Partnering with a managed services provider (MSP) can transform your business's IT operations, offering enhanced security, proactive management, and strategic guidance. However, the thought of onboarding with a new MSP can create anxiety for decision-makers who worry about potential disruptions, data security, and the complexity of the process. Understanding what to expect during onboarding can calm nerves and help your organization prepare for a smooth transition.
What To Expect When You Hire a New MSP
The onboarding process starts with a detailed plan based on the MSP's proven process. This should include an overview shared with your liaison at the start of the onboarding process and clearly explained. During this initial step of the onboarding process, you will likely be asked to share any immediate concerns or special needs your organization may have with your onboarding specialist and account manager.
Getting to Know Your MSP and Next Steps
Your new MSP should take the time to understand your IT environment, business goals, and immediate priorities early in the onboarding process. A documented roadmap outlines each phase of the transition and allows you to ask questions right up front.
Onboarding roadmaps commonly include two parallel plans – one for communications about the partnership, such as how-tos for support tickets, payments, or reaching the team, and one for the technical discovery and documentation process that leads to IT support go-live. Steps often include:
- Introduction to your onboarding specialist and account manager or technical advisor
- Reference guides for interacting with the MSP team, using client resources such as a portal or ticketing system, escalating problems, and more
- Initial assessment of your current IT infrastructure
- Proposed timelines for initial onboarding meetings, site visits, deployment of tools, system migrations, integrations, and testing
- Documentation that will be completed throughout the process
- Requirements for going live with the helpdesk and then next steps
This structured approach addresses the common fear of operational disruption by breaking the process into manageable phases and enabling new clients to ask questions before onboarding begins.
See Exigent's onboarding roadmap
Expect a Comprehensive IT Assessment
Before implementing changes, your MSP will perform a thorough audit of your IT systems. This includes analyzing your hardware, software, network configuration, security protocols, and compliance requirements. The audit identifies areas of improvement and highlights potential vulnerabilities. At Exigent, we leverage a multi-page, highly detailed audit system that enables a deep understanding of your environment right from the start. Typically, MSPs start with a technical inventory and then move on to functional elements of your environment such as passwords, policies, licensing, and other documentation needed to seamlessly migrate your environment into a proactively monitored state.
Not only does this support your MSP as they begin offering services, but it also helps provide the foundation for future discussions about your short-term needs and long-term roadmap. Because your MSP should help guide future technology investments and upgrades within your budget and in support of business expansion, having that baseline is a great starting point for both of us. For decision-makers hesitant about data security or system readiness, this step provides an opportunity to ask questions or voice any concerns, leading to proactive problem-solving.
Communication and More Communication
Throughout the onboarding process, clear and frequent communication is essential. Your MSP will assign an account manager or technical advisor to keep you informed, answer questions, and address concerns in real-time. At Exigent, we use a 20-email communications cadence to share details about Exigent and your managed services solution throughout the onboarding process, covering topics such as creating service tickets, navigating the client center and payment portal, reaching important team members, and more. But you should also expect personalized information from your onboarding specialist throughout the process. We have found that over-communicating is a better approach than assuming our clients understand the process. Proactive communication ensures alignment, builds trust, and mitigates the common fears about disruption and loss of control.
Installation of Monitoring Software
One key way MSPs stay ahead of troublesome issues is by actively monitoring client environments. Modern solutions enable monitoring, and those same tools help with proactive maintenance, patching, upgrades, and remote access to your systems. Often called RMMs (remote monitoring and management) tools, your MSP should explain what the tools do as well as the security and access controls put in place as part of this process.
Training and Support
Your team's ability to navigate new tools and processes is vital to a successful onboarding. An MSP will provide training to ensure employees understand how to use systems effectively and where to turn for help. For some businesses, access is limited to a handful of liaisons, in other cases, anyone in the business can leverage the helpdesk or other support services. Regardless, your MSP will work closely with employees to set expectations and ensure a positive customer experience. Expect guides and quick videos to help you learn – and remember – how to access support portals, follow up on ticket statuses, escalate issues, and make payments.
Onboarding with a managed services provider is a collaborative process designed to alleviate concerns, set expectations, and drive long-term success. At Exigent Technologies, we specialize in seamless onboarding with our Assurance Managed Services model. Each client is assigned a dedicated onboarding specialist and starts meeting with their technical advisor early in the onboarding process. Augmenting the onboarding is clear documentation and a four-week communications plan that keeps liaisons in the loop and slowly introduces new customers to the Exigent team, the company, and its processes.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your organization thrive.
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