As a COO, your job is to ensure your organization runs
efficiently, securely, and in full compliance—especially if you're in a
regulated industry like financial services, healthcare, or manufacturing. And
while technology powers nearly every operational function, not every IT
provider operates with your level of responsibility or strategic focus.
The reality is this: most IT partners are reactive, not
proactive. They focus on "fixing issues" instead of preventing them, and they
often lack the compliance expertise and strategic oversight required to protect
a modern business. That gap exposes your organization to downtime, regulatory
fines, data breaches, and operational bottlenecks.
To determine whether your IT provider is strengthening your organization—or silently putting it at risk—every COO should ask these five essential questions.
1. "How quickly do you respond, and can you prove it?"
Slow response times create an operational domino effect:
frustrated employees, delayed projects, unhappy clients, and increased risk.
A strategic IT partner should be able to show measurable
response-time performance, not vague promises.
At JNT Tek, for example, the team delivers an
industry-leading 3.5-minute average response time, ensuring issues are
addressed before they disrupt your business . That level of responsiveness
isn't "nice to have"—it's mandatory for COO-level operational uptime.
What to listen for:
- A documented response-time SLA
- Proof of tracked metrics
- A proactive monitoring strategy, not just ticket handling
If your provider can't answer this clearly, they're not ready to support a 50-200-employee operation.
2. "What compliance frameworks do you support—and how do you keep us
audit-ready?"
Regulated businesses face increasing pressure from agencies
like the SEC, FINRA, PCI, HIPAA, and the FTC. Your IT partner must do more than
understand these requirements—they must actively align your systems with them.
Your IT provider should demonstrate expertise in
compliance-first IT. JNT Tek, for instance, specializes in HIPAA, FINRA, SEC,
PCI, and FTC compliance work and is building a leading partnership with Theta
Lake to deliver compliance-driven communication archiving and risk mitigation
solutions .
Ask your provider:
- Which compliance standards do you support today?
- Do you perform regular assessments and documentation?
- How do you help us remain audit-ready year-round?
- What's your process for monitoring compliance drift?
A partner who can't articulate a compliance program is a partner who will expose you to regulatory violations.
3. "How do you proactively prevent downtime, breaches, and ticket volume?"
A strong IT partner reduces problems—not just fixes them.
COOs should demand visibility into:
- 24/7 monitoring tools
- Cybersecurity strategy and SOC capabilities
- Backup and disaster recovery planning
- Patch management and endpoint protection
- Quarterly strategic reviews that anticipate needs, not react to them
JNT Tek's proactive approach—rooted in continuous monitoring
and a dedicated SOC team—prevents issues before they escalate and aligns your
tech with your operational goals .
A proactive IT provider should:
- Spot trends in your environment
- Fix vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them
- Reduce downtime through automation and planning
- Provide strategic IT roadmapping aligned with business growth
If your IT partner is constantly "putting out fires," that's a sign of internal process failure—not a sign of hard work.
4. "How do you provide strategic consulting—not just IT support?"
Support alone is not enough for a COO managing a growing
organization.
You need a partner who:
- Understands business operations
- Drives technology alignment with KPIs
- Advises on security, compliance, and scalability
- Plans for your next 12-36 months, not your last help desk ticket
Your provider should offer structured strategic consulting
and dedicated account management—key differentiators highlighted in JNT Tek's
brand persona and S.E.C.U.R.E. framework (Strategic IT Planning, Effective
Solutions, Curated to Practice Needs, Ubiquitous Approach, Reliable Technology
Systems, Excellent Customer Service) .
Ask them:
- How often will you meet with our leadership?
- Who owns our long-term IT roadmap?
- How do you evaluate whether our systems support our business plan?
If strategy isn't baked into their service delivery, you're not getting partnership—you're getting break/fix IT with a new paint job.
5. "Can you scale with us—and offer co-managed options if needed?"
As your company grows, your IT requirements evolve. COOs
should confirm whether a provider can flex to match the organization's
trajectory.
Look for an IT partner who can support:
- 50-200+ employee environments
- Multisite operations
- Hybrid infrastructure
- Co-managed IT for companies with internal staff
- Full-service IT for companies without internal teams
According to your brand documents, flexibility is a core
differentiator for JNT Tek, with both full-service and co-managed options
available to match the client's preferred model of ownership and collaboration
.
Ask directly:
- Can you integrate with our internal IT team?
- How do you scale services during rapid growth?
- Do you offer dedicated engineering resources?
A scalable IT partner ensures your operations never outgrow your infrastructure.
What COOs Really Want—And How to Know If You're Getting It
Across industries, COOs consistently want the same IT
outcomes:
- No downtime
- No compliance surprises
- Fast and predictable support
- A strategic partner who "owns" IT
- A provider who reduces risk, not increases it
- A roadmap that supports growth, not hinders it
If your current IT partner struggles to answer any of these five questions with confidence, clarity, and evidence—your business may be carrying more risk than you realize.
Ready to Evaluate Your IT Partner More Strategically?
If you're unsure whether your current IT provider meets the
standard, JNT Tek can help you assess the gaps.
With:
- 3.5-minute average response times
- Compliance-first expertise across HIPAA, FINRA, SEC, PCI, and FTC
- A dedicated SOC and engineering team
- Proactive monitoring and strategic consulting
- Full-service and co-managed options
…you get an IT partner that aligns technology with
operations—not one that holds them back.
See how your current IT provider stacks up and what a true
partnership looks like.
Click Here or give us a call at 323-410-7785 to Book a FREE 10-Minute Discovery Call
