- Owner
- Technical Account Manager
- Effective date
- October 15, 2026
- Review cycle
- Every 12 months
1.Purpose
To end every client relationship cleanly and securely, so the client or its new provider receives complete documentation and credentials, the MSP removes all of its access and tools, and nothing is left behind.
2.Scope
Applies whenever a managed services agreement ends, whether the client moves to another provider or brings IT in-house. It covers the period from the termination notice to the final archive of client records.
Definitions
- Handover package
- The exported client documentation, network diagrams, asset list and runbooks given to the client at the end of the agreement.
- Incoming party
- The client’s internal IT team or new provider that takes over the environment.
- Delegated admin access
- A partner relationship that lets the MSP administer a client’s cloud tenant without a client user account.
- Retention period
- How long the MSP keeps client records after offboarding before deleting them, as set by contract or policy.
3.Responsibilities
- Technical Account Manager
- Owns the offboarding plan, agrees the timeline and handover scope with the client and confirms completion.
- Account Manager
- Logs the termination notice, checks contract terms, transfers licenses and vendor accounts and closes billing.
- Documentation Lead
- Brings the client documentation up to date, exports the handover package and archives records after offboarding.
- Systems Engineer
- Transfers credentials securely, removes MSP agents, tools and access, and verifies the removal.
- Client Point of Contact
- Names the incoming party in writing, receives the handover and confirms each offboarding milestone.
RACI matrix
| Activity | Technical Account Manager | Account Manager | Documentation Lead | Systems Engineer | Client Point of Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan the offboarding and handover scope | R/A | C | C | C | C |
| Export the documentation handover package | A | - | R | C | I |
| Transfer credentials to the incoming party | A | - | I | R | C |
| Remove MSP tools and access | A | I | I | R | I |
| Close billing and archive records | I | R/A | R | - | I |
R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed
4.Materials and PPE
Materials, tools and systems
- →Managed services agreement and exit terms
- →Offboarding checklist
- →Client hub in the documentation platform
- →Password manager with secure sharing
- →RMM tool and security tool consoles
- →PSA ticketing and billing system
- →Records retention policy
5.Procedure
- 5.1
Log the termination notice
Account ManagerThe Account Manager logs the termination notice in the PSA, checks the notice period and exit terms in the agreement and confirms the end date with the client in writing.
- 5.2
Hold the offboarding planning call
Technical Account ManagerThe Technical Account Manager agrees the timeline, cutover date, handover format and what is included with the Client Point of Contact and, if invited, the incoming party.
- 5.3
Confirm who receives the handover
Client Point of ContactThe Client Point of Contact names the incoming party and the people allowed to receive documentation and credentials, in writing, from an authorized approver.
Warning: Never hand credentials to a new provider on their request alone. Wait for written authorization from a documented client approver.
- 5.4
Bring the documentation up to date
Documentation LeadThe Documentation Lead reviews the client hub, fixes stale pages and fills gaps so the handover reflects the environment as it is today.
- 5.5
Export the handover package
Documentation LeadThe Documentation Lead exports the client documentation, network diagrams, asset inventory, runbooks and vendor list in the agreed format and shares it with the authorized recipients.
- 5.6
Transfer credentials securely
Systems EngineerThe Systems Engineer shares every client credential through a secure, expiring vault share and records exactly which credentials were handed over and to whom.
Checkpoint: An authorized client approver signs off the credential handover list.
- 5.7
Transfer licenses, domains and vendor accounts
Account ManagerThe Account Manager moves software subscriptions, domain registrations, certificates and vendor portal accounts that the MSP holds into the client’s ownership.
- 5.8
Remove MSP agents and tools
Systems EngineerThe Systems Engineer uninstalls RMM, remote access, monitoring, backup and security agents at the agreed cutover time, after the incoming party confirms its own tools are running.
- 5.9
Remove MSP accounts and delegated access
Systems EngineerThe Systems Engineer deletes MSP admin accounts, removes delegated admin access to cloud tenants and asks the incoming party to rotate any credential the MSP knew.
Checkpoint: A final login test confirms the MSP can no longer reach any client system.
- 5.10
Close billing and contracts
Account ManagerThe Account Manager stops recurring billing, cancels MSP-held subscriptions that were not transferred, issues the final invoice and closes the client in the PSA.
- 5.11
Archive client records
Documentation LeadThe Documentation Lead archives the client hub and tickets, then deletes client data from MSP systems when the retention period ends and logs the deletion.
- 5.12
Confirm offboarding is complete
Technical Account ManagerThe Technical Account Manager sends the client a completion letter listing what was handed over, what was removed and the date records will be deleted.
6.Quality checks
- →Credentials were shared only with recipients named in writing by an authorized approver.
- →The handover package reflects the current environment, with no stale pages.
- →No MSP agents, accounts or delegated access remain after cutover.
- →Recurring billing stopped on the end date and the final invoice was issued.
- →Client data is deleted at the end of the retention period, with the deletion logged.
7.Records
- →Termination notice and confirmed end date
- →Written authorization naming the incoming party
- →Signed credential handover list
- →Access removal verification
- →Completion letter and records deletion log
8.KPIs
- →Percentage of offboardings completed by the agreed end date
- →Number of MSP tools or accounts found after cutover
- →Time from termination notice to completion letter
9.Common mistakes
- →Sending credentials to a new provider without written client authorization.
- →Removing MSP tools before the incoming party’s tools are running.
- →Forgetting delegated admin access to cloud tenants.
- →Exporting outdated documentation that the new provider cannot trust.
10.Revision history
| Revision | Date | Description | Reviewed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | October 15, 2026 | Initial release | Ilia Pirozhenko |
This is a template. Adapt it to your organization, equipment and local regulations before use.
