Tips for Choosing Your Managed Services Partner
A managed services partner is a specific kind of relationship, different from a reseller and different from a trusted partner who’s doing both.
A managed services partner isn’t just there to fix things when they break. They should be helping you avoid outages, plan ahead, and get more out of Microsoft Dynamics 365 over time. Use the categories below to evaluate any partner you’re considering, including us.
If you want the fuller picture of where MSPs fit compared to a VAR or a trusted partner, we laid that out here. Use the questions below to evaluate any managed services partner you’re considering, including us.
START HERE
Experience and Solution Knowledge
The most basic question is also the easiest to skip past: does this partner genuinely know the specific system you’re running, at the version and configuration you’re actually running it?
- Does the partner have real, hands-on experience supporting my current solution version, not just the product family in general?
- If I’m considering an upgrade or migration, does the partner have direct experience with both my current system and the platform I’m moving to?
- Can this partner speak to functional, technical, process, and business considerations together, or are they only equipped to handle technical tickets?
- Does the partner understand my specific industry, or would they be learning it on my dime?
BEYOND THE APPLICATION
Cloud and Environment Management
Microsoft Dynamics doesn’t run in isolation. The infrastructure and licensing around it matter just as much as the application itself, and a lot of partners quietly stop paying attention right at that boundary.
- Does the partner manage the full environment around Dynamics, including Azure infrastructure, tenant configuration, and licensing, not just the application layer?
- Does the partner actively help prevent environment sprawl and keep your licensing spend aligned with what your team actually uses, rather than letting it quietly grow unchecked?
- If you ever needed to leave, would you retain clear, genuine ownership and portability of your own data and configuration?
SECURITY, DATA & AI
Security and Data Protection
Security can’t be an afterthought bolted onto a support contract. It needs to be a defined, proactive part of how a partner operates.
- Does the partner have a clearly defined approach to securing your environment and protecting your data, one they can actually describe, not just reference vaguely?
- Are they proactive about flagging compliance or regulatory changes that affect your specific business, rather than waiting for you to ask?
- Do they have a clear, documented incident response process for when something does go wrong, because eventually, something will?
AI and Copilot Readiness
AI capabilities inside Dynamics 365 are expanding quickly, and a good partner should help you use them deliberately, not just flip every switch to “on.”
- Can the partner help you understand which AI and Copilot features are genuinely relevant to your business, rather than enabling everything available by default?
- Do they help you adopt these tools responsibly, with real attention to data governance, or do they treat activation itself as the finish line?
STAYING CURRENT
Ongoing Guidance and Development
The best managed services relationships don’t wait for something to break before they add value.
- Can the partner provide real development support for enhancement requests as they come up, not just reactive fixes when something fails?
- Does the partner proactively tell you when a new release or feature affects your specific setup, rather than leaving you to discover it on your own?
- Does the partner offer ongoing training and education, through blogs, webinars, or other resources, so your team stays current as the platform continues to evolve?
SUPPORT THAT FITS
Flexible Hours and Solutions
Support that doesn’t match how your business actually operates isn’t really support, it’s just a contract.
- Does the partner provide support coverage during the hours your operations genuinely need, not a generic default window?
- Will they let you choose an SLA package that fits your business, rather than forcing you into a one-size-fits-all tier?
- Do they offer flexibility to adjust hours or resources as your needs change over time?
- Do they offer tiered support options that actually map to what you’re looking for, instead of a single rigid plan?
THE GUT CHECK
Culture Fit
After all the technical boxes are checked, this last one is still worth taking seriously.
- Is there a genuine fit between your company’s culture and this partner’s way of working?
- Can you picture building a real, long-term relationship with this team, not just getting through a single project together?
- Will they actually adapt as your needs change, or does the relationship feel fixed the moment the contract is signed?
- Will they operate as a true partner with your organization?
MIGRATING TO BUSINESS CENTRAL
These same questions apply, with a few extra ones specific to that move.
If you’re evaluating a managed services partner specifically because you’re migrating from Dynamics GP to Business Central, it’s worth pairing this checklist with a clearer picture of your own readiness first. Our 10 questions to ask before you migrate is a good starting point, and our breakdown of what a realistic migration timeline actually looks like will help you evaluate whether a partner’s proposed timeline is realistic or overly optimistic.
Not sure whether you need a VAR, an MSP, or a trusted partner in the first place? Start with our guide on choosing the right kind of technology partner before you get too far into specific vendor conversations.
How Nevas Technologies Approaches This
We’d rather you use this exact list on us, honestly, than take our word for it. Nevas Technologies has spent over 20 years providing managed services and ongoing support for Microsoft Dynamics environments, with 200+ clients and a team of certified Microsoft Dynamics consultants who stay engaged well past go-live, not just during the initial implementation.
If you’re currently evaluating managed services partners, whether you’re migrating off Dynamics GP, already running Business Central, or somewhere in between, we’re glad to answer every question on this list directly.
Schedule a free consultation with our Microsoft Dynamics team to talk through your specific support needs, or get a custom quote to get started.
