A reliable, knowledgeable managed service provider (MSP) gives you access to enterprise-grade technology, flexible staffing that scales with your needs, and a team of experts that guides your strategy and growth.

But a healthy MSP relationship doesn’t run on autopilot. Your MSP is the steward of your IT, and like any good steward, they should be proactive and stay accountable.

This checklist will help you understand what a responsible MSP should do and how they should manage your environment, so you can determine if yours is delivering.

1. Documentation should be current and accessible.

Any MSP worth their salt should keep records up to date and share them with you regularly, not just at the start of an engagement.

Your MSP should:

• Regularly provide you with updated documentation, including standard operations procedures (SOPs), network topology diagrams, and support runbooks.
• Offer ongoing access to your documentation in a shared, organized repository.

2. Asset management should be transparent and thorough.

If your MSP is managing your assets, they should keep you apprised of your device status and inventory. You should have consistent assurance that they’re maintaining devices as contracted.

Your MSP should:

• Maintain an asset management database that includes a full inventory of your devices, serial numbers, locations, ownership, and warranty status.
• Confirm at any time how many assets they are managing on your behalf, and whether they’re up to date.
• Provide a current asset report periodically, not just when something goes wrong.

3. You shouldn’t have to chase your MSP for updates.

The right partner is a strong communicator who regularly delivers clear information to you.

Your MSP should:

• Schedule periodic reviews to walk you through what’s happening in your environment.
• Come to those meetings with recommendations. If they see something outside their contracted scope that appears to be a vulnerability, a good MSP raises it anyway.
• Deliver transparent reporting on SLAs, KPIs, and system health — proving value through real data.

4. Your IT strategy should support your goals.

The best MSP relationships are built on alignment, where your IT partner knows your long-term plans and supports them.

Your MSP should:

• Regularly ask about your business plans, budgets, and upcoming initiatives.
• Build a roadmap that reflects your goals, rather than simply reacting to problems as they surface.

5. Security should be built in and ongoing.

Cybersecurity is integral to all IT work. The right MSP takes a proactive approach to your security and considers it an ongoing responsibility, even if it’s not within the primary scope of the engagement.

Your MSP should:

• Stay current on emerging threats and compliance requirements relevant to your industry, and proactively share what matters to your organization.
• Consistently patch vulnerabilities in a structured manner.
• Support your team’s security awareness, including helping your end users understand best practices for handling phishing and social engineering attempts.

6. They should offer a clear exit strategy.

No partnership lasts forever, and a mature MSP knows that. Before you sign a contract, it’s important to understand exactly what happens when the relationship ends.

Your MSP should:

• Clearly spell out their obligation to cooperate in your contract’s transition and termination clauses.
• Hand over your environment in order: full documentation, a complete asset inventory, license information, and a clear picture of how they’ve supported you.

Your MSP Should Be Invested in Your Success

The right MSP has a stake in the long-term success of your environment — and your bottom line. They have a window into your infrastructure that no one else has, and they should use that visibility to:

• Proactively monitor your systems
• Flag risks before they become problems
• Maximize the value of your existing tools
• Act as a steward of your IT with integrity

If your MSP isn’t checking all the boxes, GuideIT can help. Partnering with us gives you 24/7 expert monitoring, cost-effective IT optimization, and a roadmap built around your growth goals. We make sure your IT works for your organization, so your teams can focus on what they do best.

Learn about our IT management services here.