The manager should find a service provider with experience supporting companies of a similar size with similar equipment types. In addition, the IT manager should ensure that the provider can continue supporting the company as it grows and adds users and equipment. The quality of personnel and the training provided by the service company are key items. The IT manager should determine the certifications that the support personnel hold, and the manager should know how many support people will be dedicated to the company's problems. Most companies track the number of problems that are resolved on the first call and the average length of call.
Providers also track the percentage of problems that require multiple calls.
IT managers need to understand how well the provider performed in the past. It is, therefore, imperative to interview current and former customers to validate the vendor's claims. The vendor selected to provide support functions should want to understand the IT manager's business. While most support calls focus on generic applications software and hardware failures, service providers need to know how critical each application is, how the systems are used, and what the impact of downtime is on the revenue stream. Without this information, calls about a failure in a critical application may not receive the priority they require.