By Bryan Johnson, IT Director, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ

Installing an IT update can be an exciting process, delivering potential improvements in security, performance, compliance and more. Despite these benefits, it is always important to remember that IT updates can also carry riskā€”downtime being one of the most serious among them. So how can you ensure that your system gets the updates it needs without crashing? Well, it just requires taking a few steps ahead of time. Follow along and weā€™ll soon have you executing with confidence.

Reasons for downtime

You may be wondering why something that seems small like an IT patch or update can cause something major like system downtime. And I wish I had an easy answer. Fact is, there are many things that can go wrong when making a significant change to your IT stack. Letā€™s explore some of the most common ones:

• Compatibility problems: One of the most common issues that you can run into with a security update is a compatibility problem. Upgrades can often introduce new features that may or may not be compatible with your existing setup. If the new elements donā€™t play well with the old, you can experience a system crash as a result.
  
  
• Misconfigurations: Another common thing you run into with updates is misconfigurations. When firewalls or authentication processes are too restrictive, users can accidentally get locked out of systems they need access to. Furthermore, misconfigurations can block your apps from talking to each other, such as your e-signature tool not being able to connect to your closing software.
• File corruption: A third issue to keep on your radar is file corruption. You may not know this, but files can become corrupted for all sorts of reasons, which can then lead to bigger problems for your IT systems down the line. Some of the most common ways files become corrupted include interrupted downloads, storage issues, or interference from malware and antivirus software.
• Resource strain: It is also important to remember that security updates are resource intensive processes and that they can cause other aspects of your IT set-up to slow down or stop entirely. If your agency is operating in a shared environment like a public cloud network, servers can also become overloaded and applications time out.
• Human errors: Of course, human error is also frequently the culprit behind many of the issues that can pop up with security upgrades. Even well-intentioned IT specialists can occasionally make a scheduling mistake, apply incorrect settings or skip the testing stage. Yet all can lead to major technology issues for agencies.

The best offenseā€¦

Youā€™ve likely heard the expression that the best offense is a good defense. Itā€™s a good saying to keep in mind when carrying out necessary security updates. By being proactive ahead of time and taking precautionary steps, you can stop a lot of the abovementioned problems before they start. Here, weā€™ll discuss what this looks like in each case.  

1. First, with compatibility issues, treat your staging environment like your best friend. By testing every update there first, you can catch many problems before they impact live systems or sites. A rock-solid IT asset inventory can also be helpful. It will give you a comprehensive understanding of what operating systems, browsers and applications youā€™re running. This ultimately makes spotting potential issues much easier.
   
   
2. Next, to reduce misconfigurations, it is always a good step to maintain a clear update checklist so you can roll back changes if needed. And to reduce the possibility of errors, use configuration management tools to enforce correct settings. As an added precaution, communicate clearly with whoever owns the application being affected by an update. This will ensure alignment and that proper testing is carried out.

• Moving on, you can mitigate the prospect of file corruption by verifying the integrity of files ahead of installation with prebuilt tools like Powershell (for Windows users) and Terminal (for Mac users). These tools generate a special code called a ā€œchecksum,ā€ which you can compare with the code provided by the file publisher. If the two codes match, the file is safe; if they donā€™t, the file is broken or corrupted.

• Navigating possible resource strain requires paying close attention to your servers. This is especially important in a public cloud environment, where they may already be under heavy load. In some cases, it may also be wise to temporarily scale up your cloud resources to handle an updateā€™s workload and stagger updates rather than applying them at once.

• Lastly, avoiding human error requires taking steps like standardizing the update process to ensure alignment amongst staff and that all steps are executed correctly. Part of that includes designating clear roles and responsibilities and requiring reviews before pushing updates live.

Staying on the cutting edge Given all this, itā€™s natural to approach IT updates with hesitation. But it isnā€™t necessary with a little planning and preparation. The problems that can arise during a critical update are no joke; thatā€™s true. But like so many things in IT, getting ahead of potential issues is the key to success. Weā€™ve covered the top five ways to do just that. And by following them to the letter, IT updates can be transformed from an anxiety-provoking exercise to an opportunity for seamless business improvement.

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What is the ideal MSP relationship?

Before diving into metrics, letā€™s briefly review how an ideal MSP relationship should function. A good MSP partner is fundamentally strategic, technologically savvy, transparent and responsive. Hereā€™s what each of these means in greater detail:

• Strategic: A valuable MSP partner understands your core business goals, market and customers, and will align your technology stack to support short- and long-term priorities.
• Transparent: A good MSP is similarly transparent. The engagement should include regular check-in calls. Your service level agreement (SLA) should be clear, straightforward, and easy to understand. And all issues, limitations, problems and solutions should be communicated swiftly and clearly.
• Technologically-savvy: An ideal MSPā€™s technological solutions and recommendations are always ahead of the curve and ensure your business stays competitive and secure. MSP relationships with strong ROI are those that proactively educate and equip your team with what they need to succeed.
• Responsive: You only want to workwith an MSP that can act as a true extension of your in-house team. That means they prioritize responsiveness in all areas of their work, from technical breakdowns to emerging cybersecurityissues to planned system upgrades.

MSP providers that meet these criteria represent the gold standard, often helping their clients achieve greater productivity and profitability.

Top metrics for determining MSP ROI

You can assess the ROI of an MSP by looking at each of these characteristics in detail using qualitative and quantitative data points. This will give you a holistic view of how your MSP is impacting your business ā€“ for better or worse.

The top metrics for assessing if your MSP is setting you up for smart, strategic and long-term growth are:

• Time-to-market: Measures how fast your MSP can get new solutions up and running.
• % of IT projects completed on time/budget: Parses how effectively MSPs implement technology upgrades without cost and time overruns.
• Adoption rate: Gauges how successfully new solutions are being adopted across your business.
• Revenue and productivity growth: Tracks MSP impact on your businessā€™s bottom line and worker productivity.
• Business continuity/disaster recovery readiness scores: This assesses your organization’s readiness to respond effectively and recover swiftly in the unfortunate event of a disaster.

After you get a sense of how effective your MSP is from a strategy perspective, you can examine transparency and responsiveness:

• Service agreement adherence: Delves into whether your MSP is meeting the obligations detailed in the service agreement signed at the beginning of the engagement.
• Review schedule: Monitors whether check-ins, cadence calls and quarterly business reviews (QBRs) are happening consistently.
• Resolutions within agreed-upon timelines: Ensures reliability and accountability by confirming that IT issues are resolved promptly within established timelines.
• Billing accuracy and clarity: This ensures MSP invoices are aligned with contracted services and conveyed in an easy-to-interpret fashion.
• Internal stakeholder satisfaction: Captures how important constituencies within your organization feel about the MSP relationship.

Lastly, youā€™ll want to determine your MSPā€™s technical chops to understand if they are putting you on competitive footing and future-proofing your tech stack:

• Number of migrations from legacy systems: Delves into how effectively your MSP is upgrading your IT environment.
• Cybersecurity audit pass rates: Analyzes the impact your MSP is having on your security posture and its ability to respond to an unpredictable threat landscape.
• End-user satisfaction: Illuminates if your MSP is enabling workers to streamline workflows and elevate productivity.

MSPs: A critical relationship that merits careful consideration

Enlisting an MSP to manage your IT is an important step that can either trip up your business or propel it to new heights. But the only way to know whether you are getting a positive ROI is by carefully assessing your MSP from various angles. By tracking whether your MSP is strategic, transparent, responsive and technically-savvy, youā€™ll better understand if the partnership is working and whether your MSP should remain a part of your IT team for many years to come.

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Millions of businesses in the U.S. today outsource part or all their IT needs to a third party such as a managed service provider (MSP), and it is not difficult to understand why. Working with an MSP can deliver big benefits for a company, such as cost savings, increased efficiency and lessening the burden on internal IT teams. Yet finding the right provider can be a tall order to say the least. To make it easier, weā€™ve created a handy checklist covering the six important considerations you should look for when selecting an MSP. Armed with this knowledge, youā€™ll be better prepared to make an informed decision that will pay off for your company both now and for many years to come.

Six considerations for your future MSP

ā˜ Deep and varied cybersecurity expertise ā€“ The threat landscape facing agencies today is ever-evolving, complex and highly dangerous. Agencies face familiar threats like phishing, fraud, and identity theftā€”but also more advanced ones like business email compromise, ransomware, and social engineering. Any MSP you consider should be capable of delivering a multi-layered security solution to deal with these challenges ā€” covering everything from secure email gateways and endpoint detection to 24/7 monitoring and disaster recovery plans.

ā˜ Industry experience ā€“ When it comes to IT outsourcing, one size definitely doesnā€™t fit all. To get the best bang for their buck, agencies should try to work with MSPs who have experience with the insurance industry and its regulatory environment. Seasoned providers will intuitively understand an agencyā€™s IT needs and deliver a more robust and secure setup at less cost.

ā˜ Dedicated account manager and responsive support ā€“ Think of your MSP as a partnerā€”not a one-and-done provider. Rather, agencies need to approach it as a strategic, long-term and iterative relationship. The reasons why are straightforward. As oneā€™s agency grows and changes over the years, so too will its IT needs. Similarly, technology systems and cybersecurity best practices are never static, meaning that an agencyā€™s setup will need continuous updating, migration and adjustment as time goes by. All this makes it essential to work with MSPs equipped to offer a dedicated account manager and responsive support team. These professionals make sure your tech keeps pace with evolving threatsā€”backed by personal attention and clear communication. Overall, they serve as a powerful vanguard against cybercrime and a catalyst for a more digitally savvy business.

ā˜ User training ā€“ Did you know that one of the top reasons why businesses experience a security breach is user error? In fact, data shows nearly 9 out of 10 breaches are related in some way to employee mistakes.[i] MSPs can help businesses mitigate this risk, reduce the potential for errors and safeguard themselves when operating online through tailored instruction and support. Agencies should inquire with each provider if they offer security awareness training as part of their contract. It is one of the best ways to reduce attack vectors and create better protections for sensitive data, systems and other digital assets.

ā˜ Keep it local if possible ā€“ Partnering with a local MSP offers several advantages over working with a remote-only provider. A local MSP can deliver faster on-site support when urgent technical issues arise, minimizing downtime and ensuring smoother operations. They also better understand the local business environment, compliance requirements, and infrastructure challenges unique to your region. This proximity fosters stronger relationships, more personalized service and greater accountability, making the MSP a true extension of your internal team.

ā˜ Proven track record ā€“ Lastly, agencies should not only look at vendor reviews during their MSP selection process but also relevant certifications. One of the most important to consider would be SOC 2 Type II, which verifies if an MSP adheres to strict controls for data security, confidentiality and privacy. Another would be ISO/IEC 27001, which is the gold standard for securely managing information security. Other certifications worth investigating include CompTIA Security+, for threat and response protocols; MSP Verify/MSPAlliance Certification, which deals with service delivery and risk management issues; and, finally, a Microsoft Solutions Provider certification, which has an obvious, practical application for any agency that utilizes Microsoft products. When a provider has certifications like these, it not only speaks to their technical capabilities but also highlights their commitment to transparency and open, honest communicationā€”all qualities agencies will want to prioritize with a vendor relationship.

Select the right MSP for better business results

In a digital-first business environment like ours, how a company chooses to approach their IT management and cybersecurity needs can be a make-or-break decision. Outsourcing to an MSP is one potential route, and when you find the right partner, the results can be transformative. Yet sourcing, vetting and inking a deal with an MSP can be a whirlwind and overwhelming process, particularly when trying to also manage your companyā€™s day-to-day activities. This checklist can help you cut through the noise and zero in on what really matters. And in the end, it can lead to partnership with a technology provider that amplifies your companyā€™s productivity and profitability, all while keeping your systems, staff and data safe.

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