Third-Party Maintenance Checklist: How to Find a Third-Party Provider

So, you’re considering outsourcing maintenance to a third party? This decision will offer flexibility and savings compared with the typically more expensive OEM support. That said, not all third-party maintenance (TPM) providers are created equal. 

We've compiled a third-party maintenance checklist to help you pick the best match for your unique business and technological needs. If a TPM provider checks all the boxes in this list, you’ve got a partner you can trust and rely on. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the following:

• How to not fall prey to the “too good to be true” third parties who may not live up to their claims.
• How to set the terms so you get a contract in your interest.
• Why you should consider OneCall for your maintenance requirements.

Third-Party Maintenance Checklist

Here’s the ultimate checklist of questions to ask and what to look for when looking for a third party for IT maintenance. 

Does the TPM Provider Offer 24/7 Technical Support?

• 24/7 technical support is available.
• Both remote and on-site support.
• Single point of contact.

Note: 24/7 technical support shouldn’t be an option but a given if you want to avoid downtime. Also, on-site support should be available for more critical technical issues, for instance, hardware failure. At PivIT, customers have access to 24/7 technical support from our experts. 

Are There Multiple Support Options, and Do They Respond Quickly?

• Ticket support system.
• Phone support.
• Email support.
• Chat support.
• 24 hours or less response time.
• Emergency response protocol.

Note: The more support options there are, the better. With OneCall, PivIT’s maintenance service, customers have access to a robust ticketing system for support with options for priority elevation, so our engineers can get to you quicker. 

Does the Provider Offer Multi-Vendor and Multi-Platform Support?

• Multi-vendor support, including both mainstream and niche OEMs.
• Multi-platform support, including network, storage, cloud, etc. 
• Support for both new and legacy equipment.
• Dashboard with real-time view of all maintenance contracts and warranty tracking.

Note: With the OneHub dashboard by PivIT, clients have visibility of all their maintenance contracts in one place. This also includes a warranty under OEM, so all contracts, regardless of provider or vendor, can be managed from a single pane. 

Does the Third Party Offer Flexibility of Coverage?

• Short-term maintenance (up to one year).
• Long-term maintenance (a year or more).
• Flexibility of terms (contract duration, SLAs, coverage, spare parts, etc.).
• Customized billing options.
• Hybrid maintenance possibility (both OEM and TPM support combined).

Note: Like OEM, many third parties only offer 12-month or longer coverage. With OneCall, you can have short-term coverage for a few months. The short-term maintenance coverage can come in handy when waiting to refresh after the end of support from OEM or facing lead time issues. 

What SLAs Do They Offer, and Do They Meet Your Requirements?

• Same business day.
• Next day.
• Next business day.
• 24/7.

Does the Third Party Have Any Certifications or Accreditations?

• ISO 9000.
• Compliance with local/international regulations.
• Certified engineers.
• Any other relevant industry certification.

Does the TPM Provider Guarantee Spares, and What Is the SLA on That?

• Dedicated spare with serial number and holding depot location.
• Same business day, next business day, or two business days delivery.
• On-site or remote installation and configuration support.
• The spare device is tested and/or certified.

Note: The Sparing Integrity Program under OneCall guarantees the availability of the spare part by providing the serial number and location of the hardware. Moreover, the spare goes through testing and is certified before being dedicated to your enterprise. 

Are There Any Hidden Charges or Penalties in the Contract?

• Transparency in pricing with detailed price breakdown.
• No penalties for cancelation or reducing coverage.
• No obligatory licensing fee.
• Flexible payment options.

Does the TPM Offer Value for Money?

• Cheaper pricing than OEM support.
• A double-digit percentage of savings.
• Savings on OpEx.

Note: OneCall maintenance comes out cheaper than OEM support, particularly for legacy devices, which may lose coverage or have extremely expensive premiums for continued support from the OEM. For instance, a global beverage distributor saved a million dollars on maintenance with OneCall. 

Does the TPM Provider Offer Any Extra Relevant Services That May Benefit Your Business?

• On-demand engineers.
• IT asset disposal service.
• Relocation service.
• Design, staging, and/or configuration services.
• Procurement services.
• Other services.

Note: At PivIT, maintenance isn’t the only service available, as customers can also benefit from various professional services through our EXTEND program. For instance, enterprises can fill talent gaps temporarily with on-demand hardware engineers through SmartHands service. Similarly, PivIT’s procurement teams can handle hardware procurement from most vendors, handling everything on your behalf, from sourcing to delivering. 

OneCall Is the Answer

When considering your third-party maintenance checklist, pay attention to OneCall. Whether you’re after savings on your OpEx or run mission-critical systems that require around-the-clock support, OneCall’s features and offerings will meet all your needs and exceed all your expectations. 

When something breaks, you can't afford downtime. We make the maintenance request process as simple as opening a ticket, getting a replacement, and relaxing. Open a beer, sip a coffee, peek at your socials. Whatever it is, you can relax knowing your maintenance is under control with OneCall.