Guide
Managed IT provider handover checklist
Use this checklist before changing IT providers. It covers your system list, admin access, backups, support contacts and the changeover date.
1. List what you have
List the systems the new provider will support: domains and DNS, internet connections, network equipment, servers, computers, cloud tenants, licences, backups and monitoring. For each one, record who owns it, who supplies it, when it renews and where its settings are documented.
Mark anything that cannot go without support during the changeover, such as business apps, warehouse scanners, phones and remote sites. Name the person responsible for each one until the new provider takes over.
2. Check admin access
- Make sure your business controls its domain registration and cloud tenants.
- List admin accounts and access given to the old provider. Agree what the new provider needs.
- Transfer passwords and recovery details securely. Remove the old provider's access when it is no longer needed.
- Check multifactor authentication and emergency access. Name someone to review access after the handover.
For Microsoft 365, give each admin only the access their work needs. Microsoft's admin account guidance also covers emergency access. Keep a way for your business to administer its own tenant.
3. Check backups and support before the changeover
Record what is backed up, who receives failure alerts, who can restore data and when a restore was last tested. Check where monitoring alerts go, who owns licences and warranties, and how staff will get help on day one. Name who supports anything outside the new agreement.
Set a changeover date. Leave time for the old and new providers to clear up missing records, with one named lead and an end date. Agree who can make changes while both have access.
4. Check the handover is complete
The handover record should list covered users, devices, sites and services; support hours and contacts; network and cloud diagrams; backup responsibilities; open issues; renewals; and unfinished project work. Ask a staff member to log a real support request to test the new help route.
If you do not have a clear system list or access record, an IT health check can help build one. Read about our managed IT support.
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