Not all managed services providers were created equal. And signing on with a new vendor doesn’t mean you’re stuck with them forever. CIO.com recently provided their top 10 tips for evaluating and re-evaluating your providers, so we thought we share some of their advice.

Go Back In Time. Remember the IT and Business pain points that drove you outsource initially. If those pain points would otherwise still exist, “then you should consider changing providers rather than abandoning the strategy.”

Question Your Motivations. Before abandoning a vendor relationship, evaluate the processes used to do the original deal – was it “destined to fail?” Perhaps. But it also may be possible to restructure the relationship or “renegotiate the contract and avoid the operational risk of moving.

Prepare for People Problems. “The outsourcing deal you signed may limit your right to solicit and re-hire provider personnel.” Always make sure your original contract includes provisos that may help hedge any personality conflicts, and allows for knowledge transfer, should providers change.

READ the full CIO.com article for more tips for “recompeting” an IT services deal.

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