Know whether your IT provider is delivering what the business needs.
Your MSP or IT provider may be doing an excellent job.
They may also be operating against an outdated contract, carrying unclear responsibilities or delivering a service that no longer matches the business.
Baselayer reviews the arrangement so management can decide whether to keep it, improve it, renegotiate it or replace it.
This is not an exercise in finding reasons to change provider.
Replacing an IT provider is disruptive.
If the existing arrangement is fundamentally sound, the best outcome may be to keep it and make a small number of improvements.
The purpose of the review is to answer a simpler question:
Is the current arrangement fit for the business today?
WHAT WE REVIEW
Scope
What the provider is contracted to do and what remains the client's responsibility.
Support model
How incidents, requests, escalation and recurring problems are handled.
Cybersecurity
Which security responsibilities are included, which are excluded and how controls are evidenced.
Backup and resilience
What is protected, who monitors it and how recovery responsibility is divided.
Technology ownership
Documentation, assets, licences, credentials, domains and administrative access.
Licensing and subscriptions
Important software, licensing structure and obvious areas of duplication or unnecessary cost.
Service performance
Available SLA, ticket, escalation and operational performance information.
Projects
How project work is proposed, scoped, quoted and managed.
Roadmap and planning
Whether the provider is helping the business anticipate technology changes or simply responding to current issues.
Commercial arrangement
Pricing structure, contract terms, renewals and material areas requiring clarification.
A clear recommendation, not a vendor scorecard for its own sake.
KEEP
The provider is broadly fit for purpose.
IMPROVE
The relationship is viable, but specific gaps or responsibilities need to be addressed.
RENEGOTIATE
Scope, pricing or commercial terms should change.
RETENDER
The business should compare the current arrangement against alternative providers.
REPLACE
The current model is no longer appropriate and transition should be planned.
If change is required, Baselayer can stay involved.
The objective is a better operating model, not simply a different logo on the invoice.