What are effective ways to communicate with MSPs/IT vendors?

Effective communication and agreements are essential for a successful partnership with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) or IT vendor. Clear and open communication can help prevent misunderstandings, resolve issues promptly, and meet your IT needs. In most scenarios, this starts with a commonly agreed-upon scope of work.

Key Communication Strategies

Here are some effective ways to communicate with your MSP or IT vendor:

1. Establish Regular Communication Channels

• Meetings: Schedule regular meetings or check-ins to discuss ongoing projects, address concerns, and review performance. A reputable MSP will usually provide a quarterly strategy meeting and monthly reporting.
• Email: Use email for routine updates, sharing documents, and following up on requests. Email is good for routine matters, If there is an urgent request email should not be utilized as it is not immediate.
• Instant Messaging: Consider using instant messaging tools for quick and informal communication. Most IT vendors utilize Microsoft Teams or other chat apps to connect quickly with resources. Text messaging would also fit into this category.  For emergencies or urgent requests, text messaging and phone are the most immediate forms of communication.

2. Be Specific and Concise

• Clear Expectations: Clearly articulate your expectations and goals for the IT services you are receiving. Any project should have a defined set of deliverables that both parties agree on as the result of the partnership. These deliverables should have been spelled out during the scoping phase of the project or engagement. The deliverables are ingredients that add up to the total goal of the project.
• Detailed Requests: Provide as much detail as possible when making requests or reporting issues. This is especially important for support requests. Provide the nature of the issue, its impact, and how urgent the request is.
• Avoid Jargon: Use plain language that is easy to understand, even if you are not technically inclined.

3. Document Everything

• Emails and Meeting Notes: Keep a record of all communications, including emails, meeting notes, and any agreements or contracts. Utilize SharePoint, One Drive, or other online document storage to keep track of all items related to the engagement. Create folders in your email for vendor-specific communications. Take notes using One Note, Evernote, or other applications to capture information.
• Change Requests: Document any changes to your IT requirements or projects. Especially vital in projects, as in most cases, a change request could be out of scope and result in billable charges.

4. Be Open and Honest

• Share Feedback: Be open about your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the IT services you are receiving. Without feedback, the management of the firm cannot pivot to try and meet your needs. Just as important, it is good to acknowledge good experiences so those same techs can be recognized and utilized on your account and projects.
• Address Concerns: Don't hesitate to raise any concerns or issues you may have. Please, don’t let questions, fears, or concerns take a back seat. These should be brought to the forefront. Especially if grave enough that you are considering voiding any contracts. Document all concerns and attempts to raise the issue with the vendor.

5. Utilize a Project Management Tool

• Collaboration: Consider using a project management tool to track progress, assign tasks, and facilitate collaboration. An MSP will have a project management tool that you can be provided access to, or you can very easily use an application like Asana or Monday to help track tasks and project progress. Most MSPs and IT vendors will have some sort of ticket-tracking application. Request access to this tool so you can track and issue requests.

6. Have a Designated Point of Contact

• Single Point of Contact (POC):  Appoint a single person within your organization to serve as the primary point of contact for IT-related matters. After 20 years of MSP experience, I have to say this is vital. Often, if there is no primary point of contact, the vendor will take requests from anyone at your site. This could result in surprise invoices as well as overlapping requests, wasting both yours and the vendor’s time.

7. Leverage Technology

• Remote Access: Utilize remote access tools to allow your MSP or IT vendor to access your systems and troubleshoot issues. Always clear access to any resources with your IT management or operations management. Never allow anyone access to a system without verifying the technician’s identity and reason for connecting
  Online Portals: Consider using online portals or customer relationship management (CRM) systems to manage communications and track service requests. Most vendors will provide access to their ticketing system so you can track open and closed requests.

By following these communication strategies, you can build a strong and productive relationship with your MSP or IT vendor, ensuring that your IT needs are met effectively.