All checklists
Changing IT provider
A provider change goes wrong in one of two places: the things you didn't own, and the notice period you didn't read. Sort both before anyone has an awkward conversation and the rest is mostly admin.
IT support11 stepsUpdated 30 July 2026
Who this is for
Anyone weighing up a change of provider, or already committed to one.
Time needed: Read it before you give notice
01
Make sure you own the essentials
Do this quietly, before you give notice.
- Domain name registered to you, not your providerThis is the single most disruptive thing to be holding someone else's name.
- Global admin access to your Microsoft tenantYou should have at least one admin account that isn't your provider's.
- Ownership of licences and subscriptions in your nameLicences bought under a provider's agreement may not transfer cleanly.
- A copy of documentation: network, systems, loginsAsk for it as part of normal service, not as an exit request.
02
Read the contract properly
Where the surprises live.
- Find the notice period and the renewal dateAuto-renewal clauses can add another year if you miss the window.
- Check for exit or offboarding feesSome are reasonable, some are a deterrent. Know the number before you decide.
- Confirm what data you get back, in what formatTicket history and asset lists are worth asking for explicitly.
03
Run the handover
Overlap beats a clean break.
- Agree a start date for the new provider that overlaps the oldTwo weeks of overlap prevents most of the pain.
- Change every shared and admin password after handoverIncluding anything a former engineer might still know.
- Tell staff how to log tickets from day oneNothing undermines a new provider faster than people still emailing the old one.
- Book a 30-day reviewFix the small annoyances while everyone still has momentum.
Worth watching out for
- Never give notice before you've confirmed you own the domain and have your own admin access.
- A provider who won't hand over documentation is telling you something useful about the relationship.
- If you're leaving because of response times, ask the new provider how they measure them - not whether they're fast.
Stuck on one of these steps?
Get an IT health check that reviews your support, security and Microsoft setup, then gives you a short, prioritised list of what's worth doing.