For many growing businesses, IT is handled by whoever is most technical, in between their real job. That works until it does not: a laptop dies before a client meeting, a former employee still has access to email, or an update breaks something on a Monday morning.
Managed IT support means handing day-to-day IT care to a provider who looks after it proactively, not just when something breaks. This checklist covers what good support should include and what to ask before choosing a provider.
What good managed IT support covers
1. Monitoring and alerting
Devices, servers and key services should be monitored so problems are spotted early: full disks, failing hardware, services that stop, backups that do not run. The goal is to fix issues before users notice them.
2. Patching and updates
Operating systems and applications need regular security updates. Microsoft releases its main monthly security updates on the second Tuesday of each month, often called Patch Tuesday, and urgent fixes can arrive at any time. A good provider tests and rolls out updates on a schedule, handles urgent patches quickly, and reports what was updated.
3. Helpdesk and troubleshooting
A clear way for staff to ask for help (email, portal or phone), sensible response times, and people who can actually fix the problem remotely in most cases.
4. User onboarding and offboarding
This is where many businesses have gaps. When someone joins, they should get the right accounts, devices and access on day one. When someone leaves, their access should be removed the same day, their mailbox and files handled properly, and company devices recovered. A documented checklist for both is a sign of a mature provider.
5. Identity and Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace administration
Creating and managing users, groups, shared mailboxes and permissions. Making sure multi-factor authentication (MFA) is on for everyone and that admin accounts are separate and protected.
6. Backups and recovery
Regular, automated backups of the things that matter (files, email, databases, key servers), checked to make sure they actually work, with at least one copy that ransomware cannot reach. Ask when the provider last tested a restore.
7. Security basics
Antivirus or endpoint protection on every device, disk encryption on laptops, secure configuration, and help responding if something goes wrong. Security is not a separate product you bolt on; it is part of good everyday IT.
8. Asset and licence management
An up-to-date list of devices, software and licences: who has what, when warranties expire, and which licences are unused. This alone often saves money.
9. Documentation
Your network, systems, password manager setup (not the passwords themselves), vendors and procedures should be written down and shared with you. If you change provider, the documentation should go with you.
10. Regular reporting and reviews
A monthly or quarterly summary of tickets, updates, issues and recommendations, plus a review conversation about what is coming up: new staff, office moves, renewals, risks.
Questions to ask a provider
- What are your response and resolution times, and how are they measured?
- What is included in the monthly fee, and what is charged separately?
- How do you handle onboarding and offboarding? Can I see your checklist?
- How often do you test backup restores, and will you show me the result?
- How do you protect admin access to our systems?
- What documentation will we receive, and who owns it?
- What happens if we decide to leave? How is the handover done?
- Who will we actually talk to, and how well do they know our setup?
Red flags
- No written agreement on what is covered or how fast they respond.
- Shared admin passwords, or admin access without MFA.
- "Backups are fine" without any evidence of a test restore.
- Documentation they will not share.
- Every change treated as an extra charge, with no proactive work.
Where to start
Even if you are not ready to outsource IT, this checklist is a useful way to spot gaps in how you run it today, especially onboarding, offboarding and backups. If you would like help reviewing your current setup or want ongoing support, book a free consultation.