into. You want that relationship to be compatible and full of trust. Look for a committed partner who is truly vested in your team’s success.
What Makes CPI an Ideal Service Provider?
CPI fulfills all of the requirements we looked at. We’ve been in the business long enough to accrue a wealth of experience and expertise in a variety of industries, including education, government, healthcare, law, and more. CPI has a reputation for excellence in our area for being a trusted expert and reliable MSP.
We pride ourselves on the relationship and customer experience we provide. We’re there whenever you need us with a commitment to a four-hour response time in most cases. We’ve also earned the Pro-Tech Service Award, which means we offer superior customer support and have achieved at least 90 percent first-call effectiveness. In other words, we’re normally able to fix a problem during the first visit to your office.
We can help you with a variety of managed services—including managed IT, managed print, and more–to help you seamlessly run your office. We also embrace innovation to help you continually enhance your operations.
Interested in partnering with CPI for managed services? Reach out for a quote or consultation to get started!
