Changing IT providers is one of those things that most people think will be really disruptive. The truth it, it can be if it’s rushed or if nobody planned the handover. However, when a switch is done in a sensible order, it becomes a managed project with a clear start and finish.
That’s why we’ve created this guide: to help you move to a new provider, as well as to explain what a good provider should do when you’re leaving them.
Step 1: Understand what you’re tied to
Before anything else, find your IT provider contract. Then take note of the following:
- the notice period and any minimum term
- whether it renews automatically, and when
- what happens to equipment, licences and software at the end
- whether there are exit or handover charges.
With this information, you can choose your end date deliberately, rather than finding out that the renewal window has passed.
Step 2: Establish what you own
This is the step people most skip when changing IT providers. That means it’s the one that causes the most trouble later. Remember to check that your business, not your provider, is the named owner of:
- your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace tenant
- your domain name registration and DNS
- software licences and subscriptions
- warranty and hardware records
- backups, and where they’re stored.
Step 3: Collect the handover information
Now the important part. Ask your current provider for the following:
- admin credentials for all systems, in a secure handover
- network diagrams and an asset list
- documentation of how things are configured
- a list of third parties and support contracts
- backup and recovery details
- any outstanding tickets or known issues.
If the documentation you get thin, it tells you something. To help you out, we cover this in the blog could someone realistically take over your IT environment.
Step 4: Choose the new provider, and plan an overlap
The questions in the above blog will help you if you’re considering changing IT providers. Once you’ve looked through them, agree a period where both providers are active. Keep in mind that a short overlap, of even a couple of weeks, allows your new provider to learn the environment while you can still reach out to the old provider.
Step 5: Start the hand over in a sensible order
- New provider reviews the documentation and tests access
- Monitoring and backups are switched over and checked
- Support routes are moved (who staff call, how tickets are raised)
- Staff are told in plain language what changes and when
- Old provider’s access is removed.
Step 6: Here’s what to do after the move
- Change all of your passwords and admin credentials
- Remove the old provider’s remote access tools and accounts
- Confirm that your backups restore properly under the new setup
- Review everything after 30 days: see what’s working, and what isn’t.
Switching checklist at a glance
| Before | During | After |
| Check contract and notice period | Secure handover of credentials | Rotate all passwords |
| Confirm what you own | Overlap period agreed | Remove old access |
| Request documentation | Backups and monitoring tested | Restore test |
| Shortlist new providers | Staff briefed | 30-day review |
How your IT supplier handles an exit is a good indicator of how they handle everything else. So if you’re weighing up a move, ask your current provider what their exit process looks like. If they give you a confident answer, it’s a good sign. But a vague response tells you something, too.
Thinking about a move?
This is what our Free Partnership Review Call is for. We talk to your team and look at your systems. With this information, we can explain what’s working, what people are working around and where a simple change would save time.
Call: 01707 378455
Email: hello@tristartechsolutions.co.uk
