10 questions what to ask suppliers

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© 2009 Doherty IT Solutions

Choosing an outsourced IT provider

ByDoherty Associates

London IT Support Specialists



Company Size

• How many engineers does the company have? How many full-time members of staff? Where are all these staff members based? Do they sub-contract or outsource any work? If so, what?

• If they are a very small company or a one-man band, what happens in the event of a crisis at another client’s premises?

• Do they arrange cover if they are sick or on holiday?



Payment Structure

• What exactly is it that you are paying for? Are you entitled to unlimited support or do you pay per unit? Are there any extra/hidden charges?

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Response Times

• Will you receive guaranteed response times in the event of an IT issue?

• What hours of the day can you call them?

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Network Safety

• Will your network be monitored 24/7? • If your website or email goes down in the middle

of the night or at the weekend, will anyone know about it? Or be able to help?



Other Clients

• Do you get the feeling the supplier understands your business?

• Do they have any other clients in your industry?



Accreditations

• What accreditations does your supplier have?



Points of Contact

• Who will they be? Will you be given access to a dedicated account manager as part of your contract?

• Have you met him or her and do you trust them?



Stability

• How long has the supplier been in business? Are they financially stable?



Value Added Services

• What services does the supplier offer in addition to the ones you are in talks about? Network design? Bespoke software development? Disaster recovery and security consultancy?

• Who are their clients for these extra services?

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References

• Will you be offered the chance to speak to any of their existing clients to find out first-hand about the services they provide?



Doherty IT Support Specialists0845 601 0596 / www.doherty.co.uk

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10 questions what to ask suppliers

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