Services13 IT support management
Need IT support? I'll help you choose and manage the provider.
The right provider, the right contract, and someone on your side holding them to it.
Quoted after scope is agreed
How it works
- Managed IT proposals price by seat, by device and by service, which makes them hard to compare side by side.
- You can't tell if the current provider is good because nothing is measured.
- When something breaks, the finger points between vendors and nobody owns it.
- 01
Source the right fit
I shortlist managed IT providers that match your size and your systems, then explain what each proposal covers. Compare the price with the support hours, devices, monitoring and response commitments included.
- 02
Get the contract straight
Response times in writing, what's actually monitored, who owns the passwords, how they report, and how you leave. Agreed before signing, not discovered after.
- 03
Manage them ongoing
Quarterly reviews against the contract, incidents tracked, renewals negotiated. Usually part of the fractional partner arrangement, so the provider knows someone technical is reviewing their work.
Who does what?
Keep the support provider and the person managing that relationship accountable.
Your MSP
Agreed help desk, monitoring, patching and technical support.
Headway
Compare providers, clarify contract terms and review delivery against the agreement.
Contract checklist: response expectations · monitoring scope · access ownership · reporting · exit terms.
What it costs
Quoted after scope is agreed
The free hour can identify whether a provider review would help. Sourcing and contract review are scoped separately. Ongoing management usually lives inside the fractional partner retainer.
What moves the number
- How many providers you're evaluating or replacing
- Whether it's a one-time contract review or ongoing management
- How complex the current environment is
So you do the IT support yourself?
No. The help desk and monitoring stay with the MSP; that's their job and they're built for it. My job is making sure you have the right one at a fair price, and that someone on your side is checking the work.
Do you favour a particular provider?
No. I recommend the provider that fits, and I'm happy to work with one you already have.
We already have an MSP. Is that a problem?
Not at all. The free hour can help establish whether a review would be useful. Any contract or performance review is scoped separately.
You work directly with me.
I'm Chris Patten: eighteen years leading technology as VP, IT and CIO, a finance and accounting background, and experience building and selling my own business. You work with me directly, and I have no software to sell you.