Bringing someone on board to manage your IT infrastructure is a big deal for any business. Ideally you want your infrastructure service provider to reflect the high quality and focus that you expect from your own organisation and employees.
These kind of relationships require a concerted effort by all parties to be successful and they need to be built on a solid foundation. In this post we will look at three tips to help you effectively manage the infrastructure service provider relationship.
Share your corporate vision
Ideally you want to partner with someone who shares the same attitudes and values towards work as you, this is why looking at your potential supplier’s culture and sharing your own corporate vision is important. If efficiency comes before everything else for you, your supplier should hold it in high esteem as well.
Open communication
It is important for you to communicate and document your requirements in a clear and specific manner. You should know how often you will be in touch with your service provider and what forms of communication you will use. Ultimately you want to partner with someone who understands what your needs are and communicates with you as regularly as you need, in a way that works for you.
Read and understand the SLA
Most importantly it is essential for you to read and understand the Servcie Level Agreement (SLA) and supporting documentation between you and your service provider. You should pay attention to what is required of you as well as what is required of the service provider. If everyone understands their roles and responsibilities, there is less of a chance of misunderstandings and dissatisfaction.
