How to Find the Best IT Managed Service Providers in the US

Operational efficiency can make or break your business, and with this blog post, we want to help you choose an IT managed service partner wisely.

Creating a modern and compelling IT service experience for your customers requires a transformation of your digital IT workflows, automated operations designed to increase productivity, and issue resolutions in order to deliver a scalable service. Many businesses, such as yours, are turning away from legacy ITSM platforms and seeking higher ROI by implementing more modern and scalable platforms such as ServiceNow.

Unfortunately, an IT transformation – regardless of what system you are integrating – can be a difficult task if you are a small to mid-sized company. The process requires time, experience, deep knowledge, and resources you might not have at your disposal. Fortunately, there are many IT managed service providers in the US that can be invaluable partners for your business, but how do you find the right one? In this blog post, we will help you identify the criteria of a trusted managed service provider. Let’s dive in! 

The five pillars of finding the right managed service provider

There are several things to consider when looking for the right IT managed service provider to help guide you on your IT transformation journey. 

Pillar #1: Recognized partner

If you are integrating a new system (e.g., ServiceNow, Zendesk, Jira, etc.) into your business, ensure your managed service provider is a recognized partner. That’s one of the best indicators of success – all major platforms have partner programs, so your search for one might as well start there. Finding an IT managed service provider that is recognized by the ITSM you are implementing ensures they are experienced and will deliver a service of a high standard.

Pillar #2: Provide end-user training

Here’s an example – you are a mid-sized business, investing your hard-earned capital in implementing a new, more modern, and streamlined help desk to boost productivity and enable your team to focus on their core business objectives while keeping end-users satisfied. You contact a managed service provider that will implement the help desk platform – all good, right? But what good is a platform if your team isn’t trained to use it? The best IT managed service providers ensure the integrity of the system they implemented, as well as the training of your staff. 

Pillar #3: Provide post-implementation support

Every IT change, whether it’s big or small, goes through three main stages – development, testing, and production. However, there is a fourth crucial stage that is oftentimes overlooked – post-production. Issues arise, and additional changes require further implementation even when the implementations and integrations are complete and have gone live, so when assessing your future IT managed service provider, make sure they will support you in this final stage.

Pillar #4: Support integrations 

Third-party applications are an integral part of any business, however not all IT managed service providers offer integrations. When looking for your ideal implementation partner, ensure they will help you integrate your third-party applications into a unified and easy-to-manage system that will be your single source of truth for your IT operations. 

Pillar #5: Have experience with your industry and scale

Some managed service providers are better suited for large-scale organizations, whereas others are more geared toward the needs of small to middle-sized businesses. If you are the former, the choice is easy – you can always turn to big names with experience in complex implementations, such as Deloitte or IBM. However, if you fall in the latter category, we’d advise you to look for a smaller, reputable name with a proven track record. Working with smaller or middle-sized businesses. Preferably within your industry.

A Trusted Managed Service Provider

If you are struggling to find a trusted partner to manage your IT help desk consider CRI Advantage. CRI Advantage is an industry-leading IT services provider with over 33 years of experience serving federal, state, and local government agencies and commercial clients. With a standing army of 100+ industry-leading professional consultants and CISSP-certified security engineers, CRI Advantage covers the entire spectrum of IT managed services – from cybersecurity and IT staffing to managed help desk, and more. A Premier ServiceNow and a Shared Assessment Member, CRI Advantage is among the most prominent managed service providers for SMEs in the United States.