Businesses are using technology more than ever—but managing that technology is not easy. That’s why nearly 75% of today’s companies rely on one (or more) of the 40,000+ managed service providers (MSP) in North America to manage and maintain their tech.
Still, many leaders aren’t sure how to choose a managed services provider that fits and making the right choice can make all the difference.
“Your MSP should feel like an extension of your business, not a third-party fix-it team,” says Hemang Shah, CEO, Logic V. “A great MSP helps prevent issues, improve performance, and guide tech decisions that align with and further your business goals—not just respond to tickets.”
If you’re exploring managed services for the first time or simply want to avoid common pitfalls, this guide is for you. Below, we’ll walk through 9 must-know tips to help you make a confident, informed choice when selecting an MSP. From identifying your needs to spotting red flags, you’ll come away with a clear understanding of what to look for—and what to avoid.
Breaking Down the Managed Services Selection Criteria That Make a Real Difference
1. Define Your IT Needs
Before you start comparing providers, take a step back and think about what kind of help you really need. Are you looking for someone to take IT completely off your plate, or just fill in some gaps? Do you already have some internal support, or are you handling everything yourself?
Here are a few simple questions to ask internally to help you figure that out:
- What parts of IT take up too much of our time?
- Where do things tend to fall behind—like updates, backups, or support?
- What tech problems keep showing up again and again?
- Are there moments when I think, “We really need someone to handle this”?
- Are we planning to grow or make changes that our current setup might not handle?
- Would a better IT system lead to better business opportunities?
- Do we need someone who just fixes problems—or someone who helps us plan ahead, too?
Answering these will give you a clear picture of what to look for in a provider—and help you spot who’s actually listening to your needs.
2. Look For Industry-Relevant Experience
Not every managed services provider needs to specialize in your exact industry—but they should understand the realities that come with it. A provider who’s familiar with the compliance rules, workflows, and day-to-day pressures of your field will be much better equipped to support your business without a steep learning curve.
For example, a healthcare organization may need help navigating HIPAA compliance and strict data privacy policies, while a financial services firm might require secure file transfers and audit-ready reporting.
These aren’t just technical details—they’re the operational context that shapes how your managed services provider should work with you.
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3. A Provider Should Stop Issues From Becoming Problems
The real value of managed services isn’t just fast support—it’s fewer disruptions overall, especially when you consider every minute of downtime costs small businesses between $137 – $427.
A strong MSP won’t prevent every issue, but they will catch many before they cause trouble. That might mean noticing a backup failed overnight, patching a security hole before it’s exploited, or flagging a slowdown before your team starts submitting tickets.
How can you tell if an MSP is proactive? Ask what they do behind the scenes.
Do they run regular system health checks? Do they apply updates and patches without waiting for you to ask? Do they monitor for things like low storage, hardware errors, or signs of phishing attacks? Are they keeping an eye on aging infrastructure so you’re not blindsided by sudden failures?
4. Make Sure Security Is Part Of Your Managed Services Vendor Selection Criteria
Robust, reliable cybersecurity isn’t a bonus feature. It’s a baseline. Over 600 million cyberattacks occur each day and non-compliance costs businesses over $4 million in revenue each year.
Whether it’s customer data, financial records, or internal systems, your MSP should treat your information like it’s valuable and vulnerable—because it is. This includes protecting it from cyber threats, and helping you stay in line with any legal or industry requirements you follow.
Depending on your business, that could mean meeting standards like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or PIPEDA.
But even if compliance isn’t a major concern, you still want a provider who takes everyday security seriously: things like secure login practices, regular software patching, email threat filtering, and offsite backups.
5. An MSP Should Help You Grow
Your business won’t stay the same forever—and your IT shouldn’t either. As you expand, take on new challenges, or rethink how your teams work, your MSP should be a resourceful partner helping you move forward.
That could mean facilitating a migration to a different cloud platform, introducing new business tools, or reworking your tech stack to better support remote work or expansion. The right provider will bring not just technical services, but strategic guidance, and be consultants who understand the bigger picture and can recommend solutions that support your long-term goals.
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6. Know the Details of Their Service Level Agreement
A service level agreement (SLA) lays out exactly what you can expect from your provider—from response times to system availability to how issues are handled. It’s a practical tool for setting expectations and holding the provider accountable.
A strong SLA will clearly explain how quickly different types of problems are addressed, how emergencies are escalated, and what kind of support is available after hours. It should also spell out what’s included, what isn’t, and when additional fees might apply.
If an SLA feels vague or overly complicated, that’s a sign to dig deeper. A trustworthy provider will be upfront about how they work—and confident enough to put it in writing.
Be Clear On What You’re Actually Getting
When you hire an MSP, you’re not just paying for “IT support”—you’re paying for a specific set of services. And unless those services are clearly defined, it’s easy to run into confusion, delays, or unexpected costs down the road.
Ask for a breakdown of what’s included in your agreement. Some MSPs bundle services in tiers, while others offer à la carte options. Either way, you should walk away knowing exactly what is and what is not covered.
Here are some common services MSPs may offer as part of their core support:
- Device setup and user onboarding
- Helpdesk or remote support
- System monitoring and maintenance
- Software patching and updates
- Antivirus and endpoint protection
- Cloud service management (e.g., Microsoft 365, Azure)
- Data backup and recovery
- Network performance management
- Basic cybersecurity measures (e.g., firewall monitoring, email filtering)
- IT documentation and asset tracking
Projects like cloud adoption and migrations, cybersecurity audits, or major system upgrades are often outside standard coverage—so it’s worth asking how those are handled and priced.
If the scope is vague or full of assumptions, don’t be afraid to ask for clearer language or real-world examples. The best managed service providers will welcome the conversation.
7. Understand the Onboarding Process
A thoughtful onboarding process shows an MSP is organized, prepared, and committed to setting you up for success—not just jumping in and figuring things out later. When discussing onboarding, ask what steps they take in the first 30–60 days.
At a minimum, they should:
- Schedule a discovery session to understand how your business operates
- Audit your existing infrastructure and systems
- Document access credentials, vendor relationships, and key workflows
- Set up monitoring, security tools, and backups
- Define how tickets will be submitted, tracked, and escalated
- Introduce the support team—not just sales or account managers
You should also know who’s responsible for what—and how long the process is expected to take.
8. What to Ask Before You Sign: Key Questions to Ask an MSP You’re Considering
Asking the right questions helps you move beyond surface-level conversations and understand how a provider actually works. It gives you a chance to learn how they approach support, whether they understand your business, and how well they communicate what they offer.
Here are some questions to ask during an MSP discovery conversation:
- Can you walk me through your last onboarding experience for a company similar to ours?
- What’s something you’ve caught (and remediated) before it escalated into a serious problem?
- How do you document our environment and keep your team aligned with our business goals?
- What does the offboarding process look like?
- What’s the most common call you get from your clients?
- How can we connect? Through phone, chatbots, service tickets, or other modes?
- What does the dashboard look like and can we see an example of one?
- What’s not included in your agreements?
Final Thoughts on Selecting the Right MSP
Choosing a managed services provider isn’t just a one-time decision—it’s the start of an ongoing relationship that can shape how your business runs, adapts, and grows over time. And like any partnership, it works best when both sides are clear, realistic, and aligned from the start.
You don’t need to be an IT expert to make a smart choice. You just need to know what to look for, what qualifying questions to ask an MSP, and what kind of support your business actually needs. The MSPs worth working with won’t pressure you—they’ll help you figure out what makes sense for your team.
Use this guide as a reference, take your time, and trust your instincts. The right provider will make things easier, not more complicated.
At Logic V, we’ll walk you through your options—no pressure, no assumptions. Just clear answers to help you decide what’s right for your business.
