The CAPRAplus team recently spoke to Mike Streams and Zach Pastko about if and when businesses should be using Managed Service Providers. Businesses that work with one or multiple MSPs know that managing and extracting maximum value out of these various vendor relationships can quickly become a colossal task. Careful planning and communication are paramount to ensure that all providers are delivering the services and results that are expected.
Can’t I expect the MSPs to just execute on what’s been agreed?
Mike Streams, Partner at W. Capra Consulting Group shared his thoughts, “Even with clearly articulated service level agreements (SLA) or metrics that you wish to analyze with an MSP, someone within your organization must own that relationship to ensure: one, the knowledge of what those expectations are, and two, that there are feedback loops when expectations are not being met. By defining expectations, standardizing metrics, using scorecards, regular communication, and shorter contracts that allow for adjustments of what is being delivered, an organization can feel not only comfort, but excel with a wide array of MSPs.”
Zach Pastko, Delivery Lead at W. Capra, added, “Businesses all too often assume that by selecting an MSP and defining some expectations in the contract that they have completely solved whatever area the MSP is servicing. That is not the case without ongoing management of the relationship or portfolio of MSP relationships.”
I don’t have time to manage a bunch of MSPs!
If you are bringing MSPs into your ecosystem as a way to enable your internal staff to focus on the core of your business, you neither want to trivialize the need to manage the MSP relationship, nor burden employees with managing the relationship. Using an organization like W. Capra to manage your portfolio of MSPs is an additional way to layer incremental value on top of what MSPs can provide for your business.
“Managing multiple MSPs can be a complex task, but by establishing and adhering to best practices, organizations can ensure that their MSPs are delivering the desired results. W. Capra has the expertise needed to take your MSP stack and ensure they are not only delivering against contractual obligations, but that the growth and maturation of the MSP relationships ensure the MSPs are operating as a truly integrated partner and part of your team,” Streams stressed. “An excellent MSP needs to be an extension of your organization versus just a company with whom you interact.”
Zach Pastko and Mike Streams are passionate about leading W. Capra clients in their managed service endeavors. For further discussion, contact Zach at [email protected] or Mike at [email protected].
