Introduction
In this article, we outline the key areas to cover when changing IT providers.
This is going on the assumption that the business has either:
1) A fully outsourced IT company is providing relevant IT services.
2) Internal IT department/staff that require 3rd party support for certain aspects of the technology function in the business.
Step 1: what the new supplier should be asking.
The reasons for changing IT providers can vary greatly, so we won’t bother outlining those details. What we will describe are the things to ask for when discussing IT services with a new supplier, which can sometimes be missed in the whole process.
Audit of current systems:
If the new supplier is experienced, they will ask to do this before providing services.
It’s a basic step that should always be covered in their proposal.
Without this information, it’s common for hidden costs to appear and for the services to exceed your budget.
The goals and strategy for the business:
It’s critical that the IT supplier knows this information. Many suppliers will not ask these probing questions and want to get straight to the technical details. However, the new supplier needs to know this information when it comes time to upgrade or change systems.
What’s planned for the business will dictate what technology solutions are put in place. If the right investment can be made earlier on, this will only work to the businesses favor in later stages.
Step 2: Review of current contract.
Depending on the level of service provided by the incumbent supplier there will usually be a formalized contract of service. Within this contract, there will be clauses that dictate the process for termination of the agreement.
There will also be an agreed date with the incumbent supplier when the contract will end. This date has to be carefully managed to provide a seamless end date and start date to the new contract.
Step 3: Exchange of information.
Part of the daily tasks of an IT support company is the need to know security details and passwords for admin level access to servers, network devices, and cloud services.
The incumbent supplier will have a record of all of these details usually in the form of:
- username
- passwords
- network addresses
- cloud and offsite service login URLs
This information should be requested at the time of termination by you, the business, and not the new IT supplier.
This information should then be held within the business and securely communicated to the new supplier.
Step 4: The change over day.
At this stage, the new IT supplier should have a clear understanding of your business and be ready to support your IT and technology’s needs.
Depending on the agreed upon services and what is to be fulfilled within the contract, a formal communication to all staff may be required, notifying them of the:
- Change in supplier
- Contact details of the supplier
- Preferred methods of communication
It’s entirely possible that a gatekeeper within the business will act as a conduit for reporting issues; this should also be taken into consideration with the correct internal communication.
Step 5: a 3-month review of service.
The 5th and final step is often missed when changing IT providers. After the contract start date, a 3-month review of service meeting should be held by key stakeholders and the new IT supplier.
The agenda for this meeting should include feedback on how the new service is taking shape within the organization and an action plan for outstanding area’s that could do with improvement.
While a 3-month review of service is not critical in the changeover process, it will complement the goals and strategy for the business.
If you would like more details on switching to Secutor as your IT supplier, please contact us.
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Secutor Cybersecurity is a trusted partner comprised of industry leading experts in the fields of Cybersecurity and Governance, Risk and Compliance. We partner with our clients to deliver on-demand solutions tailored to expertly navigate the regulatory demands of their specific industries.
Our proven track record of successfully exceeding client expectations is achieved through the combination of our methodical approach, advanced technologies, subject matter experts, and synergy with client team members.
Secutor is your team of world-class problem solvers with vast expertise and experience delivering complete solutions keeping your organization protected, audit-ready, and running smoothly.
