How To Switch IT Providers

What is your initial thought when you think about potentially switching your IT provider?

It’s okay to feel discomfort at the thought of switching IT providers due to the upheaval and disruption that it will cause to business operations.

You may compare the possibility of switching your IT provider to changing internet provider – and we all know how annoying that can be with having to go without internet for a day or two during the crossover period.

You don’t want your business’s service to suffer or worse, you don’t want to have to go a day or two without working because you have no IT during the switch – like many people experience when changing internet providers. You want continuity throughout the switchover and for you to receive a proper service at the end of it.

It’s understandable if you have been led to believe that switching your IT provider will be a massive business disruptor, or maybe you have had experience of this yourself, which is why you have been reticent to contemplate it – even if your current IT provider is causing your business real pain. You may feel the pain is switching will be greater.

But this guide is here to show you that it does not have to be like this – ‘it’s too complicated’ is only a myth.

This myth was manufactured by the IT service industry to create an illusion that it is too difficult to switch providers, so that businesses have ‘no choice’ but to put up with the pain of bad IT once they have chosen a provider.

Too many businesses today put up with ‘contract-ending’ practises from their IT provider because they are unaware that there are alternatives out there.

This guide will map out the step-by-step process a business will go through when switching IT provider; the level of disruption the business is likely to experience (it’s not as much as you think); and the level of risk to the business during each stage of the process.

5 Simple Steps

A well-managed Strategic IT Partner can switch you over to them from your current provider in 5 simple steps.

For more information on the differences between a strategic IT partner and a reactive IT provider, then click here.

Phase 1: Pre-Contract

The very first phase is self-explanatory as the process must begin with agreeing a contract with your new strategic IT partner and giving notice to your current one so planning the switchover can begin.

It is expected that your current IT Provider will comply with the transition process as this will make it run smoothly, however, it may not always be the case.

If your current IT Provider refuses to comply with the transition, then switching can still go ahead but it may cause a little bit more disruption than necessary.

Wherever possible, an overlap of providers is strongly recommended to not only facilitate a smooth transition but also to hold the incumbent provider to account while they are still under contract.

Phase 2: Onboarding

Time Frame: 1-4 weeks.

This phase allows the new strategic IT partner to learn, secure and preserve the business environment.

There should be a period of dual access between your new and current IT providers so there’s a cordial handover which can be properly communicated. It shouldn’t be a case of a new IT provider comes in and your current provider will immediately lose access to the IT infrastructure.

The crossover period will involve you having to pay both your current provider and the new one – an idea that you understandably may initially feel uncomfortable with. However, this is about managing the risk. If there is no crossover period then the risk of disruption becomes greater and it is you and your business that will carry that risk, not the IT provider(s).

The onboarding stage mainly involves the new strategic IT partner educating the IT users (your staff) about them as a company, how they work, and getting the staff engaged in the process so a positive relationship can be established from the very start; and about securing the IT infrastructure from the current provider. Several audits will be conducted as part of this process to acquire knowledge ahead of the ‘go-live’ date where the new IT provider becomes 100% responsible.

Once the onboarding phase is complete and the go-live day arrives, your current [former] IT provider ceases responsibility for the IT infrastructure and your new provider begin taking accountability.

This phase done well will determine the success of the other phases.

Phase 3: Stabilisation

Time Frame: 1-8 weeks.

The stabilisation stage begins when your former IT provider ceases responsibility for business operations and the new strategic partner has taken complete control of the IT infrastructure.

The success of this phase is heavily predicated on good planning.

Further IT audits will be conducted in quick succession on the current infrastructure to determine how secure it is and how up to date the technology is. The audits are key because to be able to manage something, first you must be able to measure it. It’s important to know what level the IT infrastructure is currently at to then determine where it needs to be.

The audit results will be dissected by the strategic IT partner and taken to the leadership team so a roadmap can be agreed, and a baseline project plan can be drafted. A RAG (Red, Amber, Green) analysis will be drawn up for project management purposes as goals will be prioritised.

Phase 4: Standardisation

Time frame: 1-4 weeks.

The standardisation phase is the most complex part of the IT switchover as this is where the project plans that forms part of the IT roadmap agreed upon in phase 3 will start to be put into action.

Initial high priority projects can include aligning the security systems and ensuring all the hardware and software are compliant.

Phase 5: Transformation Projects

Once the standardisation phase and initial high priority projects have been completed, the rest of the projects to fully develop and secure the IT infrastructure can begin.

Evolving a business’s IT infrastructure to become resilient and have a high level of security maturity is not an overnight job – it takes time and a change in the company culture to embrace new security measures.

There is no average time limit on projects because they are bespoken to every individual business.

 

A complete IT switchover can happen with minimal disruption in as little as 4 weeks with the average switch taking between 4-12 weeks.

The Disruption for the Business

It is important to manage expectations during an IT switchover and there will of course be change within the business.

Change is disruptive and that is okay – when it is well managed.

There are no serious changes to the business operations during the first three phases, but phase 4 is different. Phase 4: Standardisation, is what brings the change and the disruption to the business, but it’s not going to be as bad as you think.

Change and disruption can bring a level of risk to the business. It can be perilous to change IT providers if you have not carefully researched and evaluated the new IT provider before appointing them.

Let’s explore the different levels of risk in more detail.

Risk Management

It is important to understand how the two different IT providers will approach a switchover and it will give an insight into how they will deal with their clients IT infrastructure in the future.

The ‘riskometer’ image above shows the levels of risk each phase of the switchover brings depending on what IT provider you are switching to.

As the RAG (Red, Amber, Green) chart clearly demonstrates, the first two phases of a switchover carry very little risk because very little change happens here – regardless of what type of IT provider you switch to.

The riskometer begins to change slightly from phase 3: stabilisation, and then the risk gap widens significantly from phase 4 onwards.

Why?

There’s a reason why the risk gap begins to widen between the two IT providers from phase 3: stabilisation – and it all comes down to planning.

Phase 3 is essentially the planning stage. A lot of the disruption that is likely to be caused during phase 4: standardisation, can be mitigated with careful planning and communication to staff to ensure disruption is minimal.

A strategic IT partner will take a holistic view of your whole business from the strategic decisions made at board level, right down to how your staff work at an operational level and provide advice on the appropriate IT solutions to implement so they are aligned with the business’s wider strategy.

Because of this, a strategic IT partner must create a detailed plan with the business founder/leadership team to ensure everything is aligned.

The difference with a reactive provider is that they will provide your business with an IT infrastructure without deeper analysis into how the infrastructure can complement your wider business strategy. They will have little regard for how each IT function works with the system holistically.

Because of this, there is little planning undertaken which is why the risk becomes significantly higher when switching to a reactive IT provider. This also provides an insight into how they will manage you as a client in the future.

 

The nature and scale of disruption of change is proportional to the degree of planning and management of it. A lot of the disruption that change brings can be mitigated with careful planning and communication which is what strategic IT partners thrive at.

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