Photo by Sora Shimazaki

A great IT Managed Services Agreement is a differentiator when selling to new clients. 

Contracts are often erroneously referred to as Agreements. But the only time you look at them after you sign them is when there are Disagreements.  So what a great contract does is level-set everyone's expectations.  

Like any piece of writing that you want to be very clearly understood by the reader, you set out the who, when, where, sometimes why, and when it comes to commercial contracts, the how much.  So much of the whining and, in really bad cases lawsuits, in the managed services space comes from a misunderstanding about expectations.  From both clients and managed service providers.

Clients want 24/7 access their MSP.  They want someone to physically visit them in the office for every ticket.  They want the provider to travel to anywhere the client goes, including off-site events or even their homes!   And they're shocked, shocked, if the provider tries to bill for anything out of scope.

Managed services providers sign up customers on 2 page contracts, leaving everything unsaid and for the client to fill in any way they'd like.  They are focused on all the really cool software and technical wizardry they are about to deliver.  Managed Services providers say things verbally that are tough to actually document and deliver on.  

An ideal agreement is defined by, and tied to, what the managed services provider is actually capable of delivering, in terms of both software and human capital.  Reports should be automated.  Supported services should be those that are supported within the MSPs software stack.  

This agreement is yours to take and manipulate.  Change, delete, cut, or add as appropriate to your managed services delivery.  

My only ask - our Gentlemen's Agreement - is that if you take it you share some feedback.  Here is fine, if you want to comment on the blog.  Or email me.  Or send smoke signals.  But let's make it better, together.