If you buy managed services the way you buy paper and toner, you pay for it later. Missed patches turn into incidents. Slow responses waste salaried time. “All inclusive” excludes the work you actually need. You get a discount in month one and a premium in every month after.
Smart buyers flip the script. They run a stress test that measures outcomes, accountability, and risk. Use the framework below to compare any MSP on what actually affects your business: strategy, scope, proof, coverage, people, and predictability.
Each checkpoint includes what to look for and how to check it. Ask vendors for written answers and artifacts. Score them on evidence, not claims.
What to look for: A recurring executive rhythm that connects technology to business goals.
How to check: Ask for a vCIO or equivalent agenda, sample meeting notes, and a list of decisions from the last quarter. You want a roadmap, risk review, budget alignment, and a clear owner for next steps. Quarterly business reviews should be standard.
What to look for: A concrete statement of work that removes gray areas before they become change orders.
How to check: Request the exact scope language with examples of in-scope versus out-of-scope and how changes are approved. Ask what happens if the provider underestimates. There should be a remedy in writing.
What to look for: Predictable pricing with no built-in escalators or CPI riders.
How to check: Confirm term-fixed rates and no automatic uplift at renewal. Ask how pricing adjusts when headcount changes and whether “add-on” fees exist. Also ask whether the up-front assessment fee is credited or refunded if you move forward. A refund signals confidence and partnership.
What to look for: True 24x7 coverage without weekend or holiday surcharges.
How to check: Ask for the after-hours policy, who answers, callback targets, escalation paths, and whether after-hours incidents are included in your package. Small surcharges here can erase savings fast.
What to look for: Actual performance, not just targets.
How to check: Request the last 90 days of first response and resolution by priority, including after-hours. Ask for trends and definitions. A credible partner knows and shares these numbers.
What to look for: Monthly evidence that patching, backups, monitoring, and security tasks happened.
How to check: Ask for a sample report pack with patch compliance, backup success, endpoint health, ticket trends, and security alerts. Reports should be reviewed with you, not just emailed.
What to look for: Sales Team accountability after signatures, so expectations do not drift.
How to check: Ask who owns quarterly business reviews, who handles renewals and one-off projects, and how sales stays engaged alongside service leadership throughout the relationship.
What to look for: Low turnover and real tenure to reduce rework and risk.
How to check: Request average team tenure and 12-month voluntary turnover. Ask how knowledge is documented and shared, and how primary and secondary engineers are assigned.
What to look for: Transparent inclusions and a clean path for projects.
How to check: Ask for a plain-English inclusions list, examples of out-of-scope items, a project rate card, procurement fees, and a simple approval workflow. Growth should not expose fine print.
Give each checkpoint a score from 0 to 10. Require proof to score above 5.
8 to 10: Strong evidence and clear ownership
5 to 7: Partial proof, needs follow-ups
0 to 4: Vague answers or missing artifacts
Weight the categories to avoid price bias:
Strategy and scope: 30 percent
Proof and performance: 30 percent
Coverage and people: 25 percent
Pricing predictability and total cost of ownership: 15 percent
When you apply weights and require proof, the “cheaper” option often becomes the most expensive.
“We can meet as needed” instead of a recurring executive cadence
“All inclusive” but projects, security, or vendor management are excluded
SLA targets with no trailing 90-day results
After-hours billed as a separate package or at time-and-a-half
No test-restore evidence for backups
Turnover data “not available”
Screenshot “reports” instead of standardized exports
A recurring executive meeting with an agenda you can preview
Scope that reads like something you can run the business on, not marketing copy
No built-in price escalators and simple rules for seat changes
After-hours included and escalation that is easy to follow
A monthly report pack reviewed live and stored where your team can find it
Sales participates in quarterly reviews with service leadership
Team tenure is measured, shared, and backed by live documentation you can access
One partner that can execute adjacent needs beyond Managed IT without a new learning curve
Those last two points matter more than most buyers expect. Continuity and breadth reduce your total cost over time. A stable team that already understands your environment will fix issues faster and avoid rediscovery. When new needs emerge outside of Managed IT, a partner with adjacent capabilities can act without the delay and duplication of onboarding a second vendor.
Strategy leadership: A monthly vCIO cadence in every package. Quarterly business reviews keep priorities, vendors, and timelines aligned.
Scope accuracy: An accurate, transparent scope aligned to your goals with a written remedy if we miss. No gray areas and no surprises.
Pricing predictability: No automatic annual price increase during the term. No standard uplift at renewal. Any change is mutually agreed and tied to scope or user count. We also refund the full assessment fee when you choose to move forward with us.
After-hours coverage: U.S. based 24x7 coverage with on-call escalation. Nights, weekends, and holidays are included at no additional cost.
Performance results: We publish trailing 90-day first response and resolution by priority, including after-hours.
Proof of work: A standardized monthly report pack for patch compliance, backup success, endpoint health, ticket trends, and security alerts, reviewed live in cadence.
Commercial continuity: Sales remains engaged for the life of the relationship and participates in QBRs with service leadership.
Team stability: Long-tenured team with low turnover. We will share average tenure and 12-month voluntary turnover on request.
Beyond Managed IT: We deliver adjacent services across security, cloud, infrastructure, and application development. When a need arises, the same team that already knows your goals can step in and execute without a new learning curve.
If you have read this far, you care about outcomes, not just invoices. That is the right instinct. The nine-point stress test puts control back in your hands by replacing vague promises with evidence, ownership, and a plan. Use it to separate vendors who keep you reacting from partners who help you grow on purpose.
Here is what the right choice feels like in practice. Your leadership team has a steady rhythm where technology and budget align with goals. Your people see fewer interruptions and faster resolutions. Security improves because patching, backups, and monitoring are proven every month. Scope is clear, projects are predictable, and there are no surprise escalators in price. When a new need pops up outside of Managed IT, the same team that already understands your environment can step in without a learning curve. That is how you reduce total cost over time and build momentum quarter after quarter.
If you are comparing proposals right now, run every bidder through this stress test and score on proof. Ask for artifacts, not anecdotes. We are happy to share examples of the agendas, reports, and metrics discussed here so you can see how a strong operating model looks and feels before you choose.
Get the one-page checklist. We will send you a simple, printable scorecard that mirrors this stress test so you can evaluate any MSP on the same criteria.
Request a call with the Koltiv Team. If you want to talk through your environment, timelines, or a current pain point, request a call, and we will connect you with a Client Executive. No pressure. No jargon. Just clear guidance and a path forward.