Introduction
Changing Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can be one of the biggest concerns for any organisation.
Poor communication, incomplete documentation and knowledge loss often result in unnecessary downtime, frustrated users and prolonged onboarding projects.
When the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) appointed Impact IT Solutions as its new Managed Service Provider, the objective wasn’t to rebuild their IT infrastructure, but to deliver a smooth, well-documented transition while working alongside their existing in-house IT team.
Over a structured onboarding project, we successfully transitioned IT support for approximately 50 users and more than 50 managed devices at their head office location without significant disruption to day-to-day operations.
By combining structured onboarding, detailed documentation and collaborative working practices, we migrated support responsibilities while preserving business continuity and laying the foundations for a long-term co-managed IT partnership.
The Client
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) is the UK’s leading membership association for small animal veterinary professionals and provides support to its members through education, professional development, clinical resources and a collaborative professional community.
The BSAVA operates as a professional association with its own internal IT department, supporting staff, members and business operations.
Their IT environment was already well maintained and included:
- Cloud collaboration and productivity platforms
- Enterprise networking infrastructure
- Backup and disaster recovery capabilities
- Mature internal IT processes
- Dedicated in-house IT staff
Rather than replacing their internal IT capability, our role was to complement and strengthen it through a collaborative co-managed IT support model.
Although the BSAVA’s technology environment was already well managed, the organisation was seeking a support partner whose approach more closely aligned with the needs of their internal IT team and wider business objectives.
Key Priorities Included:
Stronger Strategic Alignment
The BSAVA wanted a support model that recognised the complexity of a national membership organisation and could adapt to their specific operational requirements.
Enhanced Communication
The internal IT team were looking for clearer communication channels, improved knowledge sharing and greater continuity across support interactions.
Collaborative Partnership
The BSAVA wished to build a closer working relationship with their Managed Service Provider, ensuring both teams could work together effectively, share expertise and support continuous improvement initiatives.
Project Overview
To ensure a seamless transition, Impact IT Solutions followed our proven Five-Step Managed IT Onboarding Framework. During a structured onboarding and transition programme, we scoped out the project and onboarded approximately 50 users and over 50 managed devices, allowing support responsibilities to transfer smoothly while BSAVA’s internal IT team continued normal business operations.
1. Discovery and Documentation
Our engineers met with key stakeholders to gain an understanding of the existing IT environment and operational requirements.
During this stage we:
- Documented key technology assets and operational systems
- Recorded key technology assets
- Reviewed disaster recovery documentation
- Captured key business processes
- Identified existing technical issues
- Completed our structured onboarding questionnaire
This provided a comprehensive baseline before support officially transferred.
2. Knowledge Transfer
One of the most important aspects of any MSP transition is preserving organisational knowledge.
Working alongside the outgoing provider, we:
- Exported existing technical documentation
- Reviewed and validated documentation accuracy
- Removed outdated information
- Imported only current documentation into our secure knowledge platform
This ensured our engineers had accurate information from day one and reduced the risk of knowledge loss during the transition.
3. Secure Platform Integration
To deliver proactive support while respecting the BSAVA’s existing IT operations, we carefully integrated our management platforms.
This included:
- Deploying monitoring and management tools to support proactive service delivery
- Coordinating the transition from the previous provider’s management platforms
- Automating deployment activities through existing endpoint management systems
- Providing the internal IT team with visibility over shared support and documentation platforms
Following the conclusion of the previous provider’s contract, management and monitoring capabilities were seamlessly transitioned to ensure continuous service coverage and business continuity.
4. Improving Collaboration
One of the BSAVA’s primary objectives was improving communication between their internal IT team and their Managed Service Provider.
To support this, we configured shared collaboration channels to enable direct communication between Impact IT Solutions and BSAVA staff, providing faster response times, improved visibility and a more collaborative support experience.
5. Continuous Service Improvement
Rather than considering the onboarding complete once support went live, we established an ongoing programme of continuous improvement.
Current initiatives include:
- Investigating intermittent wireless connectivity issues
- Identifying high memory utilisation across end-user devices
- Reducing storage consumption
- Reviewing and enhancing identity and access management processes
- Reviewing and optimising data protection and recovery services
Outcomes and Benefits
Following the successful onboarding, the BSAVA now benefits from:
- A fully documented IT environment
- Structured co-managed IT support
- Improved communication through shared collaboration tools
- A successful transition from their previous Managed Service Provider with no significant disruption for approximately 50 users
- Proactive monitoring and management across more than 50 managed devices
- Clean, validated technical documentation
- Greater visibility and collaboration for their internal IT team
- A clear roadmap for continuous service improvement
Why Co-Managed IT Works
Many medium and large organisations already have experienced internal IT teams but require additional expertise, resilience and strategic guidance.
A co-managed IT support model enables organisations to:
- Extend internal IT capacity
- Access specialist expertise when required
- Improve documentation and operational processes
- Strengthen cyber security
- Reduce operational risk
- Scale IT resources without increasing headcount
For the BSAVA, this approach delivered a genuine technology partnership rather than simply outsourcing IT support.
Conclusion
During a structured onboarding and transition programme, Impact IT Solutions successfully transitioned IT support approximately 50 users and over 50 managed devices while working collaboratively alongside BSAVA’s internal IT department.
By combining structured onboarding, proactive communication and detailed technical documentation, we ensured a seamless Managed Service Provider transition without disrupting day-to-day operations.
Today, we continue to work closely with the BSAVA to enhance performance, strengthen cyber security and support future technology initiatives, providing the benefits of co-managed IT services while allowing their internal IT team to remain firmly in control.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is involved when changing Managed Service Providers?
A successful MSP transition should include documentation reviews, asset discovery, knowledge transfer, remote management deployment, security validation and clear communication with all stakeholders to ensure business continuity.
Can you keep your internal IT team when using an MSP?
Absolutely. Many organisations choose a co-managed IT model, where the MSP works alongside internal IT staff to provide additional expertise, proactive monitoring and strategic support.
How long does an MSP transition take?
Timescales vary depending on the size and complexity of the environment. A structured onboarding process significantly reduces disruption and ensures all critical systems are documented before support transfers.
Why is documentation important during onboarding?
Accurate documentation helps engineers resolve issues faster, reduces reliance on individual knowledge and ensures critical systems can be supported effectively throughout the life of the contract.