For managed services providers (MSPs), deploying new PCs and performing desktop and laptop migrations are common but dangerous tasks. The adage “you’re only as good as your last performance” certainly applies. An MSP and its technicians can bat a thousand, getting everything right completing a client’s complex cloud migrations, remote work initiatives, and proprietary business application upgrades. But make mistakes deploying a single new workstation and, regardless whether it’s fair, those PC errors are the experience the client remembers.

One reasons new PC deployments and system migrations commonly cause trouble is that there’s so much to remember. Typically the new system must be properly connected to a Windows domain, proprietary business and industry-specific applications must be installed, as must utilities and management and monitoring agents. Local data must be migrated, when applicable, and don’t forget printers. I remember reversing course and returning to a client when I once remembered forgetting that step. Using a checklist will help you reduce or eliminate client complaints and remote follow ups or return visits.

As with any checklist, MSPs may need customized versions for specific clients. That’s OK. Simply adjust the checklist as necessary the first time you deploy a new system for a client possessing unique requirements or a custom environment, then use that revised checklist as a template for that client’s future deployments. Technicians will thank you when they, too, find the MSP receiving less callbacks, and the client will appreciate the attention to detail.