You pay your MSP every month. But how do you know whether things are getting better?
One of the most valuable parts of a managed IT relationship should happen away from the service desk. It is the regular business review.
Start by understanding what has happened.
Do not focus only on the number of support requests. Ask what they are telling you.
Security should not become a conversation you have once a year.
The Australian Government’s cybersecurity guidance emphasises practical controls such as multi-factor authentication, updates, backups, access management and employee awareness.Â
Your regular reviews provide an opportunity to check that security improvements are actually happening.
Review the roadmap and ask:
Roadmaps should change when the business changes.
Your MSP should ask about the business too.
This information helps your provider anticipate what your technology needs to support.
Every review should conclude with clarity.
This is an important distinction.
A good review should produce decisions, not simply another report.
It is a structured discussion about support trends, cybersecurity, projects, risks, budgets and business changes. Its purpose is to make decisions and agree the next set of actions.
Include the person responsible for the MSP relationship, relevant business leaders and the provider’s strategic account representative. Other specialists can join when a particular project or risk needs discussion.
Useful reporting may cover recurring support issues, security actions, device health, backup status, project progress and roadmap priorities. Reports should explain what the information means, not simply present technical statistics.
No. A review may confirm that existing priorities remain appropriate or that no immediate investment is required. The value comes from informed decisions, not constant purchasing.
Record each action, owner and target date. Begin the next review by checking progress and explaining any delays or changed priorities.
