Tips for Choosing Your Managed Services Partner

A managed services partner is a specific kind of relationship, different from a reseller and different from a trusted partner who's doing both.

 TL;DR: A managed services partner isn't just there to fix things when they break. They should be helping you avoid outages, plan ahead, and get more out of Microsoft Dynamics over time. Use the categories below to evaluate any partner you're considering, including us.

If you want the fuller picture of where MSPs fit, I laid that out here. Use the questions below to evaluate any partner you're considering, including us.

Use the questions below to evaluate any partner you're considering, including us.

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START HERE

Experience and Solution Knowledge

• Does the partner have experience supporting my current solution version?

• If I'm considering an upgrade or migration, does the partner have real experience with both my current system and the one I'm moving to?

• Can the partner provide guidance from a functional, technical, process, and business perspective, not just technical support?

• Does the partner know my industry?
  

BEYOND THE APPLICATION

Cloud and Environment Management

• Does the partner manage the environment around Dynamics, not just the application itself, including Azure, tenant configuration, and licensing?

• Does the partner help me avoid environment sprawl and keep licensing costs aligned with what my team actually uses?

• If I ever needed to leave, would I retain clear ownership and portability of my own data and configuration?

SECURITY, DATA & AI

Security and Data Protection

• Does the partner have a defined approach to securing my environment and protecting my data?

• Are they proactive about flagging compliance or regulatory changes that affect my business?

• Do they have a clear incident response process if something does go wrong?

AI and Copilot Readiness

• Can the partner help me understand which AI and Copilot features are actually relevant to my business, not just enable them by default?

• Do they help me use these tools responsibly, with an eye on data governance, not just turn on the switch?

STAYING CURRENT

Ongoing Guidance and Development

• Can the partner provide development support for enhancement needs as they come up, not just fixes when something breaks?

• Does the partner proactively tell me when a new release or feature affects my specific setup, rather than leaving me to find out on my own?

• Does the partner offer ongoing training and education, blogs, webinars, and other resources, so my team stays current as the platform evolves?

SUPPORT THAT FITS

Flexible Hours and Solutions

• Does the partner provide the support hours my operations actually need?

• Will they let me select the SLA package that fits my business, not a one-size-fits-all tier?

• Do they offer flexibility in the number of hours or resources needed as things change?

• Do they offer tiered support options that fit exactly what I'm looking for?

THE GUT CHECK

Culture Fit

• Can I see a genuine fit between my company culture and the partner's?

• Is this a partner I can see building a long-term working relationship with?

• Will they adapt quickly as my needs change?

Will they operate as a true partner with your organization?

MIGRATING FROM BUSINESS CENTRAL

These same questions apply, with a few extra ones specific to that move.

Read the full guide: How to Evaluate a Microsoft Dynamics Partner (link)

Not sure if you need a VAR, MSP, or trusted partner in the first place? Start here: Choosing a Tech Partner: VAR, MSP, or Trusted Advisor (link)

 If you're working through this list because something about your current partner feels off rather than because you're starting from scratch, this one might be worth reading too.

Download the Checklist