How to ensure an IT transition moves smoothly
What can I expect during an IT provider transition? How does the transition work? How do I minimize downtime for my employees?
Transitioning to a new IT provider can be a difficult and scary process. Of course, one of the biggest questions is will the transition affect your end-users and your business? A lot of factors create a smooth IT transition. Planning with an experienced IT provider minimizes downtime for a company’s end-users.
The Ideal Case Scenario
Change in any industry is common and a part of doing business. It can be hard for IT companies to lose a client they have been with for years. However, in the business world you need to make decisions that are in your company’s best interests. Your IT provider should understand that change happens. They should be willing to provide a professional off-boarding experience.
The ideal situation is to migrate your network and have full cooperation between the two IT providers. The best-case scenario is the outgoing company is fully supportive and professional during the transition.
Before You Search for a New IT Provider
- Review your current contract to ensure you can switch providers without issue.
- Speak with your employees about what expectations and IT-related needs they have. Inform your staff of your search for a new IT provider and why.
- Do your research. Consult with colleagues about providers they work with. Read online for current reviews from active clients.
- Speak with potential IT provider representatives to see if the company culture is right for you.
Selecting a Cyber Security IT Service Provider
- Potential new Cyber Security providers should perform a cyber security risk assessment and discovery to find areas of weaknesses.
- Stakeholders at your company should be present during the process.
- Company leadership should be open to mitigating company risks.
- Potential Cyber Security partners should have an adaptive approach to Cyber Security. Threats evolve quickly.
- Decide which Cyber Security provider you think will protect your systems, limit cyber threats, and provide modern security solutions.
After You’ve Chosen a New IT Provider
At 4BIS Cyber Security, we want to start supporting your company right away. After all you are switching providers for a reason, but sometimes this isn’t possible. Sometimes there are limitations accessing company systems.
- Notify your current IT provider that you will be taking steps towards a new IT provider.
- Information gathering and introduction. A meeting between the outgoing company and the new IT company should occur. This meeting will set expectations and guidelines based on what the company needs for a successful transition. During this meeting, an exchange of information (passwords, inventory, ticket history, company specific info) will start occurring.
- Communicate with employees. How to contact helpdesk, support provided, etc. Communication with employees about what the process will look like. Communicate what the timeline is for the switch if there will be downtime and what this change means for their work overall. Inform your staff how and when they should contact the new IT provider.
- Push out security tools, software, etc. Data backups need to be setup and the new IT provider and testing occurs.
- Onsite installation of hardware is setup onsite. This may include servers, firewalls, access points, etc.
- Employees are set up for routine security training.
- Coordinate a pickup time for any hardware belonging to the former IT provider if you rent from them.
Some management tools (software) can coexist on a network and not cause any problems for the end-user. Sometimes software tools do not work well together. New software tools need to be setup before removing old software tools. This process allows for consistent access to the network and makes sure new cyber security holes are not opened.
Once the outgoing company has a chance to uninstall their software, the new company can put on new software the same day.
What can I do to ensure the process is as smooth as possible?
- Ensure you are not violating any contracts with your current provider.
- Build the bridge for communication between the two companies.
- Communicate with your staff about why the change is occurring. Share the parts of the transition plan that may affect their work.
- Check-in routinely with your staff about what is working and if issues exist.
- Your new IT provider should extend a check-in meeting.
If you think it might be a good time to change your IT provider or if you’ve never worked with an IT provider before, reach out to us. We have over 30 years of experience providing support and cyber security to various businesses. We can tailor cyber security and IT support specific to your company’s needs. Customer service is paramount for us at 4BIS Cyber Security.
Working with the right IT provider is the first step to safeguarding your company, company data, clients and employees. Interested in talking further with an IT professional? Contact our team of IT professionals in Cincinnati, Ohio, to see which officer is right for your business.
