How to Know When to Switch IT Vendors

When is enough... enough?

If you’re building a biotech company, your focus should be on moving your programs forward to the clinic, the patient, or a strategic exit.  But too often, we meet founders and ops leads who are pulled into managing IT issues they never signed up for.

When you’re fielding issues, juggling vendor communication, and handling compliance on the fly, it’s not just frustrating—it’s a distraction from the work that drives progress.  

Do I need to hire a Head of IT? Will that even help?

If this sounds familiar, it might be time to take a closer look at your IT vendor. 

When Role Creep Stalls Performance in Biotech

We've often worked with teams where the person managing IT was pulled so far into the weeds that they couldn’t focus on what they were actually hired to do, which slows down growth, stalls progress, and ultimately wastes dollars as things are not running efficiently.  

When we walk into a company, and the person managing the IT vendor is overwhelmed, that’s a sign. They didn’t sign up for this and easily got in over their head. 

That level of role creep is a red flag. And it's not the only one. 

Red Flags That It Might Be Time for a Change in IT 

Are you noticing these trends in you or your team’s day-to-day? 

Your IT vendor is reactive, not strategic. 

There’s a big difference between someone who closes tickets and someone who understands what your biotech is actually trying to accomplish. A vendor that only focuses on uptime might keep the lights on. But, what about helping you prepare for IND submission, clinical trial readiness, or your next round of funding?  

Operational readiness means your systems are aligned with your science, your regulatory path, your team’s workflow, and your milestones. If your IT partner isn’t thinking in those terms, they’re not a partner. They’re just tech support, and they are well-positioned to make things worse. 

You’re stuck making short-term fixes. 

Quick patches, duct-taped tools, and overlapping systems might help you hit a goal—but they create long-term debt that’s expensive to unwind. We get it. Being scrappy is great for biotech. But we’ve seen startups piece together tools just to stay afloat, only to hit a wall when it’s time to scale, submit to the FDA, or prepare a deal package.  

When your vendor can’t see past the next fire drill, the pressure shifts to your internal team. You’re the one left managing exceptions, building budgets with little understanding, fixing breakdowns, and explaining delays to investors. 

That’s not a sustainable strategy. You’re simply set up for burnout and missed opportunities. 

Strategy > Support: What a Biotech IT Partner Should Be 

Most managed service providers (MSPs) are built around service-level agreements and ticket queues. That might work for a traditional business, but not in biotech. When we know biotech and its needs, we can stay ahead of the needs and do better.  

Your growth is tied to clinical and regulatory milestones: preclinical planning, IND readiness, fundraising, audits, etc. You don’t need reactive IT support. You need operational IT that is aligned to your (biotech) business. 

If your current vendor isn’t delivering that, it’s time to reconsider the relationship. Here’s how to start: 

1. Audit what’s working, and what’s not. 

Look at where your current setup is slowing things down: Is your team wasting time triaging tech issues and combing through legacy data? Are you confident your systems can support privacy regulations, audits, and partnering efforts? Are you requesting out-of-budget spend because no one with experience was looking ahead? 

2. Reframe what you need (aka the “non-negotiables”) 

Don’t just look for another MSP. Look for a partner who understands biotech and has the experience to back that up. Choose someone who can tie your IT strategy directly to: funding timelines, compliance requirements, and team workflows. 

3. Understand what IT is really costing you 

It’s easy to tally up license fees and help desk invoices. But for biotech startups, the real costs of misaligned IT run deeper—and they compound fast.   

Beyond the obvious desktop license fees and support desk MSP expenses, consider the bigger picture: 

• Expensive projects with little payoff: Consulting fees for projects that delivered minimal value because they didn’t solve the real problem, were not implemented properly, or failed to be adopted by the team. 
  

• Storing data no one needs, in systems no one uses: Data Retention, or carrying the “live” storage cost for data of little-to-no value (or data that does not need to be readily accessible). Data retention adds up, especially when live storage is used for information that could be archived or offloaded entirely. You are paying premium rates for dormant data. 
  

• Oversized systems that slow your team down: Systems that carry big license fees and serious management time from providers and your users. Oversized systems not only cost more, but they also actually decrease efficiency when implemented in a wrong-sized team. This is common and expensive. 
  

• Legacy data with no owner: Legacy Data that might not be salvageable as tribal knowledge has been lost due to team turnover. When key team members leave and take that knowledge with them, the value of your data is put in jeopardy. 
  

• Recurring issues that never get fully fixed: There are IT Issues that seem to never go away, returning for user after user, after user. What a waste. The opportunity cost of time is huge in biotech as it translates to clinic and market delay and increased headcount. 
  

• Overlapping tools and license confusion: Overlapping software, tools, services and storage both increase spend and user frustration. How many times have you heard: “Where did we put that file?” or “Do I need a license to that software too?” 
  

• Zombie software no one can confirm or decommission: Licenses to tools no one’s sure are still in use. Deactivated logins that haven’t been removed. You might be paying for software you haven’t touched in a year. 

Does this sound like you? Let’s take a look at your IT budget in the context of your milestones. We will find savings and alignment. Contact us now.  

4. Plan your vendor transition. 
   

The best transitions don’t happen overnight. We help clients phase out legacy vendors while protecting uptime, data integrity, and team continuity. The goal isn’t just to move fast—it’s to move smart. 

At Basis, we don’t just show up to fix what’s broken. We build IT infrastructure around your scientific and operational goals—so your systems support your growth instead of slowing it down. 

”We’re not just patching holes. We’re there to assess whether your infrastructure supports your science, your team, your regulatory and privacy obligations...and your milestones.” 

Switching vendors isn’t just about solving today’s problems. It’s about building the kind of infrastructure that won’t fail you six months from now.  

Are You Ready for Specialists to Take Ownership in Your IT? 

Letting go of IT oversight can feel risky, especially if you've had to manage vendors hands-on. But real operational clarity starts with trust and structure. You're ready when: 

• You're tired of short-term workarounds. 

• You want IT systems that support—not stall—your team. 

• You want to have a view ahead and fewer out-of-budget fire drills. 

• You're willing to partner with someone who thinks five steps ahead. 
  

And we get it: it’s hard to let go. That’s why we focus on giving founders and ops leads the visibility they need to stay informed, without being stuck in the weeds.   Let’s not forget the protection of sensitive information, including, but not limited to, your IP, user, and patient privacy. We’re not just talking about compliance checklists—but true control over where sensitive data lives, how it’s accessed, and who’s ultimately responsible for it. We’ve seen too many startups expose sensitive materials when they did not need to have them in their environment at all.  

We Get It, You’re Just Burned Out 

If you’re a founder, letting go might seem like a risk. You’ve been holding it together, fielding tickets, double-checking compliance, and keeping the team online because someone had to. And when your IT vendor hasn’t earned your trust, it’s hard to imagine handing over the controls. 

That’s why our role at Basis isn’t just to “take IT off your plate”—it’s to make you feel confident that what we build will hold up to the weight of your growth. We bring structure, visibility, and a roadmap tied to your real milestones. So, when you let go, you’re not losing control. You’re gaining the right kind of partner. 

Imagine Your Biotech Accelerating Without Being Stalled 

What strategic work could you focus on? How much time will you get back? What could your team accomplish without the stress of chasing issues or bracing for system shortcomings?  

When you're ready to offload those risks and focus on what matters most, we're here.   Find us on LinkedIn