Nobody wakes up excited to fire their managed service provider. It’s not like switching coffee vendors. Your MSP has their hands on everything: your email, your servers, your backups, your security tools, your users’ ability to do their jobs.

And yet here you are.

Maybe it’s been a slow erosion of trust. Tickets that linger. Invoices that don’t quite make sense. That nagging feeling that you’re always the last to know when something breaks. Or maybe there was a moment, a breach, a botched migration, a conversation where you realized they simply don’t understand your business anymore.

Whatever brought you here, you’re facing one of the more stressful technology decisions a business leader can make. Let’s talk about how to do it well.

First, Be Honest About Why

Before you pull the trigger, get clear on the actual problem. Not the symptoms. The root cause.

Is it a communication breakdown that might be fixable? A mismatch between what you need and what they’re built to deliver? Or is it something more fundamental, a lack of competence, transparency, or integrity?

This matters because your “why” shapes everything that comes next. If you’re leaving because your needs have outgrown their capabilities, that’s a very different transition than leaving because you’ve lost confidence in their technical judgment.

It also matters because you’re about to choose a replacement, and you don’t want to repeat the same mistake with different branding.

Document Everything Before You Say a Word

Here’s where most companies stumble: they announce the breakup before they’ve secured their own position.

Your MSP controls access to critical systems. They hold passwords, configurations, license keys, and institutional knowledge about how your environment works (as opposed to how it was supposed to work). Some of that information exists only in their heads.

Before any difficult conversation happens, you need to know:

• What do they manage? Build a complete inventory. Every system, every application, every vendor relationship they touch on your behalf.
• What credentials do they control? Admin accounts, service accounts, cloud portals, domain registrars, SSL certificates, DNS management. All of it.
• What does your contract actually say? Termination clauses, notice periods, data handoff requirements, transition assistance obligations. Read the fine print.
• What’s your backup situation? Confirm you have recent, tested backups of everything critical and that those backups aren’t solely controlled by the MSP you’re about to part ways with.

Plan the Transition Before Starting It

Firing your MSP without a plan is like jumping out of a plane and then looking for a parachute. You need your next move figured out before you make this one.

That might mean having a new MSP already selected and ready to onboard. Or it might mean bringing capabilities in-house. Or some hybrid of both.

Whatever direction you choose, build a transition timeline that’s realistic. Not optimistic. Realistic. Most MSP transitions take 30 to 90 days when done properly. Trying to compress that timeline usually creates more problems than it solves.

And build in contingency. What happens if your current MSP becomes uncooperative? What if critical documentation doesn’t exist? What if there are undisclosed technical debt issues hiding under the surface?

Have the Conversation Professionally

When it’s time to deliver the news, keep it professional. This isn’t the moment for venting frustrations or cataloging grievances.

State your decision clearly. Provide appropriate notice per your contract. Request formal documentation of all systems, credentials, and configurations. Set clear expectations for the transition period.

Put it in writing. Follow up the conversation with an email that memorializes what was discussed and agreed to.

Most MSPs will handle this professionally. They’ve been through it before. But some won’t, and you need to be prepared for that possibility. If things get adversarial, having documentation that reflects your professionalism protects you.

Watch for the Danger Zones

A few things tend to go sideways during MSP transitions:

Credential handoffs get messy. Passwords that were supposed to be documented aren’t. Access that should transfer doesn’t. Build extra time into your timeline for this.

Licensing gets complicated. Some licenses may be held in the MSP’s name. Some may be tied to their agreements with vendors. Untangling who owns what takes time and sometimes money.

Knowledge walks out the door. Your MSP knows things about your environment that aren’t written down anywhere. Try to capture as much of this institutional knowledge as possible during the transition period.

Users get caught in the middle. Your team needs to know who to call for help during the transition. Clear communication about support channels and timelines prevents confusion and frustration.

Learn From the Experience

Once the dust settles, take time to understand what went wrong and how to prevent it next time.

Was the original selection process flawed? Did you choose based on price when you should have prioritized capability? Did you skip reference checks or accept vague answers during the sales process?

Did the relationship management fail? Were there warning signs you ignored? Conversations you avoided having? Metrics you should have been tracking?

Were expectations ever clearly defined? Many MSP relationships fail not because of bad actors, but because nobody ever wrote down what success actually looks like.

The answers inform how you structure your next vendor relationship, whether that’s with a new MSP, an internal team, or some combination of both.

A Final Thought

Firing your MSP feels like a crisis, but it’s also an opportunity. You’re getting a fresh start. A chance to build something better.

Use it wisely. Take your time choosing your next partner. This is a good time to have an independent advisory service, like TAP, help you. Define expectations clearly from the beginning. Build in accountability mechanisms. Stay engaged in the relationship instead of assuming everything’s fine because you haven’t heard otherwise.

The goal isn’t just to escape a bad situation. It’s to build a foundation that won’t put you back here in two years.Have you been through a difficult MSP transition? What surprised you about the process? I’d genuinely like to hear about your experience in the comments.