Your Facebook friends list controls who has access to your "private" information on the social media platform. Hopefully, if you care about your privacy, you only allow people you know into your inner social media circle.
Running an MSP practice shares some commonalities to Facebook, in the sense that the people and organizations you associate with matter tremendously. Here's why.
MSP Friends List
Your "friends list" as an MSP is basically all the organizations utilized in the delivery of your managed services. The vendors you use are part of your service delivery machine and directly reflect on your reputation. Vendors also directly impact the amount and type of risk you take on as an MSP.
Friends List Due Diligence
As an MSP, it is your job to thoroughly investigate your friend's list to make sure only approved vendors are utilized. Your clients place a great deal of trust in your MSP practice, in part to perform the due diligence necessary evaluate each and every vendor.
Transparency
Because your friend's list of vendors has the ability to impact the services delivered to your customers, many organizations are requesting documentation from their MSPs on the types of vendors they use. In many cases, audit reports and other "transparency requests" are as much about the vendors as it is about the MSP itself.
Customers are finally realizing that the MSP does not operate alone. Most customers are ok with this, provided they know who else is involved in the service delivery process and what level of access they really have.
Conclusions
The weakest link of any MSP practice is the weakest vendor. Don't allow bad vendor relationships sabotage your MSP practice. Perform your due diligence, make sure vendors are adequately trained and segmented so they only touch that which they are supposed to touch, and be prepared to show everything to your clients.
