1. Operational Stability

• Ensure helpdesk support remains fully staffed or supplemented
• Validate patching, monitoring, and system backups stay on schedule

2. Vendor & License Oversight

• Review current vendor contracts and upcoming renewals
• Audit licenses and remove unused tools or subscriptions
• Renegotiate terms where possible for cost savings

3. Project & Priorities Continuity

• Audit ongoing projects—identify stalled or orphaned initiatives
• Assign interim roles or MSP-supported oversight for mission-critical tasks

4. System Documentation & Knowledge Capture

• Identify systems lacking documented processes or admin access
• Retain or recover legacy documentation and knowledge traps
• Create SOPs for critical workflows and infrastructure

5. Security & Compliance Oversight

• Conduct credential and access audits
• Ensure MFA, logging, and monitoring remain active and effective
• Review audit readiness and upcoming compliance checkpoints

6. Cost & Efficiency Reviews

• Analyze operational expense trends—identify emerging inefficiencies
• Review and streamline software stacks for overlap or waste
• Track support metrics and downtime impact on productivity

7. Strategic Alignment & Metrics

• Implement dashboards to track uptime, ticket response, and project progress
• Maintain regular reporting on IT performance for leadership visibility
• Coordinate with business stakeholders to ensure alignment

8. Interim Governance & Escalation

• Define escalation paths and roles during the transition
• Appoint interim leadership (internal or MSP-supported) for decision clarity
• Ensure vendor point-of-contact continuity for prioritized issues

How to Use This Checklist

1. Map it out—figure out where and who to get what you need for each category
2. Review regularly—track status and identify areas at risk

Why This Matters

With over 30 years in the industry, we’ve seen the impact when IT leadership vacates—slow performance, creeping cost, and stalled strategic growth. But we’ve also seen how the right structure maintains profit and momentum—when supported by experienced partners and disciplined operational governance.