Calculus of IT - Episode 6 - 1/3/2024 - "IT Survival Guide Chapter 7 - Managing Your Managed Services Provider"

The Calculus of IT

In Episode 6, Mike and Nate discuss Chapter 7 of the IT Survival Guide, which is focused on handling your Managed Services Provider (MSP). When you step into your new company, you will likely partner with an MSP. How you manage them and how long you keep them around are key questions you must resolve immediately.
We also discuss the rise of Generation Alpha, the browser as a service model, the evolution of AI pay-for-play, and other usual banter.
Post-chapter 7 analysis/reflection questions:

1. How would you assess your organization's current MSP relationship, and what metrics would be most informative for evaluating their performance and services?
2. What potential issues could arise from an MSP relationship if not properly managed, and how could insights into licensing agreements and contracts inform your strategy for managing these risks?
3. What steps would you take to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities when parting ways with the MSP, including creating a transition plan with agreed-upon tasks and timelines?
4. What challenges might you encounter when assuming control of responsibilities previously managed by the MSP, and how can you prepare for these, including potential "hidden" issues?
5. How would you navigate potential conflicts between an MSP's goals and your company's objectives to ensure your IT strategy remains uncompromised?
6. Reflect on a time when you had to evaluate the effectiveness of an MSP. What key indicators led to your decision, and what strategies have you used to renegotiate terms for more favorable conditions?
7. Discuss transitioning IT services from an MSP to an in-house team, including the critical steps and considerations for maintaining service continuity and obtaining full administrative access.
8. Share your approach to documenting interactions and agreements with an MSP and how maintaining a positive relationship benefits your organization, even when planning to transition away from their services.

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Chapter

1. Preamble: Generation Alpha (00:00:00)

2. Introductions and General Banter (00:11:42)

3. Nate Reads Chapter 7 (00:20:31)

4. Chapter 7 Concludes - General Banter Continues (00:42:56)