Businesses hire MSPs to reduce internal IT work, prevent interruptions, and support growth. Yet, many still face recurring issues, slow responses, unresolved tickets, reactive fixes, and confusing communication.

 

ESG research shows that IT complexity has surged for 77% of small and mid-market businesses over the past two years, making efficient management more crucial than ever.

These problems rarely stem from technology alone. They often originate from provider shortcomings, missed details, lack of clarity, and weak accountability.

Bob Brunmeier, CEO of OneNet Global, puts it plainly: “If an MSP isn’t fully invested in your success, problems don’t disappear, they multiply. The right provider should take complete ownership of your IT environment.”

Too often, a business upgrades its systems, brings in an MSP, and still struggles with the same issues. That’s a sign the network isn’t the problem; the provider’s approach is.

This blog explains the common IT managed services challenges that slow down growing businesses and why choosing the right provider is key.

 

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What Poor MSP Onboarding Costs You

A poor onboarding process is a critical managed services challenge. Most long-term IT issues start during onboarding. If your MSP rushes through the setup or skips documentation, they create gaps that don’t go away. These oversights keep causing friction for months or even years.

What usually goes wrong:

  • Lack of proper documentation: Without detailed network and system records, support teams waste time guessing instead of resolving.
  • No escalation structure: When issues escalate, no one knows who owns what, causing delays and repeated follow-ups.
  • Failure to connect IT with business goals: Generic solutions don’t work. MSPs that fail to understand how your business operates can’t deliver results that matter.

At OneNet Global, onboarding is fully documented and completed in under 14 days. We track every device, user, and connection from day one, because what gets tracked gets fixed.

If You Can’t See What’s Going On, You’re the One Managing IT

Lack of visibility is a major reason businesses feel stuck with their MSP. If you have to chase updates or ask the same questions repeatedly, that’s not support, it’s mismanagement.

Here’s what poor transparency looks like:

  • Closed or outdated ticket systems: Without updates, users lose time guessing if work is being done or not.
  • No performance data: When your MSP doesn’t give you uptime stats, patch status, or security reports, you lose oversight.
  • Vendor lock-in through proprietary tools: Some MSPs hide behind their tech stack so you can’t validate anything.

Your MSP should give you real-time visibility into support metrics and system performance. They ought to automate updates and reports on every outcome, because if your MSP can’t prove they did it, it didn’t happen.

Security Can’t Be Assumed; It Has to Be Verified

Just because your IT is outsourced doesn’t mean it’s secure. Even MSPs are now constantly being targeted, with 76% facing an attack in the past year. If your provider runs weak internal processes or skips critical steps, they increase your exposure to real threats.

Warning signs:

  • Uncontrolled remote access tools: Without strict policies, these tools are an easy path for attackers.
  • Poor firewall management: Missed changes and bad configurations leave your perimeter open.
  • Weak internal security hygiene: MSPs without MFA, password policies, or audit logs compromise your environment through their own access.

What you should expect from a capable MSP:

  • Documented security controls and procedures
  • Transparent access logs and change histories
  • Regular reviews that result in specific, actionable improvements

Security should be a shared responsibility. You should know what protections your MSP has put in place and how they enforce them internally.

The Wrong Tools and Low-Capacity Teams Don’t Scale With You

Skilled IT engineers are in short supply. 93% of employers report a skills gap between their IT staff’s current abilities and the desired competency levels. Managed services providers aren’t left out. The truth is, IT moves fast, and many providers haven’t kept up.

When MSPs use outdated tools or rely on entry-level staff, your business feels the impact every day.

Where things fall apart:

  • Legacy monitoring tools: Missed events and excessive false alerts overwhelm support teams.
  • No integration between platforms: When monitoring, ticketing, and reporting aren’t connected, response times lag.
  • Manual processes: Delays and inefficiencies increase when automation for patches and updates is lacking.

This leads to:

  • Reopened tickets and delayed fixes
  • Increased downtime and user frustration
  • Erosion of trust in IT services

Your MSP should invest in modern, integrated tools and experienced engineers.

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A Generic MSP Can’t Support a Specialized Business

Not every provider is built to support your industry. Some MSPs force a one-size-fits-all approach without considering compliance needs, growth pace, or the complexity of your infrastructure.

You’re working with the wrong provider if:

  • You’re repeating the same issues because the team doesn’t understand your setup
  • Your requests for urgent support are constantly delayed
  • Your MSP talks more about their tools than your goals

Your MSP should tailor services based on your exact operations, supporting regulated environments, legacy systems, and modern cloud-first setups. They should be able to adjust to your workflows, not the other way.

When Should You Walk Away?

Most Common IT Managed Services Challenges

If you keep dealing with the same IT issues, the MSP may be incapable of solving them. Poor service agreements, limited planning, and lack of measurable results are clear signs that it’s time to switch.

Review your provider against these red flags:

  • No clear SLAs or escalation paths: Without structured agreements, issue resolution slows, leading to delays and finger-pointing.
  • No strategic check-ins: If your MSP isn’t reviewing improvements quarterly, they’re not prioritizing your long-term growth.
  • Repeating incidents: Persistent issues mean they’re treating symptoms, not fixing the root cause.

OneNet Global delivers against every metric:

  • Fast resolution with 89% of issues closed the same day
  • Full visibility through client-accessible dashboards
  • Strategic planning aligned with your growth trajectory

Overlooked Issues That Keep Hurting Your IT

Some IT problems don’t cause immediate disruption, but they quietly reduce efficiency, increase risk, and create unnecessary friction across teams.

These are often ignored unless addressed through regular reviews.

Issue Impact Why It Matters
Inflexible SLAs Slows down urgent issue response Delays during outages or security incidents increase downtime and business risk.
Lack of future planning Leads to misaligned technology decisions IT investments fail to support scalability or changing business goals.
Skipped patches Leaves systems exposed to known threats Increases the chances of attacks and often violates compliance standards.
Poor documentation Slows down onboarding and troubleshooting New hires, vendors, and support teams struggle without clear process visibility.

Choose OneNet Global, A Provider Who Works as an Extension of Your Team

You don’t have to keep grappling with managed IT services challenges. If your current MSP avoids accountability, misses critical steps, or doesn’t adjust to your environment, it’s time to move on.

OneNet Global is built to solve that:

  • 40% average reduction in IT issues after onboarding
  • Money-back guarantee on uptime
  • Personalized support with clear reporting and real results

We own every ticket, every endpoint, and every outcome. No blame games. No hiding behind tools. Just consistent delivery, built for your business.

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It’s time to push for better results! Schedule a consultation with us and let’s talk about what’s not working and how we can fix it in time.