You are probably managing your IT provider if you are chasing updates instead of receiving them. A good provider should run your IT so you can run your business.
If you keep following up on tickets, re-explaining the same issues, or feel like you are doing their job for them, you are not alone.
The relationship should work in reverse. A great IT provider proactively manages your technology, communicates clearly, and prevents issues from piling up so your team can stay productive.
Intelligent Technical Solutions (ITS) is a managed service provider specializing in proactive IT management for small and mid-sized businesses. Unlike reactive break-fix providers, ITS takes ownership of your technology infrastructure with 24/7 monitoring, strategic planning, and rapid response times.
In this article, you'll discover some of the red flags that indicate you're managing your provider instead of the other way around. You'll understand what proactive IT management actually looks like. And you'll learn how to evaluate whether your current arrangement is costing you more than money.
We also invited Matt Estes, ITS’ Director of Sales, to share his insights about managing an IT partnership.
6 Ways to Tell You’re Managing Your IT Provider
1. Issues Are “Resolved” but Not Really Fixed
In a healthy IT partnership, your provider reaches out to you regularly. They schedule check-ins. They provide system health reports. They proactively recommend improvements based on your business needs and industry trends.
If you're always the one sending follow-up emails, that's a red flag. Research from Forrester indicates that businesses that rate their MSP as "reactive" spend 3x more time managing IT issues than those with proactive providers.
2. Your Tickets Go Into a Black Hole
You submit a support request and receive an auto-response. Then silence. Days, and sometimes weeks, pass with no update.
“Managing your IT partner means paying twice: once for the service, and once for your time. A strategic partner removes work. They don’t multiply it,” Matt explains.
You escalate through multiple channels. When someone finally responds, they ask you to explain the problem again, even though you provided detailed information in the original ticket.
3. You're Repeating Yourself Constantly
Every time you contact support, you feel like you're starting from square one. New technicians don't have access to your history. Previous conversations aren't documented. You're explaining your network setup, business processes, and recurring issues repeatedly.
A professional MSP maintains comprehensive documentation of your entire IT environment. This includes network diagrams, hardware inventory, software licenses, security configurations, and historical issues. This knowledge base ensures continuity regardless of which technician assists you.
4. Issues Are “Resolved” but Not Really Fixed
The problem temporarily goes away but resurfaces within days or weeks. Your provider applies band-aid fixes instead of addressing root causes. They close tickets prematurely, forcing you to reopen them or submit new ones for the same underlying issue.
5. You're Not Receiving Strategic Guidance
Your IT provider only responds to problems. They never proactively suggest improvements. They don't discuss your business goals. They don't help you leverage technology for competitive advantage. You're essentially paying for an expensive help desk instead of a strategic technology partner.
6. You Feel Like a Customer, Not a Partner
If your IT provider treats you like a ticket number instead of a trusted partner, it’s a sign they are reactive rather than proactive.
Why Does This Happen?
Many IT companies grow faster than their systems can handle. Early success leads to new clients, but processes and communication do not scale. As a result, small issues multiply, and clients end up managing their provider.
Some IT companies focus heavily on technical problem-solving but neglect the client experience. They close tickets quickly but forget to update you or explain outcomes. Over time, that lack of clarity erodes trust.
When leadership must step in to manage what the provider should handle, frustration builds and confidence drops.
The Real Cost of Managing Your IT Provider
While the fault for the issues doesn’t always lie with your IT provider, the problem is that poor IT management has very serious consequences for your organization. These include:
Lost Productivity Across Your Organization
When you and your employees spend time troubleshooting IT issues, that's time not spent on revenue-generating activities. Every hour spent managing your IT provider or working around broken systems directly impacts your bottom line.
Increased Security Risk
Poor IT management creates security vulnerabilities. Patches don't get applied promptly. Security tools aren't configured properly. Potential threats go undetected. According to the Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report, most breaches involve exploiting known vulnerabilities that should have been patched.
Missed Strategic Opportunities
When you're constantly firefighting, you can't focus on using technology strategically. You miss opportunities to automate processes. You can't improve customer experience. You lose competitive advantages through better technology utilization.
Employee Frustration and Turnover
Nothing frustrates employees more than technology that doesn't work and IT support that doesn't respond. This impacts morale, productivity, and ultimately retention. In today's tight labor market, losing good employees because of IT frustrations is an unaffordable risk.
The Opportunity Cost of Your Own Time
As a business owner or manager, your time is your most valuable resource. Every hour you spend managing your IT provider is an hour not spent on strategy, business development, or employee development.
What Should a True IT Partnership Look Like?
"A true IT Partner will align on business outcomes and hold themselves accountable. If you’re managing the relationship, the relationship isn’t strategic,” Matt believes.
Find out what a reliable IT partner is supposed to look like:
Proactive System Monitoring and Maintenance
Your provider should deploy remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools across your infrastructure. They should track performance metrics, storage space, backup completion, security events, and hardware health 24/7. They should perform regular maintenance, including patch management, antivirus updates, and performance optimization automatically, during off-peak hours.
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Regular Business Reviews and Strategic Planning
Quarterly meetings should cover system performance, security posture, and upcoming technology needs. Your provider should present recommendations based on industry trends, regulatory requirements, and your specific growth trajectory.
Clear SLAs and Response Times
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) should define specific response and resolution times based on issue priority. Critical issues should receive immediate attention. Lower-priority requests should have clearly communicated timelines.
For example, they should provide 15-minute response times for critical issues. High-priority requests get 2-hour responses. Routine matters receive 4-hour responses. The bottom line is you should never be left wondering when someone will address your issue.
Cybersecurity Management and Compliance Support
Your provider should implement and manage comprehensive security measures. This includes firewalls, endpoint protection, email security, multi-factor authentication, and security awareness training. For regulated industries, they should provide compliance support for HIPAA, PCI-DSS, CMMC, or other relevant frameworks.
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) emphasizes that managed detection and response services significantly improve security outcomes for small and medium-sized businesses compared to reactive, break-fix models.
“If you’re spending time managing your IT partner, you don’t have one,” Matt claims.
How Can You Take Back Control of the Relationship?
Start by setting expectations. Ask for:
- Regular status reports
- A clear escalation process
- Scheduled strategy meetings
If your provider cannot deliver these basics, it may be time to find a better fit.
Is It Time to Make a Change? Here's How to Know
If you've experienced three or more of these situations in the past quarter, it's time to seriously evaluate your IT relationship:
- You've had the same unresolved issue for more than 30 days
- You spend more than 2 hours per week managing IT-related issues or your IT provider
- You've experienced unexpected downtime that could have been prevented with proper monitoring
- You feel anxious about reaching out to your IT provider because past interactions have been frustrating
- You don't have a clear technology roadmap aligned with your business goals
- You're not receiving regular, proactive communication from your provider
The right IT partner becomes an extension of your team. They anticipate needs, prevent problems, and enable your business to grow. You should feel confident, supported, and free to focus on what you do best.
Need an MSP Who Will Manage Your IT?
A great IT provider removes problems instead of creating them. They communicate clearly, take responsibility, and make technology work for you.
If you are tired of managing your IT provider, ITS can help. We provide structured communication, proactive planning, and full transparency so you always know your business is protected. Schedule a meeting with us today.
Let your IT partner lead so you can get back to leading your company.
Further reading:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: How do I know if my IT provider is underperforming?
A: Look for slow response times, missed deadlines, vague reports, or having to manage vendors yourself. These are all signs of weak structure and accountability.
Q: What should I expect from a good IT provider?
A: Clear communication, proactive planning, and regular updates. They should handle coordination with vendors and ensure you stay informed.
Q: How can I hold my provider accountable?
A: Ask for service level agreements (SLAs), scheduled reporting, and quarterly business reviews. These help maintain visibility and trust.
Q: What if I don’t have time to manage IT?
A: That’s exactly what a managed service provider (MSP) should do for you. They handle day-to-day issues and long-term strategy so you can focus on business growth.
Q: When should I switch providers?
A: If you repeatedly raise issues and see no improvement, it’s time to explore a better partner. A quality provider will make the transition easy and handle onboarding seamlessly.
