Switching MSPs may seem risky, but a structured onboarding process can reduce downtime, prevent disruption, and improve outcomes. This blog explains how Systems Engineering ensures a smooth, flexible transition for new clients.
If you’re considering switching MSPs, you’re not alone, but you’re likely hesitating for good reason. Maybe you’ve outgrown your current provider. Maybe support has slipped. Or maybe security and compliance expectations are higher than what your current vendor can deliver.
Still, the switch can feel risky and complicated.
This post outlines what a mature onboarding process looks like, so you can evaluate whether a new partner is worth the effort.
Why Switching Feels Risky
Many organizations delay switching managed IT providers, not because they don’t want better service, but because they’re worried about:
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Downtime during the transition
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Disruption to internal teams
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Losing continuity on systems or projects
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A steep learning curve for users
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Time and energy investment
These are legitimate concerns. But how your new MSP handles onboarding makes all the difference.
What a Strong Onboarding Process Should Include
If you’re evaluating potential MSPs, here are a few areas to explore—and how Systems Engineering addresses them:
1. Who handles the transition?
Some providers hand onboarding over to the same team that handles support tickets. That can mean slower progress or missed details.
At SE, we assign a dedicated onboarding team, including a program manager and project-focused engineers who work only with new clients. This ensures:
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Full attention to your environment
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Consistent communication
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Faster problem-solving
And because the same engineers who perform the initial technical assessment also execute the onboarding, there’s real continuity.
2. How are risks managed?
Switching providers often means removing the incumbent MSP’s tools and deploying new ones. If this isn’t well coordinated, there can be security gaps or productivity issues.
We use:
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Project management software to develop shared project plans, with clear visibility into progress, risks, and dependencies
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RAID logs to track risks, assumptions, issues, and decisions
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Weekly status updates written in plain language
This keeps your team informed and ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
3. Will our internal team be overwhelmed?
A thoughtful onboarding plan should reduce, not create, burden for your team.
SE’s process includes:
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Clear points of contact
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Internal communication templates (for example: what to tell your employees about the new help desk)
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Scheduling work around peak periods or business-critical events
We also identify a point person on your team early, but don’t expect them to manage the process—we lead, they stay informed.
4. What’s the timeline—and how flexible is it?
While some providers push for a fast go-live, we prioritize a clean and sustainable transition.
Our onboarding typically takes 30–90 days, depending on complexity. But we’re flexible. Understanding that these changes have real impacts on your business, we work with you to execute the onboarding process in a way that aligns with your business objectives and minimizes disruption.
5. What happens after onboarding?
The goal isn’t just to “flip the switch” on a new MSP. It’s to establish a foundation for success. That means:
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Your users understand how and when to get help
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Your security tools are fully in place
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Documentation is handed off cleanly
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You’ve started building trust with the team you’ll rely on long-term
Questions to Ask When You Evaluate MSP Onboarding
When speaking to a prospective provider, try asking:
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Who specifically manages onboarding? Is it a dedicated team?
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What project management tools do you use to keep things on track?
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How do you coordinate with the incumbent provider?
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What internal effort is expected from us during onboarding?
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Can you adjust onboarding timelines around our business needs?
If the answers are vague or overconfident, that’s worth noting.
Final Thoughts
Switching MSPs isn’t risk-free, but the bigger risk might be staying with one that can’t meet your needs.
A well-run onboarding process won’t eliminate every challenge, but it should make the switch manageable, structured, and transparent.
If you're currently evaluating a transition, this is the stage to go slow, ask questions, and look for signs that your new provider has done this before, many times, and with organizations like yours.
Would you like a walk-through of how SE approaches onboarding for organizations in regulated or security-sensitive environments?
