5 Questions to Ask Your IT Service Provider – Part Two

Last summer we shared “5 Questions to Ask Your IT Service Provider” and this month we are sharing Part Two! Here are 5 more questions to consider when determining if your IT service provider is fulfilling your business technology needs.

1. As our IT vendor, what services do you currently provide for our business?
   • What do each of these services do and what do they cost? It’s important to see a cost breakdown and know what each service costs you. Knowing what services are currently provided to you could also reveal a lapse in certain coverage or even a service or product that is being doubled or covered elsewhere.
2. What technology could we put in place that would increase our business productivity?
   • Your IT vendor may suggest things like moving to 365 for email, new hardware, and/or automatic updates. Implementing options like these will improve your employee’s productivity.
3. What technology could we put in place that would increase our business security?
   • Protect yourself and your business from password breaches and cyberthreats. Get a top-rated firewall, password manager, and phishing training. Your IT vendor can make recommendations on the best products for you and your business.
4. What is our technology roadmap?
   • Your provider should be able to tell you what technology costs and projects they anticipate in the next year, in 3 years, and in 5 years for your business. Examples of costs and projects could include server replacement next year, move email from on-premises to the cloud in 3 years, and transition your business fully to the cloud in 5 years.
5. Is there anything we could do that would make supporting our business easier?
   • Ways you could make your business easier to support include:
     • Instead of requests coming from all users at an organization, have one point of contact who works with your IT vendor.
     • If there are major changes at your organization (personnel, acquisition, building move, etc.) keep your IT team in the loop so they can adjust to your needs accordingly and provide you with the best service possible.